‘What is truth?’ retorted
Pilate.
Pilate says to Jesus at His trial “What is truth?” This is a
question that is debated to this day, “How do we define truth?” Pilate would
have debated this question during his education which qualified him as Rome’s
legal administrator of Judea. He will have studied the same philosophers that
form the basis of western philosophy today, namely Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle. Their teaching was already a few hundred years old by the time of
Jesus, and that same teaching is taught in universities today ... and that same
question is debated in first year law courses and in many of the arts subjects:
What is truth?
A short history lesson: For hundreds of years the basic picture
we had regarding truth was that here you have a creator God in whom all truth
resides (philosophical truth, historical, scientific, theological) and way
below that was created man who looked to God for truth. On to the scene came
the renaissance which said “look how great man is, we don’t need God” ... this
is when they created statues of man, everything ... and the gap between a
creator God and humans became smaller. It would have stayed like that, except
for the enlightenment, which also said “we don’t need God” but for a different
reason. See how well humans can reason: we can reason through the sin problem, and
evil etc. The concept of a creator God became smaller and humans were elevated
higher. Then came the industrial revolution which said we don’t need God, but
for a different reason, “See how well we can create” and it brought the concept
of a creator God lower and elevated humans. But there were two questions none
of these could answer ... the origin of humans and the universe. Then came
Darwinism which said “We don’t need even the concept of God, we can explain the
origin of the universe and humans without God” and the concept of a personal
creator God in whom all truth resides fell away leaving just humans at the
centre of the universe.
Today, nearly all our understanding of truth comes out of
the belief that humans stand at the centre of the universe. Flowing from all
this are a number of things, one of which is the number one virtue in the world
today ... tolerance ... which claims that all values, all beliefs, all
lifestyles all claims to truth, are equal. Why? Because there is no personal
creator God in whom all truth resides ... there are just humans and all truth
is now personal perspective and personal opinion. So we hear all the time today
“It might be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” There’s no longer an
external reference point. Truth resides in the individual and .... if it works
for me, in my life and my situation, then it’s truth. And if it doesn’t work
for you, well ... you find what works for you and that’s truth for you.
That is the world we live in.
The world we live in is also a world in which a suicide
bomber will go to a concert attended by mainly young people and detonate a bomb
causing death and destruction. He will do so in the name of a particular faith,
Islam ... but, and let me make this clear, he is not representative of that
faith; just as Christians who have bombed abortion clinics were not
representative of the Christian faith. And our hearts go out to the families
and the city that is in mourning. And we see gatherings like the one on
Wednesday and we celebrate, if that’s the right word, the coming together of
all different peoples with different truth beliefs
I counted at least 7 major world faith belief systems
represented on that stage: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sufism, Buddhism,
Hinduism and Sikhism. It was a similar picture when the new mayor of London was
inaugurated at a multifaith service at Southwark Cathedral. Similarly, Nelson
Mandela’s funeral a few years ago was a multifaith service with the main sermon
from his Methodist minister. I think we all wonder what the next coronation
service in our country will look like.
I’ll be honest I’m conflicted with the rise of multifaith
services ... I love to see people of differing backgrounds coming together ...
goodness me, let us rather hold hands than fight ... too many have died in the
name of religion. But at the same time the pictures say: We are one of many
faith beliefs and each one of us has a different take on what truth is; Choose
which one works for you ... the pictures and the events say “they are all
equal, none of them can claim an exclusive hold on truth” .... and I know
that’s not true. I know that this book points to one who said: “I am the way,
the truth and the life ... no one comes to the Father except through me.” I know
as well that the prevailing belief today is that it is arrogant to make such a
claim, it is arrogant to hold up a Bible and say “This points you to the truth”
unless I allow others to hold up their books and say the same.” And I struggle
with that and reject that.
“Who says that book is any more reliable than the other
texts held as sacred by the other faiths?” we will be asked. How do we answer?
If we answer “I just know” we begin to sound as if we’re saying “It works for
me” ... which in turn implies that if they then say that another faith text
“works for them” then I must accept that truth is all down to the individual
... what’s true for you is true for you, and what’s true for me is true for me.
But we know that cannot be true. So what is true ... what is
the truth? For this we need our Bible, not to say “This is truth” ... but to
say: “This points me to truth, this tells me about truth, this tells me where
truth can be found.” For this reason, as part of our series introducing
Partnership, today we remind ourselves that we are in partnership with God and
with those whom He inspired to write the Scriptures so that the Scriptures can
inspire us, we partner with God and encourage good stewardship, good use, of
the Bible for the purpose God has given it to us. And what is that purpose:
I will let the Bible describe itself:
14 But as for you, continue in what you have
learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. 16 All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, 17 so
that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2
Tim 3:14-17
The primary purpose of the Scriptures is to make you wise
for salvation. This book tells me everything I need to know in order to be
saved. It tells me lots of other things as well, but I turn to this book first
and foremost for what I need to know about salvation.
And what do we need
to know in order to be saved?
Jesus ... Jesus. In order to be saved we don’t have to know things, we certainly don’t have to know
all the things in the Bible, ... we have to know Jesus ... personal religion.
This is what begins to separate us from all the other faiths on the world
stage. Our God is a God who became
one of us, dwelt in our midst. No
other faith has that at the centre of its belief. All other faiths require
sacrifice and giving to the god, our faith has at its centre the God who first
gave and sacrificed Himself.
All religions (including atheism) claim to present a true
depiction of reality. But there is a key fact that makes Christianity distinct
from other world religions—Christianity does not present truth merely as an
abstract idea, but as a person who can be known. Truth is a person. Truth is
not a book, not an idea or a concept, truth is a person. Jesus came from the Father
full of grace and truth (John 1:14) and said: “I am the truth.”
Truth is a person and we cannot separate the idea of truth
from the person of truth—Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus told Peter, “Follow
me” (John 21:19). Rather than telling Peter merely to follow certain rules,
obey certain commands, or live out certain teachings, Jesus’ final instruction
to Peter was: “Follow me.” Jesus knew that Peter could only fully understand
what it meant to know truth if he was first willing to follow Jesus with all
his heart.
Are you willing to follow Jesus, the truth, with all your
heart? He makes the most amazing promises to those who are prepared to do this.
He promises that as He comes to you as truth, the truth will set you free. Free
from what, you ask. Free ... free from all that imprisons you. He came to set
the captives free. Are you free? If your answer is No ... come to Jesus this
morning.
He promises you peace ... my peace I give to you, my peace I
leave with you ... Do you have peace? Do you have peace that passes all
understanding ... you should be in turmoil, but you discover that the one who
is the Truth has given you peace? If your answer is No ... come to Jesus this
morning.
Do you have life, not just any old life, but life in
abundance, life to the full, regardless of what’s going on in your life? The
one who is the Truth said: I have come that you may have life, and have it to
the full (John 10:10).
Do you have joy, deep, Biblical, joy ... again, regardless
of your circumstances? The one who is the Truth said: I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may
be complete (Jn 15:11).
If I were sharing these words with the crowds in Manchester
and with all who mourn I would unashamedly offer, Life in the midst of death;
freedom in the midst of the imprisonment of fear and anger; peace in the midst
of terror; and unspeakable joy in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we are here, so the offer is to you: Freedom, life, joy,
peace ... here and now! Jesus, the Truth, is these and offers you these. And if
you don’t have these, turn to Him now ... He’s longing to share them with you.
