The Truth, the Whole Truth, And Nothing But Lies

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. -Psalm 51:6

“Corrupt politicians, dishonest journalists and media outlets, broken social institutions, immoral religious leaders, unconstitutional government programs and policies, and more, have generated non-stop headlines highlighting the decadence of American society and the demise of the United States.”

So George Barna concludes in a new study conducted recently. Although the study is about American society, the same can be said of many other parts of the Western world. Wherever biblical truth influences society through the power of the Gospel, it thrives. When truth is replaced with manipulation and lies, societies wither and die. That is why God is so concerned about the truth.

But God’s truthfulness and his absolute, never-flagging obsession with truth constantly challenge each one of us. Human beings have found so many creative ways of avoiding or shading the truth that it requires an entire catalog to describe it. We might not be as excited about truth as God is, but we should be enormously grateful that God is so stubborn and hard-nosed about truth as it lies at the root of his creation and design for a happy human life.

God’s love for the truth makes it into the Big Ten. In the Ninth Commandment, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16), it’s clear that truth is foundational to God’s character and will for all human life. Throughout the Bible, we learn that God loves truth and hates dishonesty: false witness, slander, deceit, duplicity, open lies, misinformation, disinformation, distortion, etc.

God also wants the truth about himself to be evident to us. In the Old Testament, God rebuked his people for misrepresenting his character. The apostle Paul writes: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (Romans 1:18-20).

In so many ways, we’re just like the ancient Hebrews. Like them, we can’t wait to turn away from the one true God to worship the false gods around us. In the New Testament, God revealed his character in Jesus Christ. Yet the world was offended by his clarity that they crucified his Son, the focal point of truth and the brightest light ever to come into the world. Most preferred the darkness. Unfortunately, they (and we) still do.

God wants us to be as passionate about truth as he. Jesus’ teaching intensifies the demands of the Law regarding telling the truth (Matthew 5:33-37), and page after page of the New Testament repeats the demand to love and tell the truth to each other, even when it’s inconvenient and unpopular to do so.

In a world that embraces Syncretism, if there is a place where the truth (about everything) is revered and practiced, it must be in the church. The church must lead in practicing biblical truths, shining light, and exposing dark lies. Those who stand against the cultural tide should find a safe place where they may lay all the slander, deceit, evil, and falseness directed at them.

Have you ever been lied about? Have you told the truth and been punished for it? The vindication and justice we don’t receive in the world are what we can expect when we leave all wrongs in the hands of our loving, just God. God promises, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19).

When the world rejects and twists the truth, when it maligns or lies about us, we don’t respond in kind. We have a Father who fights when we can’t fight, hates lies, and has the power to do the impossible when we can do nothing. So pray, speak, and do the truth in love; wait and see how God brings about his best for you. Pray for your enemies as “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

Despite all our human problems and shortcomings, the truth is still the standard by which God measures (and judges) the church, our nations, and the world. This puts before us a great calling and a great challenge. We’re called as believers and the church to become the community of truth: telling, loving, demanding, and living it. When we stand firm for the truth of the Gospel, we can point others to the Light of the world and to the One who powerfully brings hope and rescues us from deep darkness.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. -1 Corinthians 1:18

-Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash