Truth

My wife, Lauri was listening to a Radio talk show a while back. They told of a survey in which people were asked, “Where do you find truth?” A good number of the people surveyed answered “from the bible”. Of people who said that they find truth from the bible, only 28% of those claimed to actually read the bible. This statistic presents an obvious question: are these simply people who don’t seek the truth? I don’t think so…I think we all seek truth. I think these people have a stated belief that is opposed with their real belief. I want to suggest these people have had the idea that the bible is the source of truth drilled into them since childhood. The problem is they have not seen that truth actually change their lives and have intuitively turned to other sources of truth. Truth that doesn’t work isn’t true.

The host went on to lament biblical illiteracy as the great problem facing the church in America. I’m not nearly as concerned about biblical illiteracy as I am about biblical irrelevancy.

Truth not applied is the most discouraging of possessions.

You will know the truth and the truth will set you free - Jesus

Is the truth setting us free? Why do so many great people who have been around the church for years continue to struggle year after year with the same things. Why is there no fruit; no life change?

We want truth to help us change our circumstances or those around us. Unfortunately biblical truth focuses largely on changing me. Yes, biblical truth can help me influence my surroundings, but its true power is in how it transforms me. If I am not willing to have my pride, selfishness, ambition or greed confronted, the bible will have very little appeal to me. Too many of us want truth that will make our lives better without the painful process of it making us better.