What is Truth?

What Is Truth?

I once spoke with a bi-polar gentleman who was convinced John F. Kennedy was still alive.  No matter what I said, he wouldn’t change his mind.  I asked if he’d seen the McGruder film of JFK’s assassination, he had but believed it was faked.  I asked if he knew there had been an investigation which showed autopsy photos, testimony of people who were there, and forensics which prove beyond a shadow of a doubt JFK was dead.  He thought they were faked as well, and asked what would you expect from the very agencies who are trying to cover this up.  When I asked him for a motive, he said because the CIA has other plans for him.

When someone has accepted something as true beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is hard to convince them otherwise no matter the evidence.  They get into a circular reasoning cycle:  “I know it’s true because I know it’s true.  Never mind the facts.  Never mind the testimony.  I know it’s true.”  I find there is very little chance of reasoning them out of such a position because they often have not reasoned themselves into it.  Usually only the Holy Spirit can convince them.

The belief in various similar conspiracy theories has spread into the church especially in recent years.  The current events in Israel have sparked a deeper interest in eschatology – the last days.  Looking for signs of Jesus soon return can lead some to look for Satan under every rock, behind every tree.  Yes there are signs, but they shouldn’t lead us to look for signs that aren’t there.  That’s not our job as Christians. Believe what you want.  It’s a free country.  The problem comes when these conspiracy theories begin to spread through the church causing discord.

Prov. 6:16-19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:

¹⁷     haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸     a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,

¹⁹     a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Discord in the church is a definite no no.  Our job as Christians is to serve Christ, share Christ, and live Christ.  Looking for and sharing unsubstantiated reports of unseen forces, government plots to control the world, and so on, take us away from our central tasks.  There is no doubt Satan is at work today but he loves distractions like these that take us away from our central task.  There are people who spend much more time looking into space men, strange creatures that once roamed the earth, and grand government plots to do who knows what to us rather than spending time studying God’s Word.  Unfortunately the discord they spread is contagious.  It draws some of us away from keeping our eyes on the Son of God and we turn toward the world for answers.

One way to prevent this, at least in our own lives, would be to check out the sources from which we hear these strange things.  A friend of mine said recently “I’m a skeptic at heart, but I’m open.  I’ll disbelieve until it can be proven.  Then I’ll believe it.”  I totally agree with this.

Why is this important?

Our Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, not the Way, the Rumor, and the Life.  When we spread rumors that are later proven wrong or even foolish, we are showing the world a different model than the Christian ideal.  We’re showing ourselves to be the nuts and blind believers they accuse us to be.  I, for one, don’t want to shame my Lord by spreading silly stories and false rumors.  People are watching us.  Let’s give them a portrayal of Jesus people we can be happy with and so will He.

Truth is arrived at by either personally experiencing the claim: “It’s raining outside,” or by hearing it from a trustworthy source, “God so loved the world that He gave His Son.”

The problem comes when we start to think all sources are trustworthy or all who agree with me are the only trustworthy sources.  Once we’ve placed our total trust in men, we have stepped away from God.  Pastors who know their stuff will tell you to question what they say because they are fallible.  We need to be willing to question all sources that come to us.  Scripture itself tells us to test all things yet we listen to something “interesting,” something that “tickles our ears,” and accept it as if it were true.

Satan represents himself as an angel of light, and some accept anything that sounds “lightful.” 

1 Thess. 5:21  but test everything; hold fast what is good.

1 John 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Eph 5:6-8  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light