Most of us would have done a True or False test at some stage in our lives. These tests are simple: we are presented with a statement and asked to say if it is true or not. For example, we would say that “3×3=9” is mathematically true. The statement that European settlement in South Australia began in 1836 is historically true. Saying that Adelaide is the capital city of Australia is geographically false.
With some statements, however, saying whether they are true or false might not be so clear. For example, some people might say it’s true that the Barossa Valley produces the best red wines in Australia, while others might say it is false, depending on their palate or taste. We could say that the Adelaide Crows are a better footy team than the Brisbane Lions, but others might say that is false even after last Friday evening’s game based their respective places on the AFL ladder. While there are many truths that are clearly evident, there are also truths that we can hold which are shaped by our worldviews, cultures or beliefs.
We need to understand different people’s perspectives of truth if we are to faithfully witness to the gospel to younger generations. Older generations grew up with a clearer distinction between what was true or false. However, since about the middle of last century, the line between what is true and false has become increasingly blurred. More thought is given to the various factors which shape people’s perceptions of truth. Institutions which were trusted to speak the truth started to be seen as promoting ideas and information which were not actually true. Our society shifted from having a clearly defined understanding of “truth” to being suspicious of anyone who claimed to hold the truth. The erosion of our society’s trust in what is claimed to be true can be illustrated by a certain social media platform which identifies itself as “Truth” but which shares information that is biased and at times even false when it is fact-checked. Like Pontius Pilate at the trial of Jesus, younger generations consistently ask, “What is truth?” (John 18:38)
This is a challenge for us as Christians when we want to share what we believe is the truth of the Christian message. When we claim to have the truth and try to share what we believe to be true with others who are not yet believers in Jesus, we can often be dismissed. Because our culture believes that what is true for one person is not necessarily true for another, it can be difficult for us to share what we believe to be truths of our faith with other people. I don’t say this to criticize the culture and society that surrounds us, but instead to highlight the challenge we face with sharing the truths of the Christian faith with others.
Truth is an important idea in the gospel of John. From the opening chapter of John to Pilate’s question at Jesus’ trial, John uses the word “truth” twenty-five times. For example, John writes that Jesus came “full of grace and truth” in John 1:14 (NIV) and that “grace and truth” came through Jesus (v17 NIV). In his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus states that God’s people will worship him “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24 NIV). He promised that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV) and identified himself as “the way and the truth and the life” in John 14:6. In this week’s gospel reading from John 14:8-17 Jesus says he will send the “Spirit of truth” (v17) who will lead us into all truth, a promise he repeated in John 16:13. With truth being an important idea in John’s gospel, and with our surrounding culture and society being skeptical about the nature of truth, how do we faithfully witness to the truth of Jesus to the people around us?
We can start by thinking about Christian truth differently. Christians sometimes think about truth as doctrinal truth which can lead to arguments and division. While we uphold the need for correct teaching (1 Timothy 4:6, 4:16; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9, 2:1), when we want to share the truth of the gospel with people, arguing about truth as an idea will usually create more opposition than openness to the gospel. When John connects grace and truth at the beginning of his gospel, he points us towards the truth of grace: that God forgives and justifies sinners through Jesus (Romans 5:8; 1 Timothy 1:15). John points us to the truth of God’s grace for us when Jesus identified himself as “the Truth” in John 14:6. He asks us to think about Christian truth as a person with whom we can have a relationship through faith rather than a doctrine to be debated. Jesus came so we can encounter the truth of God’s grace for us and all people in him and in relationship with him. Jesus promised to send us the Spirit of truth to guide us into the truth of his unconditional and life-giving love for us by teaching us all things and reminding us of everything Jesus said to us about the love, grace and goodness of the Father during his earthly ministry. As we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, we can thank God for sending us the Spirit of truth who guides and leads us into the truth of God’s grace for us in Jesus, and we can ask the Spirit of truth to lead us in ways that faithfully share his truth with others.
Understanding the truth of Scripture as God’s grace to us in Jesus gives us a more constructive starting point in our witness to others. Instead of arguing over doctrinal truths, as the Spirit of truth leads us deeper into the truth of God’s unconditional and life-giving grace for us in Jesus by teaching us and reminding us of everything Jesus taught, we can give witness to the truth of Jesus by the way we live. We can show grace to others in the same way that God shows grace to us in Jesus. We can love others in the same way that God loves us in Jesus. We can accept, forgive and embrace others in the same way that God accepts, forgives and embraces us in Jesus. As the Holy Spirit leads and guides us in the way of God’s truth, the difference that Jesus makes in our lives will be evident to others, so we don’t need to argue or debate about theological or doctrinal truths. There will be times when living in the truth of God’s grace for us will be difficult or costly. There will be times when how to live in the truth of God’s grace with others will be unclear. We need to constantly ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in the truth of God’s grace for us in Jesus, so we can know the difference living in Christ’s truth makes in our lives and we can live it out faithfully in our relationships with others in everything we do and say.
There are times in life when the difference between what is true and false will be obvious. At other times, it will be harder to discern. As we seek to share the truth of the Bible with people in what is referred to as a “post-truth culture”, we need the Spirit of truth to guide us into a deeper faith in the truth of God’s grace for us in Jesus, so we can give a faithful witness to that truth in our lives, our relationships, and our communities of faith.
More to think about or discuss:
- What is an example of a clear difference between what is true and false that you know of? What is an example where it’s not so clear? How do you tell the difference?
- When you think about Christian truth, what comes to mind? How does that compare with John’s words which point to Christian truth as God’s grace for us in Jesus?
- How can you give a faith-filled witness to the truth of God’s grace in Jesus in your life?
Pastor Eugene Online 
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