Truth or Lies
by Ron Scurfield
What is truth? Some say it’s the opposite of lies. Some say it’s what you believe. Some say there is no absolute truth, and some say it varies from person to person, and one person’s truth can be another person’s lies. So, what is the truth about ‘truth?’
Truth is ‘being true according to fact or reality.’ It’s the unshakable reality of existence. It’s an absolute fact, whether we believe it or not.
The devil was a liar from the beginning. He used empty words without foundation, but tainted with malice and primed to deceive. “You will not surely die,” he said to Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:4). ‘He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him’ (John 8:44).
The opposite of truth is lies. These are the building blocks of Satan’s kingdom. He uses meaningless words, yet they can be deadly, if accepted as truth. The Bible tells us, ‘When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies’ (John 8:44).
Truth is essential for a healthy wholesome life. Without truth nothing is stable; nothing is sure. Hope can be built on something that is not truth, only to collapse again when put to the test. Many put their hope in fantasy and unreality. Certainly, dreams can come true, but a foundation has to be laid on which to build. Once a foundation is established, reality emerges. Truth has its foundation in reality, but many have built their lives on false hope, wrong understanding, and even false gods.
The reason Jesus came was not to teach, or heal, or to raise the dead, although He did all these things, and much more. His prime purpose in coming to earth was to save. He was known as the Saviour, and came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). ‘How will we escape if we ignore so great a salvation’ (Hebrews 2:3)? The fact is there is no escape if we reject Jesus.
‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). This precious gift to the world was paid for by much pain and suffering. But it must be acknowledged and received. ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’ (Romans (10:9). Halleluiah!
The devil says to the world exactly what He said to Eve in the Garden, “You will not surely die.” This is a lie which has been perpetuated since the beginning. The truth is, without Christ, we are separated from God, ‘foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world’ (Ephesians 2:12). This is a serious business.
It is only by the truth that we are saved. Jesus said, “I am the truth” in John 14:6, and “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” in John 8:32.
Ron Scurfield with his wife Jill, are part of the Associate Ministry Team at Ellel Grange and occasionally Ellel Scotland. Ron enjoys walking and writing and meeting interesting people, but his greatest joy is seeing God transform lives, setting people free to live the abundant life that Jesus intended.
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