What I know about technology wouldn’t fill a thimble. And now, with the advent of AI (Artificial Intelligence), I know less than that. While fascinated with the possibilities of an AI-driven world, I have to ask – is it real or is it AI? This leads me to ask … what is true … what is real?
I watched Walter Cronkite report the news every night when growing up. People saw and heard him and relied on his reporting as true and factual … it was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Now, however, if you listen to ten stations report on the same incident, you will get ten versions of what happened. On top of that, you’ll get 200 opinions about what happened and why it happened. Folks, in my opinion, that is not truth … it’s sensationalism.
Many believe that truth is relative — truth for you is not necessarily truth for me. The world seems to adhere to this definition of truth. However, the Bible has a lot to say about truth which contradicts much of what the world believes about this subject. John 8:31-32 says: “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So, what does this mean?
To begin with, the Bible teaches truth is not an idea or an opinion, but a Person. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6). All truth comes from God, because He personifies truth. As we delve into His Word and are attentive to the Holy Spirit, we can and should know The Truth.
Next, the truth isn’t always popular. Remember Jesus was the essence of truth and they hated and murdered Him. The truth can be offensive because it tells us what’s wrong with us. For example, if you go to the doctor and are told you have cancer, you won’t like it, you can argue and get angry, but it’s still the truth. In Galatians 4, Paul speaks to the church in Galatia and confronts them with the fact that—though they claim to know God—they are embracing worldliness. He then says, “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16). Paul was willing to stand up when he saw believers compromising, even if it brought conflict with those he considered friends.
Last, why should we proclaim the truth as set forth in the Bible? Because the truth sets you free. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘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, ESV).
The striking question for all of us is what is the truth in our life—the government, yourself, a worldly ideology, or Jesus Christ? How we answer that question has a lasting impact. Jesus Christ came that we can know the truth and that the truth can set us free.
Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It! Debby can be contacted at caryjohnefurdinistries@gmail.com. Visit her at the Second Mile blog at https://debbyefurd.com.
