The Quest For Truth

THE QUEST FOR TRUTH

John 8:31-32

4/22/07a RRC Senior Recognition Day

Throughout men’s lives most are on the quest or the search for something. Some peoples’ quest is focused on money, some on power, some on fame.

Some people’s life’s mission is to save a tree or the environment. Some have very noble quests of humanitarian advocacy or to simply find a good spouse and raise a godly family.

As I grow older and hopefully a little wiser I am beginning to see more and more clear that the greatest thing to quest for is truth. Over the years the two verses that have had dramatic influences on my life are:

(John 10:10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

(John 8:32) And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

In (John 18:37-38) we find an interesting dialogue between Jesus Christ and Pilate, the one who had the power to set Jesus free or to condemn Him to die:

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? ……..

truth (American Heritage Dictionary)

1. Conformity to fact or actuality.

2. A statement proven to be or accepted as true.

3. Sincerity; integrity.

4. Fidelity to an original or standard.

5. a. Reality; actuality.

b. That which is considered to be the supreme reality and

to have the ultimate meaning and value of existence.

THE SACRED VALUE OF TRUTH

Definition of Truth:

(John McArthur, The Truth War, p. 2)

“Truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory and being of God…..truth is the self-expression of God.”

Since God is eternal, then truth is eternal.

Since God never changes, then truth never changes.

Since God is absolute, then truth is absolute.

Perfect in quality or nature; complete.

In 1992 a Barna Research Group survey on what Americans believe confirms what this brief scenario illustrates: we are in danger of becoming a nation of relativists. The Barna survey asked, "Is there absolute truth?" Amazingly, 66 percent of American adults responded that they believe that "there is no such thing as absolute truth; different people can define truth in conflicting ways and still be correct." The figure rises to 72 percent when it comes to those between the ages of 18 and 25.

Christianity Today, October 26, 1992, p. 30

Today, that percentage is even higher with over 90% of American teenagers not believing in absolute truth.

Only Through Truth Can We Truly Know God

God alone is Truth

- He alone is eternal

- He alone is righteous and never changes

God alone is the Source of All Truth

- He alone defines and delimits what is true

God alone is the Ultimate Revealer of Truth

- Self Revelation through Creation

- Revelation through our conscious

- Revelation through His Inspired Scripture

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(John McArthur, The Truth War, p. xix.) “All truth therefore starts with and what is true of God: who He is, what His mind knows, what His holiness entails, what His will approves, and so on. In other words, all truth is determined and properly explained by the being of God. Therefore, every notion of his nonexistence is by definition untrue. That is precisely what the Bible teaches: ‘The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.’”

Only Through Truth Can We Truly Experience Freedom

When we think of freedom, we immediately think of political freedom, but true freedom is not political in nature. This is exactly what Jesus’ audience assumed. Political freedom is external in nature, but true freedom is internal. Some of the most free persons in the world are living in a suppressive political environment or locked behind bars; and some of the most bound people in the world are those who walk around to live their lives as they want.

I want you to think with for just a moment on this idea of freedom by asking yourselves these questions:

- Why do I do the things that I do?

- Why do I wear the clothes that I wear?

- Why do I do things that I really don’t want to do?

***I would suggest that the answer to these questions for most of us is that we are trying to please people or just fit in…..that’s not freedom but bondage.

Only Through Truth Can We Truly Enjoy Protection

There is a world outside that is wanting to eat us up. There is an adversary that wants to destroy us. And sadly we all have a sin nature within that will lead us down the road of destruction by our own desires. That is why we need a protector and we find that protection in truth.