The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 18:38a,
"'What is truth?' retorted Pilate."
Following Jesus' arrest by officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees and following their questioning of him, he was brought to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. When the Jews brought Jesus to him, Pilate asked him what he had done. Jesus spoke to him of his kingdom and that he had come into the world to testify to the truth. Pilate's response was not a question but a retort.
Pilate's rhetorical question was to express his rejection of the very concept of truth, just as people do today. "Truth is whatever you make it to be." Or, "You have your truth and I have mine." The thought is that our conceptual perspectives are subject to our own interpretations and there really is no objective "Truth" that provides a factual basis for evaluating things. All is subjectivity. Consequently we have in our culture today people who, for example, gaze at their private parts and haven't a clue as to what gender they have decided to be. Since there is no truth, they get to decide for themselves.
It's a perfect prescription for those who cling to their sin, reject their Creator's claim on their lives and pursue the desires of their sinful natures without benefit of conscience or accountability. "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness..." Romans 1:18.
What is such a hoot about the notion that there is no truth, is that it can't be expressed outside of a truth claim. "There is no truth"-- is that true or not true? In other words, if I were to claim there is no truth, I couldn't express it apart from exploiting what truth provides: an axiom. To get really silly here, you could not say there is no truth if there is no truth.
In any event, as believers are well aware, our entire existence is based on truth. In John 1:3 we read that all that exists was made through the Son of God, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." In Hebrews 1:1-3 we read that the universe was created through the Son of God and that he sustains all things. Consequently, Jesus said he was the truth, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
It is a fearful thing to reject truth. Paul speaks of the work of Satan and lawlessness in the last days resulting in many perishing fueled by a refusal to love truth, "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"'What is truth?' retorted Pilate."
Following Jesus' arrest by officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees and following their questioning of him, he was brought to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. When the Jews brought Jesus to him, Pilate asked him what he had done. Jesus spoke to him of his kingdom and that he had come into the world to testify to the truth. Pilate's response was not a question but a retort.
Pilate's rhetorical question was to express his rejection of the very concept of truth, just as people do today. "Truth is whatever you make it to be." Or, "You have your truth and I have mine." The thought is that our conceptual perspectives are subject to our own interpretations and there really is no objective "Truth" that provides a factual basis for evaluating things. All is subjectivity. Consequently we have in our culture today people who, for example, gaze at their private parts and haven't a clue as to what gender they have decided to be. Since there is no truth, they get to decide for themselves.
It's a perfect prescription for those who cling to their sin, reject their Creator's claim on their lives and pursue the desires of their sinful natures without benefit of conscience or accountability. "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness..." Romans 1:18.
What is such a hoot about the notion that there is no truth, is that it can't be expressed outside of a truth claim. "There is no truth"-- is that true or not true? In other words, if I were to claim there is no truth, I couldn't express it apart from exploiting what truth provides: an axiom. To get really silly here, you could not say there is no truth if there is no truth.
In any event, as believers are well aware, our entire existence is based on truth. In John 1:3 we read that all that exists was made through the Son of God, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." In Hebrews 1:1-3 we read that the universe was created through the Son of God and that he sustains all things. Consequently, Jesus said he was the truth, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.
It is a fearful thing to reject truth. Paul speaks of the work of Satan and lawlessness in the last days resulting in many perishing fueled by a refusal to love truth, "They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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