“Lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed. … He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love the truth that would save them.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:7-10)
A few years ago, a friend asked me the best question I’ve ever been asked:
“If you could know for sure that what you believe about God is true or not, would you want to know?”
My gut reaction was “No. What I believe about God is so good, I wouldn’t want to know if it weren’t true. I’d rather go on believing what I want to be true.” Over the next few days and weeks, that answer bothered me more and more. I thought I loved the truth. But, apparently, there was something I loved even more — what I wanted to be true. I decided that I didn’t want to live that way anymore. I changed my attitude toward truth.
Now I strive to love truth more than anything else. I want to know the truth — about God and everything else — whatever it is. Whatever it is, I want to know it. Whatever it is, I want to love it more than anything else.
The One Who Is Truth
Here’s why truth matters more than anything else. Truth is freedom. Truth is life. Ultimately, truth is Someone — the Creator and Lord of all.
- “‘The truth shall set you free.'” (John 8:32)
- “God our Savior … desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
- “The Spirit is the truth.” (1 John 5:6)
- “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.'” (John 14:6)
The Father of Lies
The devil “‘was a murderer from the beginning and a hater of truth — there is not an iota of truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.'” (John 8:44)
We’re being lied to. We should be outraged and fight it for all we’re worth.
“The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'” (Genesis 3:4-5)
As he did from the start, the devil still seeks to undermine God’s Word and our trust in God. God had said that mistrustful rebellion against Him would lead to death. The devil aims to trick us into believing that this death that God warned us about is nothing to be afraid of. In fact, death is really a promotion. So, the devil says, God is just a jerk who’s trying to keep us from being elevated to this higher plane.
Truth Will Out
Truth is reality. It’s all realities and the highest reality — God Himself. As time goes on, the universe’s knowledge of good and evil matures. Lies are increasingly exposed. Truth is increasingly revealed. “At the length, truth will out.” Reality cannot be denied forever.
Detachment from reality is destructive; it leads only to death. I want to be be completely submerged in the truth. I want to speak it. I want to live it. I want to know the truth, whatever it is. I love the truth. And, I invite you to answer the same life-changing question I was asked:
If you could know for sure that what you believe about God is true or not, would you want to know?
And, it’s worth asking the question in a general sense:
If you could know for sure that what you believe is true or not, would you want to know?
If your answer today is No or I’m not sure, that’s okay. That’s where I was for a long time. The main thing is that we actively cultivate a love for truth.