Identifying Truth

     The other day I was conversing with a friend of mine and I brought up a topic for which I had been seeking answers for a while now.  She paused for a moment, considered what she would say, then shared her perspective.  When she did, I kid you not, every fiber of my being began screaming out "THAT'S IT!  THAT'S TRUTH!"  My dear, dear Friend had presented truth to me and I instantly knew it.  This wasn't the first time either... this is a friend whom, because of this and several other instances like it, I now trust implicitly in every way because I know she speaks truth.  That does bring up the question: what is truth and how can we know what truth is when it is spoken?  How did I know so wholly and completely that what I heard was truth? 
     Award winning staff writer for the New Yorker and best selling author Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book on this topic called Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking in an attempt to answer that very question.  I read the book and would highly recommend it due to its interesting subject matter and its readability.  However, It doesn't answer the question.  There is a TV show called "Lie to me" which is a thriller/drama about a team of deception experts who use their expertise in various situations ranging from prisoner interrogation to governmental appointee vetting.  They can look at a person, talk to them for a couple minutes then tell whether or not they are telling the truth.  However, it does not answer the question.  Professors, books, Philosophies, even other religions try to present truth and give reasons as to how you can know or believe that they are speaking truth, but each of them fall short.  So what is truth and how can anyone know?

 I decided I am going to keep this very short and simple. In other words, no long winded narratives this time.  I'm pulling this straight from the Bible because it gives us the straight answer:

• Jesus said that God's word is truth.
• "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is TRUTH."  John 17:7
• Jesus said that HIS word is truth.
• "Jesus said,  “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.Then you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free.” John 8:31-32
• John the Apostle taught that Jesus HIMSELF is truth.
• "For the law was given through Moses; grace and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17

In essence, all truth comes from God.  God is truth and his words are truth.  Anything that comes from God is truth and it is the standard by which everything is compared to truth.  So, how can we know what truth is? How can we know what God is saying in every instance?  How do we know what truth is for that exact circumstance you're seeking answers to?  WELL... that really is a complicated question.  It's one that I, unfortunately, do not have a catch-all answer for.  If anyone knows, by all means share!  Here's what I do know though:

• God gave us His word in the form of Scripture.  
• "...you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:15-16

• God gave us a Community of believers.
• "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,  for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:15-16

But see, in the Bible, God doesn't speak directly to every single situation we might face, nor do other people always know what truth is for your life. So,

• God gave us the Holy Spirit
• "I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit (within me)—" Romans 9:1  (My words added in parentheses)

Listen, I don't claim to have it all figured out.  I don't even believe that it's possible to know the truth in every situation.  Knowing the truth has brought me freedom, yes, but it has also brought me misery, heartache, betrayal, and pain.  Sometimes we just have to move forward in life just trusting that God has it all under control.  It is not very satisfying, I admit. For someone like me, it's more than not satisfying... it's downright maddening.  But I do know that the closer you are to God, the closer you are to Truth.  The closer you are to Truth, the more clearly you can hear the Holy Spirit guiding you.  THAT is the point where incredible things start happening in your life.  

OH and I know that my dear Friend is the GREATEST for being willing to speak truth to me the way she does.  It's not always pretty, nor does she tell me what I want to hear all the time... but it's the straight Truth, it's from God, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Dear Friend, thank you so very much for being a voice of Truth in my life and I truly hope you know how grateful I am for you.

-The Sailing Preacher