Truth

There is a war of ideas and beliefs waging throughout our world like never before. It has brought division among governments, politicians, families, and friends. Most of these divisions come from differences of opinions, media hype and spin, and not what’s true.

If there is no truth in life, we are all living a lie. There are no ups or downs. There is no such thing as time, space or matter. There are no absolutes. Our societies will implode from instability, chaos, and self-destructive indulgences.

When Jesus stood before Pontus Pilate, less than a few hours before His crucifixion, Pilate asked him, “What is truth!” Here is the whole account as recorded in the Gospel of John.

Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 

Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" 

Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" 

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 

Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. 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?" 

And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all. "But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber. John 18:33-40

In this series we will look at what the Bible has to say about truth and the battle we all will face for standing up for it today.

Situational Ethics

By definition “Situational Ethics” is a moral decision-making framework that emphasizes context and circumstances over fixed rules, with the ultimate goal being to act out of unconditional, benevolent love for the benefit of others.

The idea of situational ethics was coined by Joseph Fletcher, and contrasts with legalism (adherence to strict rules) and (lawlessness), instead seeking a "middle way" where moral decisions are made case-by-case, considering the situation's unique factors to achieve the most loving and beneficial outcome.

No Absolutes

Where there are no absolutes in life, chaos, uncertainty, calamity and hurt will be the end result. For instance, if there were no absolutes about stop lights, stop signs, medical procedures, prescription doses, FAA regulations, there would be an unimaginable number of lives senselessly and needlessly lost or destroyed every day.

If there were no absolute laws against murder, rape, robbery, and other crime, communities, cities, and nations would be reeling under the siege of evil-minded people who are without natural restraint and moral decency. When there is no right or wrong, people will do whatever seems right to them.

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12 

Doing what’s right in their own eyes.

During the time of the judges, when there was no king in Israel people did what seemed right in their own judgement.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6 

Can you imagine what kind of world it would be if everyone did their own thing with no absolute moral compass of right and wrong. Nothing would be off the table, as we say. Whatever feels good would be the barometer for every decision, whether it was kidnapping, killing, mugging, rape, lying, theft, arson, or terrorism.

Someone could just decide to vandalize or rob a store, and it would be too bad for the owner and innocent bystanders. Someone else might decide to go on a hateful rampage of anger to hurt unsuspecting and harmless people, and again, it would just be too bad for the victims or their families. After all, for the perpetrators these acts seemed to be the best course of action in those situations.

I realize this may seem like an over simplification of the point but without absolutes and boundaries, things would swiftly and completely get out of hand. If you read the 17^th chapter of the book of Judges, you can get an idea of what that world could look like, especially now with AI, smartphones, and social media.

Tragic Example

Years ago, my wife and I ‘adopted’ a young college girl who was part of the praise and worship team at the church we were attending. She was like family. We would have her over to our home, take her out to eat, and help her in many ways, including assistance with trips home to visit her biological family during holidays.

She was a very zealous and sincere follower of Christ. When she led worship at our church her passion for the Lord oozed out of her. She was that way on and off the platform.

The last time we saw her was just before she flew home for a Christmas break. We all went out to eat and discuss her future and what God was doing in her life.

A few days after she arrived home and just before her birthday, a drunk driver rammed into her car while she and her best friend were driving home. Both girls died in a tragic and senseless accident all because someone decided there were no absolutes (or that speed limits were too restrictive). The driver obviously believed he could do what felt good to him at the time as he drove his new BMW close to 107 mph in a 30-mph zone neighborhood. He decided it would be fun to show off how fast his car could accelerate. As a result, two young lives were snuffed out.

Of course, we know they both knew Christ and are in His presence today, but they were ripped out of the lives of family members, survived by grieving parents and loved ones, and denied the future destinies God had for them on this earth.

I AM The Truth

Thankfully, we have an anchor of truth in Jesus Christ. He is Truth personified, as He testified to His disciples. 

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 

All that Jesus represents is truth. There is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). He is light, truth, love, and the perfect manifestation and personification of all that is good. His word is truth. His motives are true. He hates every lie. To Him there are absolutes.

There are no gray areas when it comes to righteousness and godliness. There are absolutes when it comes to right and wrong, good, and evil, righteous, and unrighteous, light and darkness.

Jesus contrasted the difference between good (Himself) and evil (the adversary, the devil).

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. John 10:10-11

There is a stark dissimilarity between Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and the thief… the devil. Most of us would agree this passage reveals Jesus as what is good, true, and right. We would also agree that the opposite applies to everything pertaining to the devil.

There are things that are true, and those that are lies. Things that a real, and things that are fake.

We will pick it up again in our next post. Until then, may God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless and keep you.

James Brown

CST 09/23/2025