When Pilate was questioning Jesus, He said He had “come into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). In response, Pilate dismissively asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) before returning to meet Jesus’ accusers.
Though it may not have been a sincere inquiry, Pilate’s question – “What is truth?” – is good. Ultimately, God is the source of truth since it is “impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). This is why the Psalmist wrote, “The sum of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed for His disciples and appealed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
When we seek to define truth, we must recognize that the Scriptures reveal the truth that comes from God. It is critical that we understand this. However, simply acknowledging that is not enough. In addition to recognizing the word of God (the Bible) as truth, there are certain things we must do with the truth.
So what are we to do with the truth? Let us briefly notice a few points.
- Hear the truth – “Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel” (Colossians 1:5). Because the gospel tells us of the hope of heaven, it is important that we listen to it. However, we must first be willing to listen, unlike the enemies of Stephen who “cried out with a loud voice and covered their ears” so as to not hear what he was teaching (Acts 7:57). As Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8).
- Believe the truth – “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13). It is not enough just to hear the truth. We must also believe it, unlike those who “did not believe the truth” because they “took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12).
- Obey the truth – “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22). Many religious people argue against the necessity of obedience. Yet Paul warned that those who “do not obey the gospel” will be lost (2 Thessalonians 1:8). He also told the saints in Rome that when they “became obedient…to that form of teaching,” they became “freed from sin” (Romans 6:17-18; cf. 6:3-4). Even if we believe, if our “faith [is] without works [it] is dead” (James 2:26).
- Practice the truth – “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (John 3:21). After believing and obeying the gospel, we need to continue to “observe all that [the Lord] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). We must not “walk in the darkness” and fail to “practice the truth” while still claiming to “have fellowship with [God]” (1 John 1:6).
- Learn the truth – “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). God wants us to know the truth because that is how we learn what to do to be saved. Yet Paul warned Timothy of those who were “always learning” but never coming “to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). We need to continue to study the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15) so we can know what is true.
- Think the truth – “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8). We are to fill our minds with the truth so much that we can recall it even when we are not actively reading from it. The Psalmist wrote, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97). God’s word must be in our hearts if we want to keep it on our minds.
- Speak the truth – “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). This goes beyond simply being honest and telling what is true. It also includes teaching the truth. We all have the responsibility to “make a defense to everyone who asks [us] to give an account for the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15). When we do so, we need to be sure we “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, NKJV).
- Hold the truth – “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23). Once we learn and understand the truth, we must never give it up by ignoring or compromising it. Instead, we are to “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13, NKJV) regardless of the consequences of our stand for the truth.
- Love the truth – “I hate and despise falsehood, but I love Your law” (Psalm 119:163). As we noticed at the beginning of this article, the Psalmist could contrast God’s “law” with “falsehood” because His law was the truth. He loved God’s law – as we should – because it tells about God, His will for us, and the promises for faithfully serving Him.
The truth of God has been revealed in His word. However, we must do more than just acknowledge that this is the case. We must hear the gospel, believe it, and obey it. We need to put His word into practice in our lives while also continually learning and meditating on it. We need to speak and teach the truth to others and never compromise or abandon it. And all of this needs to be motivated by our love for the truth.
So let us recognize that the word of God is truth, then use it as He has intended.
