What is truth?
Stand in any courtroom in the world and you'll hear the same words: 'Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?' Now walk into any university philosophy class and you'll hear something very different: 'Truth is relative.' 'Your truth isn't my truth.' 'There are no absolute truths.' But here's what's fascinating: the people who claim truth doesn't exist want their doctors to make accurate diagnoses, their banks to report their actual balances, and their GPS to show true directions. Today, we're discovering why the death of truth might be greatly exaggerated.
Welcome back to Word for Word, I'm Austin Duncan, and today we're tackling one of the most fundamental questions in all of human existence: What is truth?
Now, I realize that's a pretty heavy way to start, but here's the thing: this question isn't just for philosophers sitting in ivory towers. The way you and I answer this question affects literally everything else in our lives. It shapes how we make decisions, how we raise our kids, how we interact with our neighbors, and ultimately, how we understand God Himself.
You know what's interesting? We're living in what many scholars call a "post-truth" culture. Oxford Dictionary even made "post-truth" their word of the year back in 2016, defining it as circumstances where "objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief." But here's what nobody talks about: even in our supposedly post-truth world, nobody actually lives like truth doesn't exist.
Think about it this way: The same professor who spends three hours lecturing about how truth is just a social construct still expects his paycheck to reflect the actual hours he worked. The same student who writes a paper arguing that all truth is relative still gets upset when she receives a grade she thinks is unfair. Why? Because deep down, in the marrow of our bones, we all know that truth is real, and it matters.
The Universal Human Experience of Truth
Researchers at Oxford University recently analyzed 60 different cultures from around the world; from isolated tribes in the Amazon to bustling cities in Asia. You know what they found? Despite massive differences in language, customs, and beliefs, they discovered seven moral rules that appeared in every single culture they studied. Not most cultures. Not nearly all cultures. Every. Single. One.
These weren't complicated philosophical principles either. They were things like: help your family, help your group, return favors, be brave, defer to authority, divide resources fairly, and respect others' property. The researchers said these behaviors were "always and everywhere considered moral," with zero counter-examples found across all 60 cultures.
Now, if truth is really just whatever each culture decides it is, how do you explain that? How do you explain the fact that a tribesman in Papua New Guinea and a businessman in New York both understand that keeping your word is good and breaking it is bad? The answer is simple but profound: there's something written on the human heart that transcends culture, something that points to objective truth that exists whether we acknowledge it or not.
What Exactly Is Truth?
So let's get practical here. What do we actually mean when we say "truth"? The classical definition, going all the way back to Aristotle, is pretty straightforward: truth is when our statements correspond to reality. Aristotle put it this way: "To say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true."
I know that sounds a bit like a tongue twister, so let’s break it down with an example. If I say "it's raining outside" while water is actually falling from the sky, that statement is true. If I say the same thing on a sunny day, it's false. The truth or falsehood doesn't depend on how I feel about rain, or whether my culture values rain, or whether I identify as someone who experiences rain. It depends on one thing: whether water is actually falling from the sky.
Thomas Aquinas, building on Aristotle, gave us an even more elegant definition. He said truth is "the equation of thing and intellect." In other words, truth happens when what's in our minds matches what's in reality. When there's a correspondence between our thoughts and the actual world.
Now, you might be thinking, "Okay Austin, but that seems pretty obvious. Why are we spending time on this?" Great question. We're spending time on it because this simple, obvious understanding of truth is under assault in our culture like never before.
The Modern Attack on Truth
Recent research from Barna Group found that 64% of Americans now believe that truth is always relative to the person and their situation. Only 22% believe in absolute truth. But here's where it gets really concerning: among born-again Christians, people who claim to follow the One who said "I am the truth," only 32% believe in absolute moral truth.
Let that sink in for a moment. We're not talking about people outside the church. We're talking about people who sit in pews every Sunday, who read their Bibles, who pray, but who have absorbed the cultural message that truth is subjective.
Arizona Christian University did another study and found that 54% of Americans now embrace what they call "moralistic therapeutic deism," basically the idea that God exists to make us happy and that being good is relative to what makes us feel good about ourselves. Even more striking, they found that 88% of Americans are creating their own syncretistic worldviews by picking and choosing beliefs from multiple sources like it's some kind of spiritual buffet.
This shift is especially pronounced among younger generations. Adults under 30 are significantly less likely to believe in absolute truth than their parents or grandparents. We're watching a fundamental transformation in how people think about reality itself.
The Self-Defeating Nature of Relativism
But here's where things get really interesting, and honestly, a bit amusing if you think about it. Every claim that "there is no absolute truth" defeats itself. It's like saying "I can't speak a word of English" in perfect English. Or posting on social media that you're taking a break from social media. The very act of making the claim undermines the claim itself.
Think about it: When someone says "there is no absolute truth," are they saying that absolutely? If they are, then they've just proven themselves wrong. There's at least one absolute truth, namely their statement. But if they're not saying it absolutely, if it's just their relative opinion, then why should I take it seriously? Why should their relative opinion override my relative opinion that truth does exist?
I remember having this conversation with a college student once. He was adamant that all truth was relative, that what's true for me might not be true for him. So I asked him, "Is that statement true for everyone, or just for you?" He started to say "for everyone," then caught himself, realizing he was about to claim an absolute truth. Then he tried to say "just for me," but realized that meant I didn't have to accept his relativism. The poor guy just stood there, mouth open, not knowing what to say.
That's the corner relativism paints itself into. It's not just wrong; it's impossible. It's not just false; it's self-refuting. It collapses under the weight of its own claims.
Jesus as Truth Incarnate
Now, this brings us to something absolutely revolutionary about Christianity. When Jesus was talking to His disciples in John 14:6, He didn't say "I teach the truth" or "I know the truth" or even "I have the truth." He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
The Greek word used here is "aletheia," and it's fascinating. It literally means "unconcealment" or "unforgetting." The idea is that truth isn't just abstract facts floating around in space: it's reality unveiled, uncovered, brought into the light. And Jesus claims to be that reality in person.
Think about how audacious this claim is. Buddha claimed to teach the path to enlightenment. Muhammad claimed to be a prophet of Allah. Confucius offered wisdom for living. But Jesus? Jesus claimed to BE truth itself. He claimed that truth isn't just something you learn or discover, it's Someone you meet.
This changes everything about how we understand truth. It means truth isn't just propositional (though it includes propositions). It isn't just factual (though it includes facts). Truth is ultimately personal. It's relational. It's embodied in a Person who entered history, lived among us, died for us, and rose again.
The Hebrew word for truth, "emet," adds another layer of meaning. It comes from a root that means "to support" or "to be firm." It's related to our word "Amen," so be it, let it stand firm. But here's what's really cool: In Hebrew, "emet" is spelled with three letters: aleph, mem, and tav: the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Truth encompasses everything from beginning to end.
Even more striking, if you remove the first letter, aleph (which represents God in Jewish thought), you're left with "met," which means death. The implication? Without God, truth dies. Without the Author of truth, we're left with death. But with Him, we have comprehensive truth that encompasses all of reality.
Why Truth Matters in Daily Life
So let’s come back down to earth with some real-world examples. Every single day, you and I make hundreds of decisions based on the assumption that truth exists and matters.
When you get in your car this morning, you assumed that the laws of physics that worked yesterday would work today. You didn't wonder whether gravity might be taking a personal day or whether your brake pedal might have decided to identify as an accelerator. You trusted in objective, consistent truth.
When you stopped at Starbucks (and let's be honest, many of us did), you expected that the numbers on your receipt would correspond to actual dollars leaving your bank account. You didn't think, "Well, math is just a social construct, so maybe this $5 coffee only costs $1 in my personal truth." No, you understood that mathematical truth is objective and binding.
When you took medicine this morning, you trusted that the chemical compounds in that pill would interact with your body in predictable, scientifically verifiable ways. You didn't think, "Well, medicine works differently depending on your truth." You relied on objective biological and chemical truths.
GPS technology is a perfect example. Your phone's GPS works because it makes incredibly precise calculations based on Einstein's theories of relativity. The satellites have to account for the fact that time moves differently in orbit than on Earth's surface, a difference of just 38 microseconds per day. If relativism were true, if math were subjective, if physics were just opinion, your GPS would be off by about 6 miles every single day. But it's not, because truth is real and measurable and consistent.
The Moral Dimension of Truth
But truth isn't just about facts and figures. It has profound moral implications. You see, if truth is relative, then moral truth is relative too. And if moral truth is relative, then nothing is really right or wrong. It's all just preference.
When I first started in ministry and I was teaching middle and high schoolers and filling in for the Youth Pastor when possible, a high school student challenged me on this. She said, "Morality is relative. What's wrong in one culture might be right in another." So I asked her, "Is torturing babies for fun wrong?" She immediately said yes. I asked, "Is it wrong for everyone, everywhere, at all times?" She hesitated, realizing where this was going, but she couldn't bring herself to say that torturing babies might be okay in some cultures.
And that's the point. We all know, deep in our bones, that some things are really, truly, objectively wrong. Not just wrong for us, not just wrong in our culture, but wrong period. Full stop. End of discussion. And if even one thing is objectively morally wrong, then objective moral truth exists.
C.S. Lewis made this point brilliantly in "Mere Christianity." He noted that people are always appealing to some standard of fair play or justice when they argue. Even when they disagree about what's fair, they agree that fairness exists. Nobody says, "Fairness is meaningless." They say, "That's not fair!" But fair according to what standard? There must be some objective standard they're appealing to, even if they don't realize it.
The Scientific Method Depends on Truth
Here's something that might surprise you: science itself is impossible without objective truth. The entire scientific method is built on the assumption that:
The universe operates according to consistent, discoverable laws
These laws are the same for all observers
Experiments can be replicated with consistent results
Evidence can be evaluated objectively
Theories can be proven false if they don't match reality
Every one of these assumptions requires objective truth. If truth were relative, if my truth could be different from your truth, then my experiment results could be different from yours even under identical conditions. Science would be impossible.
But science works. We can predict eclipses centuries in advance. We can calculate the trajectory needed to land a rover on Mars. We can develop vaccines that work across all human populations. Why? Because we're discovering objective truths about how the universe operates.
Even more interesting, many of the pioneers of modern science were Christians who believed they were, in the words of Johannes Kepler, "thinking God's thoughts after Him." They believed that because God was rational and truthful, His creation would be rational and discoverable. Their faith in objective truth, grounded in the nature of God, made their scientific discoveries possible.
The Legal System Requires Truth
Think about our legal system. The entire structure of law and justice depends on the idea that truth exists and can be discovered. That's why we have rules of evidence, why we swear witnesses in, why perjury is a crime.
Imagine if we really believed truth was relative. A witness could say, "In my truth, the defendant wasn't there." The prosecutor could respond, "Well, in my truth, he was." The judge could conclude, "In my truth, none of this matters." The entire system would collapse into chaos.
But even in our supposedly post-truth age, nobody actually wants a legal system based on relativism. Nobody wants to be convicted based on someone else's "personal truth" if the objective facts show they're innocent. When the stakes are high, when it really matters, everyone suddenly believes in objective truth.
The Problem of Communication
Here's another angle to consider: if truth is relative, communication becomes impossible. Language itself depends on shared meaning, on words referring to objective realities that we can all recognize.
When I say "tree," you know what I mean because we both have experience with actual trees in the real world. The word points to an objective reality. But if truth is relative, if my "tree" could be completely different from your "tree," then we're not really communicating at all. We're just making noises at each other.
This is called the problem of reference, and it's been recognized by philosophers for centuries. The triangle of meaning shows that communication requires three things: a symbol (the word), a referent (the actual thing), and a thought (our mental concept). If there's no objective referent, if truth is relative, then the triangle collapses and communication becomes impossible.
Yet here we are, communicating. You're understanding my words. We're sharing ideas. That's only possible because we're both connected to the same objective reality, the same truth.
The Tolerance Paradox
One of the most common arguments for relativism goes something like this: "We should be tolerant of all views. Nobody should impose their truth on anyone else." Sounds nice, right? Sounds humble and open-minded.
But wait a minute. Isn't that itself a truth claim being imposed on everyone? Aren't they saying that their view (we should be tolerant) is true and should be accepted by everyone? Aren't they being intolerant of people who believe in absolute truth?
This is called the tolerance paradox, and it shows up everywhere in our culture. People who claim to be tolerant of all views are remarkably intolerant of the view that some views are false. They make absolute statements about how there are no absolutes. They judge people for being judgmental. They're certain that nobody can be certain about anything.
A few years ago, I was on a panel discussion at a local college, and one of the other panelists kept insisting that Christians were wrong to claim they had the truth. He said we should be more humble, more open to other perspectives. So I asked him, "Are you certain that I can't be certain?" He said yes. I asked, "Are you absolutely sure there are no absolutes?" The moderator actually had to call for a break because the guy needed time to think about what he'd just said.
Truth and Relationships
Now, let's talk about something really practical: how truth affects our relationships. You see, trust is the foundation of every healthy relationship, and trust is impossible without truth.
Think about marriage. When two people stand at the altar and make vows, those vows are meaningless if truth doesn't exist. "I promise to love and cherish you" becomes empty words if "love" means whatever I want it to mean at any given moment. The very concept of making and keeping promises requires objective truth.
Or consider friendship. What makes betrayal so painful? It's the violation of truth. When someone lies to us, when they present a false version of themselves or their intentions, we feel hurt precisely because we know that truth exists and it's been violated.
Even in our relationship with God, truth is essential. The Bible says that God "desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Not "a truth" or "their truth" but "the truth." Our salvation depends on responding to what is actually true about our condition, about God's character, and about Christ's work on the cross.
The Postmodern Challenge
Now, I want to be fair to the postmodern critique. Philosophers like Jacques Derrida, Jean-François Lyotard, and Michel Foucault raised some important questions about how we know truth and who gets to define it. They pointed out, correctly, that powerful people and institutions have often used claims of "truth" to oppress others.
Think about it: Slave owners claimed it was "true" that some races were inferior. Totalitarian regimes claimed their ideologies were "true" and killed millions who disagreed. Religious authorities have claimed divine truth while covering up abuse. These philosophers were right to be suspicious of how truth claims can be weaponized.
But here's the key insight: the problem isn't with truth itself. The problem is with false claims masquerading as truth. The solution isn't to abandon truth but to be more careful about discovering and defending what's actually true.
When Foucault argued that truth claims are really about power, he was making a truth claim. When Derrida said everything is interpretation, he expected us to interpret his statement as true. They couldn't escape the necessity of truth even while trying to deconstruct it.
The Practical Impossibility of Relativism
Here’s a story that illustrates just how impossible it is to actually live as a relativist. I know of a philosophy professor at a state university who runs an experiment he does every semester.
On the first day of class, he announces that since truth is relative and many students believe this, he's going to grade their papers based on his personal truth. His truth, he explains, is that papers with fewer than 500 words deserve an A, while longer papers deserve an F. Quality doesn't matter. Logic doesn't matter. Evidence doesn't matter. Just word count, but in reverse.
You should see the panic in students' faces. They immediately start arguing that this isn't fair, that grades should be based on what it is that they’re writing. That there needs to be clear criteria for them to aim for. Or in other words, criteria that applies equally to everyone. In other words, they suddenly become absolutists about truth when their grades are on the line.
Then he reveals the real lesson: they've just proved that they don't actually believe truth is relative. When it matters, when it affects them personally, they believe in objective standards. They believe in fairness. They believe in truth.
The Christian Foundation for Truth
So why does Christianity provide such a robust foundation for truth? It starts with the nature of God Himself. The Bible describes God as "the God of truth" (Psalm 31:5). It says it's impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Jesus called the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17).
Think about what this means. If God exists and God is truth, then truth isn't just an abstract concept - it's grounded in the very nature of ultimate reality. Truth isn't arbitrary because it flows from God's unchanging character. Truth isn't culturally relative because God transcends all cultures. Truth isn't unknowable because God has revealed Himself.
This is why Christian philosophers throughout history have been so confident about truth. Augustine said that all truth is God's truth. Aquinas argued that our ability to know truth comes from the divine light of reason God has given us. Modern Christian philosophers like Alvin Plantinga have shown that belief in God provides the best explanation for why humans can discover truth at all.
You see, if we're just the product of random evolutionary processes, why should we trust our cognitive faculties to discover truth? Evolution would only select for beliefs that help us survive, not necessarily beliefs that are true. But if we're made in the image of a rational, truthful God, then our ability to reason and discover truth makes perfect sense.
Truth and Human Dignity
Here's something we don't talk about enough: the existence of objective truth is essential for human dignity and human rights. If truth is relative, then the statement "humans have inherent dignity" is just an opinion. The declaration that "all men are created equal" becomes merely a cultural preference that other cultures can reject.
But if truth is objective, if humans really are made in God's image, then human dignity is a fact, not an opinion. Human rights are real, not just social constructs. The oppression of any human being is objectively wrong, not just wrong from a certain point of view.
This is why relativism is so dangerous. It doesn't lead to tolerance and freedom, it leads to might makes right. If there's no objective truth about human value, then whoever has the most power gets to decide who matters and who doesn't. History shows us where that leads: slavery, genocide, oppression.
But Christianity says that every human being (regardless of race, class, ability, or any other factor) bears the image of God. That's not just true for Christians. That's not just true in Christian cultures. That's true period. It's an objective fact about reality that demands recognition and respect.
Responding to Honest Questions
Now, I want to acknowledge that some people have genuine questions and struggles about truth. Maybe they've been hurt by people who claimed to have the truth but used it as a weapon. Maybe they've seen the disagreements between sincere people and wonder how anyone can claim to know truth. These are real concerns that deserve compassionate responses.
First, we need to distinguish between truth itself and our knowledge of truth. Truth is objective, but our understanding of it is limited and sometimes flawed. As Paul says, "Now we see through a glass darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12). We can know truth, but we don't know it exhaustively or perfectly.
This should make us humble. Yes, truth exists. Yes, we can know it. But we should hold our understanding with appropriate humility, always being willing to refine and correct our understanding as we learn more. The existence of objective truth doesn't mean we have all the answers, it means the answers exist to be discovered.
Second, disagreement about truth doesn't mean truth doesn't exist. People disagree about historical facts, but history still happened. Scientists disagree about theories, but reality still operates according to natural laws. The existence of disagreement just means we need good methods for discovering truth, not that truth doesn't exist.
The Method of Discovering Truth
So how do we discover truth? Christianity has always affirmed multiple paths to knowledge, what theologians call the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral": Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.
Scripture gives us special revelation - truths about God, salvation, and spiritual realities that we couldn't discover on our own. The Bible claims to be "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16), providing us with trustworthy truth from the Author of truth Himself.
Tradition gives us the accumulated wisdom of those who've gone before us. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. We can learn from centuries of Christian thought and practice, testing our understanding against the insights of the faithful throughout history.
Reason gives us the ability to think logically, to evaluate evidence, to make valid inferences. God gave us minds and expects us to use them. Christianity has never been about blind faith, it's about reasonable faith based on good evidence.
Experience gives us personal knowledge, the kind of truth you can't get from books alone. When someone experiences God's forgiveness, when they see prayers answered, when they witness transformed lives, they gain a kind of knowledge that's powerful and personal.
These four sources work together, checking and balancing each other. Scripture has priority as God's revealed word, but we interpret Scripture using reason, in community with tradition, and in light of experience. It's a robust method for discovering and verifying truth.
Truth in a Post-Truth World
So how do we live and witness in a culture that's increasingly skeptical about truth? Here are a few practical strategies.
First, live consistently with your belief in truth. Show integrity in your words and actions. Be the same person in private that you are in public. Let people see that believing in truth makes you more honest, not less. More humble, not more arrogant. More loving, not more judgmental.
Second, ask good questions. When someone says truth is relative, ask them if that's relatively true or absolutely true. When they claim morality is subjective, ask them if rape or racism is really just a matter of opinion. Help them see the implications of what they're saying. Often, people haven't thought through the logical consequences of relativism.
Third, tell stories. People might argue with propositions, but they're drawn to stories. Share how knowing truth has changed your life. Talk about how the truth of the Gospel has brought freedom, not bondage. Show them that truth isn't a prison, but rather it's the key that unlocks the prison.
Fourth, appeal to their existing belief in truth. Remember, nobody really lives as a complete relativist. Find the areas where they already believe in objective truth (usually in science, or justice, or human rights) and help them see that if truth exists in one area, the category of objective truth exists.
Fifth, introduce them to the Person who is truth. Ultimately, we're not just defending an abstract concept. We're introducing people to Jesus Christ, who embodies truth. When people encounter Jesus, they encounter truth in personal, transformational form.
The Stakes Could Not Be Higher
Let me be really clear about something: this isn't just an interesting philosophical discussion. The stakes here are enormous. If truth doesn't exist, then:
Justice is impossible (no objective standard of right and wrong)
Science collapses (no objective physical laws)
Communication fails (no shared meaning)
Relationships die (no basis for trust)
Progress ends (no way to measure improvement)
Hope vanishes (no ultimate meaning or purpose)
But if truth does exist (and especially if truth is grounded in the character of a personal, loving God) then:
Justice is real and will ultimately prevail
Science can discover the ordered laws of creation
Communication connects us in genuine relationship
Trust and love become possible
Progress can be measured against objective standards
Hope is grounded in ultimate reality
The Gospel Truth
This brings us to the heart of the Christian message. The Gospel isn't just true information; it's transforming truth. When Jesus said "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32), He wasn't speaking abstractly. He was describing the liberating power of reality breaking into our delusions.
You see, the fundamental lie that enslaves humanity is that we can be our own gods, that we can define reality for ourselves, that we can determine our own truth. This lie goes all the way back to Eden, when the serpent said, "You will be like God" (Genesis 3:5).
But the Gospel tells us the truth: We're not God. We're creatures, not the Creator. We're sinners in need of salvation. We can't save ourselves. These might not be comfortable truths, but they're liberating truths because they point us to the One who can save us.
When we acknowledge the truth about our condition and the truth about Christ's provision, something miraculous happens. We're set free from the burden of trying to be our own saviors. We're released from the impossible task of creating our own meaning. We're liberated from the loneliness of subjective reality and welcomed into the community of truth.
Practical Application
So what does all this mean for how we live today, this week, in practical terms? I’ve divided this into five areas: personal life, family life, workplace, relationships, and in your witness.
First, in your personal life, commit to truthfulness. This doesn't mean being brutally honest in ways that hurt people unnecessarily. Truth should always be spoken in love (Ephesians 4:15). But it does mean rejecting the little lies we tell ourselves and others. It means having the courage to face uncomfortable truths about ourselves. It means being people of integrity.
Second, in your family, teach your children that truth exists and matters. Don't just tell them what to believe, teach them how to think. Help them understand the logical problems with relativism. Give them the tools to defend truth in their generation. Show them that Christianity provides the most coherent, comprehensive understanding of reality.
Third, in your workplace, be known as someone trustworthy. In a world full of spin and deception, be refreshingly honest. When you make mistakes, own them. When you don't know something, admit it. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Show that believing in truth makes you a better employee or employer.
Fourth, in your relationships, build on the foundation of truth. This means having hard conversations when necessary. It means not letting falsehoods fester. It means choosing reality over comfortable illusions. Truth might be painful in the short term, but it's the only foundation for lasting, healthy relationships.
Fifth, in your witness, remember that we're not just defending abstract truth, we're introducing people to the One who is truth. Our apologetics should always point to Jesus. Our arguments should be seasoned with grace. Our defense of truth should be coupled with genuine love for those who are confused or skeptical.
The Call to Courage
Living for truth in a post-truth world requires courage. You'll be called narrow-minded for believing truth exists. You'll be labeled intolerant for saying some things are false. You'll be seen as arrogant for claiming to know truth.
But remember, you're in good company. The prophets were rejected for speaking truth. The apostles were persecuted for proclaiming truth. Jesus Himself was crucified for testifying to the truth.
And yet, truth prevails. As the old saying goes, "Truth crushed to earth shall rise again." Why? Because truth isn't just an idea, it's the fabric of reality itself. You can deny gravity, but you'll still fall. You can reject truth, but you'll still run into it every day.
The question isn't whether truth exists. The question is whether we'll acknowledge it, submit to it, and build our lives on it. The question is whether we'll have the courage to stand for truth in a culture that increasingly rejects it.
Conclusion: The Truth That Sets Free
So where does this leave us? We've seen that truth is not only real but necessary for every aspect of human life. We've observed that even those who deny truth can't help but assume it in their daily lives. We've discovered that Christianity provides the only coherent foundation for the objective truth that civilization requires.
But here's what I want you to really grasp: This isn't just about winning arguments or being right. This is about freedom. Jesus said, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).
Free from what? Free from the exhausting burden of trying to create your own reality. Free from the loneliness of subjective isolation. Free from the chaos of a world without meaning. Free from the slavery of sin and self-deception. Free to live in alignment with reality, in relationship with the God who is truth.
You see, when Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" he was staring Truth in the face and didn't recognize Him. Don't make the same mistake. Truth isn't just something to figure out, He's Someone to know. Truth isn't just correct information, He's a Person who loves you and gave Himself for you.
In a world that's given up on truth, we have the most precious gift imaginable: access to the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. We know that truth exists because we know Him who is truth. We can navigate the confusion of our age because we're anchored to the Rock that doesn't shift with cultural tides. The death of truth has been greatly exaggerated. Truth is alive and well because He who is Truth is alive and well. He's not just alive in some abstract, philosophical sense; He's alive and active and working in the world and in our lives today.
So here’s a challenge: Don't just believe in truth, live it. Don't just defend truth, embody it. Don't just argue for truth, introduce others to Him who is truth. In a world starving for reality, we have the Bread of Life. In a culture dying of thirst for meaning, we have Living Water. In a society stumbling in darkness, we have the Light of the World. The question "What is truth?" isn't merely academic, apologetic, or philosophical. It's the most practical question we can ask because its answer affects everything else. And for those of us who follow Christ, we have not just an answer but The Answer (not just a truth but The Truth). Not just information about life but The Life Himself. Truth isn't relative. It's not subjective. It's not culturally determined. Truth is objective, knowable, and ultimately personal. And it’s revealed perfectly in the person of Jesus Christ. That truth (when we embrace it and build our lives on it) sets us free indeed.
As we close, remember this: Every time you choose truth over lies, every time you speak truth in love, every time you stand for truth when it's costly, you're not just making an intellectual statement. You're bearing witness to the One who is Truth. You're shining light in darkness. You're offering water to a thirsty world. The world says truth is dead. But we know better. We know Truth personally. We've been set free by Truth. And we have the privilege of introducing others to the Truth that can set them free too.
