TRUTH

 

Truth

Image from Web

       Jesus said to Pilate, ‘“For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”’ (John 18:37b-38a). 

Postmodernism, today’s prevailing Western philosophy, has answered Pilate’s question by alleging that truth is subjective and therefore is relative. Which is to say that, even though they may be opposites, in a postmodernist world your truth is equally as valid as the next person’s truth – unless of course you are Jesus or one of His followers!

How do we know if postmodernism with its contradictory ‘truth is whatever you want it to be’ is true, with its absurdly absolute statement that ‘there is no such thing as absolute truth’?! We listen to see if we can hear the voice of Jesus in it (John 18:37). Jesus said, ‘I am the truth’ (John 14:6). The opposite of the truth is the lie. But here’s the problem. People ‘supress the truth in unrighteousness’ (Rom. 1:18b), but not only do they want to keep a securely nailed-down lid on the truth, they have ‘exchanged the truth of God for the lie’ (Rom. 1:25). Postmodernism is not just about being sceptical about the truth, it’s about consciously swapping it for the lie.

Image from Web

Were those postmodernists, the ones that yelled to Pontius Pilate, ‘“Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”’ (John 19:15). And herein lies the truth: It’s either Christ or Caesar. Or to say the same in today’s terms, it’s Christ or chaos! Yes, postmodernism has brought chaos into the West. Christianity is the glue that holds the West together, Postmodernism is the glue’s solvent. Our judicial systems depend on people telling the truth, as do our governments, our newspapers, social media, our medical doctors, the whole medical industry, our pharmaceutical companies, our food manufacturers, our banks... The list goes on and on. Arts and architecture are victims of the application of postmodernist thought and philosophy. Statues and paintings honouring past worthies are torn down and destroyed only to be replaced with the grotesque caricatures released from the postmodernist’ corrupt mind.

Where does all this chaos come from? ‘Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own; God sent Me. Why is My language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me!’” (John 8:42-45). 

There you have it. The truth that non-Christians tamp down is Jesus! The lie that they believe is that told by Satan. They are expressing his desires by deconstructing Western culture, a culture built on Christianity, a place where truth was honoured and falsehood abhorred. Yes, the devil has always been in among it ‘going to and fro on the earth, and … walking back and forth on it' (Job 1:7), as Peter says, ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (1 Pet. 5:8).

Image from Web

The truth is still the same old Good News. ‘My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand’ (John 10:28-29).