Pillars of the Truth

In one of the greatest and most illuminating moments of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the grand scheme and plan of God is revealed and the naive, yet profoundly potent, opposition to that mission is exposed. It was the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Pilate had worked skillfully, trying to elicit from Jesus a confession. Instead he heard Jesus speak of a mission that transcended political maneuvering and earthly pursuits of power. Jesus spoke to Pilate of a kingdom that was not of this world and which would not revert to tactics of worldly empires and then with one breath, Jesus revealed His mission to Pilate, “I have come into the world to testify to the truth.” Pilate’s honest but telling response is eerily reminiscent of the question of secular society today, “what is truth?”

Truth, Jesus said, will set a person free (John 8:32). The Psalmist said, “Thy Word is truth” and Jesus said that He was Himself truth. As Jesus was sent to testify of the truth, so have we been sent and in fact the church is called to be the “pillar and ground” of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). And yet we are called to do so amidst a society that has exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25) and though consumed by learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). A society without truth is a society without hope; wandering aimlessly from experience to experience, from one empty promise to another. Worse still, is a church that has abandoned their very reason for being, to bear witness to the truth.

Today, the world is searching for an answer. Bound by relentless lust, paralyzing habits and fears, shattered dreams, and the rubble of broken relationships, they look for an answer. We have that answer! It is the truth that will set them free.

The church must become re-acquainted with her mission. It is not merely to live out social reform, produce programs and facilities that rival the kingdoms of this world, nor is it to seek political power through clever marketing or slick technique. It is rather to bear witness to the truth that alone can set free the hearts of humanity, bring order to nations and power, and defeat the enemies of wickedness, sin, and evil.

But freedom in the truth does not come unless we know the truth. Truth must again be the object of the church’s pursuit rather than the latest trend, fad, or phony promise. Truth must be that which stirs, motivates, and satisfies us. Truth must be our aim. When the world asks us what truth is we must be prepared to answer and in doing so point them to the One who alone can bring hope and meaning to their lives.