A Truth, My Truth, Your Truth, or THE Truth?
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44 NKJV)
Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.” (John 18:38 NKJV)
We Believe what we Want to Believe
Recently, I was riding my recumbent bicycle beside an older gentleman who struck up a conversation. I had been watching the launching of the astronauts for their trip around the moon on my phone. He volunteered that those images were fake and that we had never been to the moon. Now I personally believe men have been on the moon and I believe what I was watching was real, but that was not HIS truth. I also have friends that are absolutely convinced that the sun rotates around the earth because the Bible says that the sun rises and the sun sets. Since we still say that the sun rises and sets in our enlightened society today, I have always assumed that these statements were simply looking at the sunrise and sunset from the vantage point of man on the earth. I have believed that these statements were not intended to be scientific explanations of what revolves around what. But these incidents got me thinking about the nature of TRUTH.
Everybody Lies
We tell people that we like their hair cuts, when we really don’t. We tell people that they are doing a good job when in reality, they don’t know what they are doing and we know it. But of course we are supposed to be encouragers and not critics. But people who lie when the truth would do better are energized by the one who is the father (originator) of lies. People lie to avoid accountability. They lie in order to control others. Many times flattery is used to get others to do something that they have no business doing. It seems to me that one important thing that separates those who are serving Satan and those who are serving the Lord has to do with this business of intentional lying. Thus today Satan has tried to blur the distinction between Truth and error or Truth and lies. That is why people talk about MY Truth when in fact they are talking about their opinions. Likewise we hear people talk about YOUR Truth which is a way of disagreeing without determining the facts of the case. But I believe that we can depend on the Bible and on the Lord since He is not A Truth, or My Truth, or Your Truth but He is THE Truth. We read, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, THE truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6 NKJV).'” Here, the original language uses the definite article. He is THE Truth and not A Truth (which raises the possibility of other Truths).
The Great Deceiver
Satan would like us to question THE Truth of Scripture. He would like us to question the reality of the virgin birth of Christ. He would like us to believe that God is not merciful. He doesn’t want us to believe that God was manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He would like us to believe that Christ died on the cross for His own sins (as a Messiah imposter) and not for our sins. In some cases, he has convinced people that the Bible is a collection of myths with some practical lessons, but with no actual historical truth. We often hear people say that the Lord was a good man and a good teacher but that He was not God manifested in flesh. However, the inspired Scriptures say that the Lord was God. Even His critics understood this. (See John 10:30-33). Now if the Lord Jesus was not God then He was not good, because He was a liar like Satan Himself. But the Lord was God and He is good and that is The Truth.
God Does Not and Cannot Lie!
Since the opinions of men and even of science tend to differ and even change over time, I personally am going to link my soul for eternity on the Truth of Scripture. Some of those truths are found in Romans 5 which says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8 NKJV).” Another promise that the Lord has made for believers is found in John 14, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.(John 14:3 NKJV).” We are given a promise that is true, but we are not told WHEN the promise will be fulfilled. However, if we are saved or true trusters in the Lord, we should be waiting and watching for the fulfillment of this promise.
There is another truth of Scripture of which we can be certain. I don’t like to dwell on it, but here it is. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36 NKJV).” This verse has a blessing and a curse. Both are TRUE. Think of it, the wrath of God presently abides on the unbeliever. God does not lie.
My Kind of People
If a person intentionally lies to me and I can prove it, I will do my best to never do any kind of business with that person. If I find that a person does his or her best to fulfill their promises, they are my kind of people. And the Lord is my kind of people.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the weeks of April 5 and 12, 2026
If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.