Truth and Reality

Those of you who know me well have probably heard me say something along these lines: the way we define words dictates the way we define and live our lives. I believe that wholeheartedly. For instance, the word "faith" means different things to different people. To some, it means to believe. To others, something else. This is why James chapter 2 seeks to redefine what that word really means. Many people in James' time were saying that they believed in God, but didn't live lives to confirm that statement. James confronts simply believing by saying, "You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder" (James 2:19). He goes on to say that true faith is justified by action--from the Greek word pistis which means "trust, but with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow" (Zondervan Concordance).

I would even go so far as to argue that nonverbal cues carry definitive meaning as well. Certain stares mean certain things to some. Everyone knows "the look" that all women have mastered and the smug countenance that many men today carry. These all mean something, but vary from person to person. The point is, we are all different. Various life experiences, cultures, outlooks, passions, understanding, and the like make using words such as faith problematic at times. Not everyone views the world through our filtered lens, and thus I see it as vital to define words that we hold to as guiding principles in our lives.

Truth is such a word...

As a follower of Christ, truth carries significant meaning. The word "truth" is used almost 200 times in the New Testament alone, and over 100 times in the Gospels. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, calls himself the truth (John 14:6), and also says that knowing the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and author of Velvet Elvis says, "To be a Christian is to claim truth wherever you find it" (Velvet Elvis). Even those who are not Christians would claim that truth is substantial to life. Philosophers from Plato, to Aristotle, and to those who study today have sought their whole lives to discover and define truth. Truth is an enormous part of our lives. Christian or not, truth matters; and we all put some sort of stock in it.

But what is truth? Why is it so important? And why should we care about it?

I do not claim to have discovered something new. Solomon, the man of wisdom, says himself, "There is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look! This is something new'?" (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10). If it wasn't new thousands of years ago, it surely isn't new today. But what follows here has given me a fresh perspective on truth in this world.

First, I came to study what truth means in Scripture by considering what it connotes in our world today. The word truth shows up in our courts. An oath is sworn before testimony in a court--"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Questions follow, and answers analogous with truth are assumed to as well. When someone lies under oath, there is a punishment for false testimony. Thus, telling the truth has become, to many of us, not lying because there is punishment for lying. If we don't lie, we are assumed to have told the truth because we are not punished. But you can not lie and still fail to present the truth. Those who tell the truth don't lie, but as Scripture defines truth, we see that there is more to truth than not lying.

There are several derivations in the Greek language that give us the word truth in English. However, there are two primary origins: amen and aletheia. Amen means the truth and is a formula for solemn expression of certainty. We find amen mostly in the Gospels, where Jesus uses it to precede saying something important. In the NIV translation, it reads "I tell you the truth" and comes from the original Greek, which says, "Amen, amen." Jesus reiterates himself and emphasizes when he has something important to say. What is interesting is that nearly every time he speaks, he begins by saying, "Amen, amen." Perhaps everything Jesus has to say is both very important and very true.

The word aletheia shows up a few times in the Gospels, but mainly comes into play in the remaining letters of the New Testament, from Romans to 3 John. In its Greek context, it means "truth, truthfulness, corresponding to reality" (Zondervan Concordance). I accentuate corresponding to realitiy here because it presents a side of the truth that intrigues me. John 14:6 uses this Greek word for truth where Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus essentially says here, "I am the reality."

When we look at themes in Scripture, we find an overarching theme of the words lost and found. Those who are lost do not see the world for the way it really is. They are termed lost because they cannot find the way to truth, which is Jesus saving sinners and giving abundance to those born to obtain it. Jesus comes on the scene, and says, "I am here to show the lost the way to reality. This is how it really is: You have no life now, but I come to give it to you. What you know is a lie. This is the truth. I will set you free. Follow me."

Truth is a representation of reality. This is why Jesus came to earth--to show us the way things really are. God desires truth to be known, and says himself, "I, the Lord, speak the truth" (Isaiah 45:19). Truth is found in knowing Christ, because Jesus IS truth. That is why Rob Bell is able to say that claiming truth where you find it is the essence of being a Christian. Colossians 1:16-17 says, "...all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." The world revolves around Christ, having been created by him and consisting in him. The core of this world we know is the truth of Jesus Christ. This is reality, and this is truth.

Because of Christ being truth and being at the center of all things true, God commands us to speak the truth. In the prophetic book of Zechariah, God speaks to Zechariah of his promise to bless and restore Jerusalem after the return from captivity. He says, "These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this" (Zechariah 8:16-17, Truth here comes for the Hebrew word met which means, what conforms to reality in contrast to what is false). If we realize that truth throughout Scripture means a representation of reality, and reality revolves around Jesus, and Jesus lives in us, then this should give us a good perspective of how we are to present ourselves.

We are to present ourselves truthfully. Here is the way I see it. We are to speak what is true in contrast to what is false and in correspondence to what is real. The most important way we can do this is to share the truth of Christ to the world. There is no greater expression of truth and reality than to testify to the truth of Christ to a lost world. This is why Jesus came and died--so that we could know him and know truth. There is really no more elaboration needed here.

Also, I believe we are to speak truth to others on an everyday life level--involving feelings, thoughts, and the like. I am not saying that if a guy cuts you off in traffic you should pull up next to him and tell him he is number one, even if it is what you really feel. What I am saying is that there are things beneficial to yourself and to others that need to be presented with truth. Confession is something key. I blogged about confessing a couple weeks ago, and can attest that confession of self and sin to God and others is essential to right living. Telling yourself, God, and others what reality in your life is, in relation to sin, leads to restoration and healing.

Speaking truth to one another involves some level of openness that is hard to achieve. I also believe, that since there are times to reveal all truth and times not to, that we should discover what this means in our own lives. I won't say that others should live as I live. But, I have adapted some guidelines for revealing truth in my own life that have led to positive ends.

Reveal the real truth when...

It benefits the listener - As a 22-year old single guy, this aspect of truth seems to surface in relationships, in particular, relationships with the opposite sex. I have been on the wrong end, as the one who hurts and the one who gets hurt, by truth being kept in. One thing that I have found is that, although the truth may hurt right now, it will hurt much more in the future if a lie is prolonged. In relationships in general, dating or not, the truth hurts the most when you realize that what you thought was true for a period of time turns out to be a lie. This is especially true when someone you care about and trust has lied to you. Again, I don't just speak as the victim here. Either way, it spawns pain. So, when it benefits those who hear it, speak the truth.

Speaking the truth to others stretches beyond vocalizing things that may hurt. Compliments, encouragement, and words of affirmation always benefit those who listen. When we see someone do well at something, let's tell them. When someone looks nice, say it. When a person has a gift or talent, point it out.

It benefits yourself - Not only does speaking the truth benefit others, but it also benefits yourself. I have times when I feel something inside of me that grows so strong that I get to a point where I can no longer contain it. No matter what end revealing this truth brings, the result is always contentment for myself. When you compliment someone truthfully, there is a blessing for the hearer and for yourself. When your truth saves future pain and confusion, there is also relief in staving off evil and prolonged pain.

In conclusion...

As James argues faith is more than simply believing, Scripture argues truth is more than not lying. Truth portrays reality and reality portrays Christ. As representatives of Christ, we are to live truthfully and speak truthfully to one another. After all, the reason we live in and see truth is that Christ revealed reality to us in the first place. Should we not then, with the same determination, spread that truth to others? But, we live and function in a world of relationships. These relationships are vital to our success. Truth and reality in these relationships enhance contentment and satisfaction.

Psalm 15:1-2

"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart."

Speak the truth.

The Basics for Abundance

This specific blog has no pretense of being profound, no in-depth study to affirm its claims. This is purely extemporaneous.

I have found that, as I study and seek to intelligibly explain my life, that there is little profound in the conclusions I draw. Or, perhaps I should say, the conclusions at which I arrive appear far simpler than preconceived notions would lead me to believe. College education teaches me to have a critical mindset and to approach situations with intelligence and logic. This is not a mistruth in the field of Speech Communication, in which I currently study. Rhetoricians and those who study Speech Communication seek to explain rhetoric intrinsically, based on things of or relating to a speech or text, and extrinsically, based on things that are external to the speech but contextual and historically relevant.

As greater than three years of such schooling has trained me, I now adapt those methods of study to my examination of Scripture. The results are astounding. What follows is my discovery to living an abundant life.

To live in abundance one must pray, read Scripture, and fellowship with believers.

Is this intellectual and profound? Maybe not. But why would God make the answers to everyday life and to life abundant, which he promises to give, recondite and mysterious? The answer is, he wouldn't.

John 10:10 says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (NASB). Reading on verse 14 says, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father" (NIV). In verse 10, Jesus uses the word "they" to refer to his "sheep," as used later in verse 14. Connecting the two, abundant life comes from knowing Christ and being known by him.

Therefore, we need to know what it takes to know Christ. I feel no need to explain deeply why prayer, study of Scripture, and fellowship with believers is essential to abundance. So I will be brief.

Prayer is our communication with God. It leads to self-realization and heightened understanding of God. George Whitfield, one of the most widely recognized faces in Colonial America, who traveled to nearly every town and city spreading the word of God--a man who led Benjamin Franklin, one regarded as a paradigm of intellect and not a believer in Christ, to empty his pockets of money into Whitfield's coffer-- says this of prayer: "...and [prayer] is so essential to Christianity, that you might as reasonably expect to find a living man without breath, as a true Christian without the spirit of prayer and supplication." Prayer is fundamental to abundant life. It enables us to know Christ.

Scripture is God's Word to us. Knowing it and studying it reveals to the consumer the character of the triune God--God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. It is a revelation of the one who creates, the one who saves, and the one who sustains. John 1:1 reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is the Word, the logos, of God, a deity and communication of who God is and what he is like. We know him through reading from Genesis to Revelation. It is him, Jesus. From start to finish, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The Old Testament points to his coming, the gospels point to his presence, and the rest points to his return. Knowing Scripture enables us to know Christ.

Fellowship with believers is part of continuing Christ's work in the world. In fact, it is vital to continuing Christ's work. Acts 4 discusses how the believers share their possesions with each other, how they meet each other's needs, how they pray for each other, and how they fellowship. All of these actions mimic those done by Christ to the people he encountered. Followers of Christ show his love, extend his grace, and are like him. Christ reveals himself through believers. Fellowshipping with believers enables us to know Christ.

The trend is that prayer, reading Scripture, and fellowship with believers all lead to knowing Christ. And knowing Christ leads to abundance. The funny thing is, as Christians, these are the first things we learn, the fundamentals, the basics, of our faith. Why then do so many of us struggle to find abundance? My problem is often this: I seek things profound, and I strive to for the intellectual answers. So, perhaps you can align your mind with the frustration I have felt when finding that the answers to life's most difficult questions are always the same--pray, read your Bible, and go to church.

Herein lies the most intriguing aspect of my analysis: it works. Thus, I won't attempt to complicate it anymore.

Pray, study Scripture, and fellowship with Christ-followers, and you will know Christ, and in turn, know abundance.

These are the basics for abundance.