True, that!

Are you a lover of truth? Most of say so, and we mean it.  Unless we are a pathological liar, we do not live to deceive.  And still, even though many claim to love ‘authenticity’ and claim as it as their own, I find that ‘truth’ is a hard thing to come by in our time.  

 Opinion is confused with ‘truth.’ Preference is thought to be ‘truth.’  Truth is not always ‘obvious’ and it must be sought out.  Truth is not altered by public opinion, hatred, or denial! Truth is constant, abiding, and absolute. What do you believe is true about Jesus? That, friend, is critically important. Life depends on it!

When He was taken before Pilate, the Roman administrator in Jerusalem, that man was confused by Who he saw standing there. Clearly Jesus was a good man, yet His accusers were screaming about sedition, about rebellion.  Pilate asks Him about His identity. "Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him." (John 18:36-38, NIV) Hours later this man bent to public pressure and condemned a man he knew to be innocent to be crucified.

In a curious twist, Pilate, orders up a sign to be posted on the cross of Christ that read, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." This was to be a kind of mockery, a written notice of the accusation. It was a poke at the religious leaders who built a false case against Him. Pilate may have even enjoyed his little joke. But, he wrote unwittingly wrote a statement of the Truth!  And, as they stood round the cross, those religious leaders whose envy and spiritual pride blinded them to the coming of their Messiah, mocked him saying, Mark 15:32 "Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross. . ."  their own mockery a statement of the Truth!

Are you a lover of the Truth, really?
He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. Do you love Him, enough to embrace His invitation to come and follow?

When it is ‘killing you’ to accept His way over your own, will you live in the truth?

Spend some time with Jesus’ words, which are the word from the Word for today. In their familiarity we are tempted to read and say, “Yep, that’s true.” Take more time to think about the ‘truth,’ about Him, about the way that He shows us for life. Then, commit to living freely, because of the Truth.

“Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I Am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:26-32, NLT)

______________

Father, so many words come at me every day,

Claiming to be the truth.

I want to live in the truth!

So, I pray that the Holy Spirit will give me a discerning heart,

a mind full of the Word, so I am able to sort out truth from error.

Give me a readiness to learn from You,

Quick mind that can sort out the competing ideologies of my world.

Help me to love You and to live in the Truth.

Lord, lead me to a life of holy service
that pleases and honors You, one lived without shadows,

Without shame, in the Light of the Truth.

In the Name of Jesus, I ask this. Amen.