What is Truth?

Pilate asked Jesus the question of the ages, “What is truth?” in John 18:38.

• Truth is not a teaching or doctrine.
• Truth is a Person.
• Truth is the Word of God, and Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. Jesus Himself is the embodiment of Truth.
• Truth is the wisdom and knowledge of God, is hidden in Christ Himself (Col. 2:3).
• Truth dwells not in the doctrines of men, but in the innermost being, or human spirit, and it is there that God makes us to know Truth (Ps. 51:6).

Paul said, there is a “hidden wisdom” of which those speaking through the Spirit speak (1 Cor. 2:7), but it is indeed “hidden” — hidden in the Spirit realm, and it is the Spirit Himself, “The Spirit of Truth,” as Jesus called the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 Jn. 4:6). Only He, the Spirit of Truth, can and will guide the believer into all Truth, for He Himself IS Truth (Jn. 16:13).

God’s intention is that no one can know Truth apart from a living relationship with God Himself. His wisdom is deliberately both concealed and revealed in Christ Himself. While we are instructed to “study to show yourself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), nevertheless, no one can know Truth merely through cerebral study. Study is an exercise to educate your mind, which is part of your soul, but Truth is of the Spirit realm. And, the fact of the matter is, Truth consists of seemingly opposing matters or paradoxes. Give to receive, die to live, et cetera, are paradoxical Truths revealed in the Word of God. But, again, Truth is somewhere between the extremes of the swing of the pendulum.

Jesus Christ is the truth of the universe. Because Jesus is truth, truth in Christ is

(i) personal as well as propositional;

(ii) universal as well as contextual;

(iii) ultimate as well as present.

As followers of Jesus we are called to be people of truth.

1. We must live the truth. To live the truth is to be the face of Jesus, through whom the glory of the gospel is revealed to blinded minds. People will see truth in the faces of those who live their lives for Jesus, in faithfulness and love.
2. We must proclaim the truth. Spoken proclamation of the truth of the gospel remains paramount in our mission. This cannot be separated from living out the truth. Works and words must go together.
3. We must  preach and teach the fullness of the biblical gospel as Paul did, in all its cosmic scope and truth. We must present the gospel not merely as offering individual salvation, or a better solution to needs than other gods can provide, but as God’s plan for the whole universe in Christ. People sometimes come to Christ to meet a personal need, but they stay with Christ when they find him to be the truth.