What is Truth?

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

Hebrews 2:1 (NLT)

“What is truth?” These are famous words uttered by Pilate nearly 2,000 years ago. (See John 18:38) Why are they famous? Because he had Jesus Christ standing before him, in Pilate’s own palace, proclaiming that the world hated Him because He represented the truth about the Kingdom of God. Pilate’s reaction, then, was to mutter that perhaps we are incapable of understanding the truth – or that there is no such thing as real truth. Of course, it was only a short time later that Jesus was crucified and killed for the truth that He preached and lived.

In our world, there are a lot of half-truths and false-truths (lies) about the Kingdom of God. There is the belief in an eternal, everlasting hell where people burn forever. (It’s not biblical. See Psalm 37:38 to start.) There is the belief that when we die we either go straight to Heaven or hell. (The Bible teaches this doesn’t happen until Jesus comes back and resurrects the dead. See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Plus, again, there is no hell.) There is a belief that there is a secret rapture where God pulls the truly righteous out of this world before things get really nasty. The rest of us stay here for further purification to prove our allegiance to God. (Again, this is not biblical. Jesus’s return won’t be a secret. See Revelation 1:7.) Of course, there are plenty more, but these are the ones that have widespread support.

So, how are we supposed to know what is true about the Kingdom of God? Well, as you’ve seen, test what is said against the entirety of the Scriptures. I say “entirety” because many will point to one verse to support their belief. However, when the verse is viewed in context of the chapter and book in which it is contained, the belief falls apart. For example, Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished” as He died on the cross (See John 19:30). If we take just this one verse, we can make an entirely theology out of what, perhaps was finished. But, when we examine the entirety of Jesus’s work, we understand that the purpose for Jesus coming to the earth was completed. Sin was crushed on the cross. Salvation was won.

Today, and every day, dig into the Word of God. Read about the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Hold on to the truths you find there.