THE TRUTH

"And ye shall know the truth, and THE TRUTH shall make you free." (John 8:32)

TRUTH IS ALWAYS FOUND IN THE SINGULAR in Scripture. We never read of "truths" in the Bible, but always of "truth." In God's Word, "truth" speaks of ultimate reality – spiritual substance. It is more than a series of statements that are "true," although all statements of Scripture can be thus defined. Everything in the Word of God is true, and cannot be denied, doubted, or questioned with impunity. However, in this text we are speaking at a higher level, a more foundational view – KNOWING the truth. This not knowing about the truth, but realizing its benefits.

THERE IS A DOMINANT THEME, or center-point, in Scripture. Everything contained therein finds meaning in that locus. The Person of Christ is the personification of that center – He Himself is the Truth (John 14:6). That is why Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:39-40). From the standpoint of Divine objective, it is the "eternal purpose" of God. As it is written, "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph 1:9-11). Nothing in Scripture is unrelated to Christ Jesus, and God's "eternal purpose."

THE BODY OF REALITY, or opening, this focus is "truth." It contains diversity, and yet is perfectly united. No Divine utterance is at fundamental variance with another Word of God. A variety of subjects are addressed in the Word of God, but those subjects are never the heart of Scripture. What is more, they may only be comprehended within the greater light of the Person of Christ and the purpose of God.

SCRIPTURAL STATEMENTS CAN BE properly understood only in the context of the focus of Scripture. That is the greater context of every individual text. While there is value to contextual considerations, they do not yield the optimum benefit. Some advantage may be realized from language studies, historical considerations, and sociological circumstances. However such advantages are only minimal, and will not yield "spiritual understanding."

AT THIS POINT, I want to show the consistency of this view of "truth" in God's Word. Remember, it is always declared in the singular. Several references include the definite article with the word "truth," i.e., "THE truth." This language presupposes a inter-related body of reality; i.e., varying perspectives of a single focus or center. Thus, we do not read of "a truth," "some truth," "part of the truth," or "any truth." Truth can no more be divided than God the Father or the Christ, His Son. The Lord our God is "One," and so is truth!

THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH liberates men from the tyranny of the devil and sin. "And ye shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing "A" truth will not make you free, but knowing "THE" truth will ! This is more than a few Bible verses; it is the spiritual superstructure that supports the Bible verses! From this perspective, "the truth" is not merely information.

WITH THIS IN CONSIDERATION, Jesus came to make known the purpose of God to save humanity for Himself. Everything He said related to that purpose, and nothing was unrelated to it. When asked about truth by the despot Pilate, Jesus stated His mission. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto THE TRUTH. Everyone that is of THE TRUTH heareth my voice" (John 18:37). Pilate was looking for novelties, but Jesus had none to give. He did not come to give interesting disquisitions, but to make known the mind of the Lord. Those with an appetite for God's will and a desire to participate in His eternal purpose have an ear for Jesus. They delight in His words, and sit at His feet. As He said, "My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:27), and there are no exceptions.

THERE ARE TWO MORAL FORCES at work in the world: THE TRUTH and the lie. The truth comes from God and leads to heaven. The lie comes from Satan and leads to the lake of fire. God has promised to destroy all enemies of the truth. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [back] THE TRUTH in unrighteousness" (Rom 1:18). Through wickedness, evil men impede the progress of truth, holding it back, or restraining its dynamic influence upon human hearts. Ungodliness does not merely hold back "A" truth, like that of forgiveness, grace, or spiritual utility. It does obscure the perception of what the Lord is doing, as revealed in the Person of Christ, and the manifestation of God's eternal purpose. There is a sense is which the corruption of any aspect of the truth causes the whole of it to become obscure. Do you "know the truth?"

– Given O. Blakely