"Standard - A Study on the Value of Truth" - Amy Lawrence

Standard

A Study on the Value of Truth

I’m sure we’ve all seen some form of our justice system here in the US, whether on reality television or crime shows. We usually see it taking place in a courtroom with a judge, 12 jurors, a plantif, a defendant, and witnesses. The goal of most - if not all - of the people in that room is to either tell or discover truth by using a standard of rules and regulations. Our ability as a nation to recognize truth has diminished over the years, though. As time marches on, and as society is and has always been wont to slowly evolve toward chaos, truth becomes subject to manipulation in order to suit current ideas. In this study, I’d like to answer the question Pilate asked Jesus: What is truth?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines truth as, “the body of real things, events, and facts; the property of being in accord with fact or reality; fidelity to an original or a standard”. We can understand this concept better by using something everyone is familiar with as truth: mathematics.

2+2 equals 4. No one will ever be able to change that. It’s a fact. A mile is and will always be 5,280 feet. Different nations that speak different languages can shoot a rocket into space and connect with the International Space Station by using theuniversal truth known to us as “math”. (Yes, I understand that we all hate math…but this is only for illustration purposes. You can take a breath and calm down now.) A standard to which everyone on Planet Earth adheres becomes truth. No one can argue with gravity, because it will teach you how true it is every time.

Now that I’ve illustrated the daylights out of “truth”, let’s get into a different kind of truth. Jesus once prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth,” John 17:17. We know, based on the history of the world as well as our own experiences, that most people treat truth as if it were flexible. We only want it to be truth when it suits our need of it. A prime example of this is the desire of our society today to redefine the terms “male” and “female”. No matter the rallies, riots, fame, and fortune, no one on this round rock will be able to redefine “male” and “female”. Why? Because of Who defined them in the first place, Gen. 1:27. Paul wrote to the Romans that mankind is without excuse because, “…since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead…” When God says something is true, it becomes truth. To deny this is to deny the power of God Almighty.

As I mentioned before, Jesus tells us that God’s truth sanctifies us. How does truth purify us? Well, the first step is to let it. Anyone that has ever dealt with discussions of a religious nature know how people tend to have their own ideas of what is truth. Reading the word of God with a preconceived notion of what it already says is no way to learn. Even the Bereans didn’t take Paul’s word for it. They “searched the scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so,” Acts 17:11. Is that a scriptural practice? Absolutely, 1 Pet. 4:1. But what if it is ourselves we must defeat?

What if we’ve had a belief all our lives and find out from scripture that the belief iswrong? My first recommendation would be to pray. There are many times when I have asked God for the strength to defeat myself and let His truth purify me, as did David, Ps. 51:10. Let it purify.

When the heart is where it should be, the understanding of God’s word takes on a whole new perspective. The psalmist wrote, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” Ps. 111:10. In studying scripture, our minds should always have a deep respect for God and His will, Mt. 6:9-10. When that respect for God remains, then and only then can His word begin its job of purifying, Ps. 19:9, and our knowledge of His will can begin to build and grow.

Truth is also pure in that it is no respecter of persons. What is expected of me is expected of anyone desiring to be a child of God. We must also be impartial. Jesus tells us, “…with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you,” Mt. 7:2. We must be impartial in mercy and forgiveness, but also in discipline and justice. Purity requires keeping the good and dispelling the bad. The Corinthians were reprimanded by Paul for not being ashamed of some of the things that were happening under their very noses, 1 Cor. 5:1-5. They repented and disciplined where necessary, but then they went to the extreme of not forgiving a repentant brother, 2 Cor 2:5-8. There is peace in purity, but the requirement for this peace is discipline - whether it is self-discipline or discipline by the church, Mt. 18:15-17. We must be good to each other, Gal. 6:1-5, and this good can only be found in truth and love, 1 Pet. 1:22-2:3.

We have to be willing to accept God’s truth in order to be pleasing to Him. I must tell you, though; the world rarely proclaims God’s truth. John wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father isnot in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever,” 1 John 2:15-17. We, therefore, have to make a choice: God, or the world? We cannot have both. God, in His manifold wisdom, presented a life lived in nothing but worldly pleasures through the writings (Ecclesiastes) of David’s son, Solomon. As the richest and wisest man ever to exist, Solomon came to a conclusion after he had invested himself in every worldly pleasure imaginable. His conclusion?

“And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing - whether good or evil,” Ecclesiastes 12:9-14.

Solomon lived a worldly life and yet wrote that a life that is pleasing in God’s sight is far better.

God’s truth creates a caliber of life you will not find anywhere else in this existence. Only in God’s truth is there true joy, no matter the circumstances, Phil. 4:4-7. This physical life is temporary. We as Christians have a hope that is beyond this life. Those of us that live in God’s truth know that, even in times of trouble, we have the assurance that the next life is the one God promised would be worth living for Him in this life. THAT is truth.

If you would like to be a part of this truth, come and join us in worship to God at any faithful church of Christ every Sunday/Wednesday night. We would love to have you among our number, and if there is any desire to know more, please don’t hesitate. Let us study with you as we all grow in grace and knowledge, 2 Pet. 3:18.