The Quest for TRUTH

Brother R. Michel Lankford

“We must remember that Scripture expressly tells us that Jesus Christ is full of Grace AND Truth (John 1:14).  Scripture DOES NOT SAY that Messiah was full of grace OR truth, it says Jesus was full of Grace AND Truth. It's not multiple-choice. It is not as  if walking with God and Messiah was some gigantic smorgasbord, and we can pick whether we will grow in grace or truth according to what we personally prefer, and we can discard whatever characteristics of Messiah which we don't happen to personally favor behind us. It's not multiple-choice. Jesus successfully walked in BOTH GRACE and TRUTH, and as His followers, we are called to learn to walk in the same manner that Jesus walked (1 John 2:1-6). If we don't learn to do this, then we are disobeying the New Testament. It's that simple." --- RML

It seems that The question is everywhere. Individuals and societies in general are all asking, "What Is Truth?" Some have given up the quest for truth. They've made the decision to believe that there is no absolute truth. They decided that absolute truth cannot be found. It does not exist, and in their own wisdom they had decided that the world would be better off to quit looking. As a result, our societies are becoming more lawless, fragmented and dysfunctional by the day.
Interestingly enough, the question what is truth is not new. It's an ancient question. We have written record of it being asked during the earthly trial of Yeshua the Messiah by Pontius Pilate (John 18:38). So it's not a new question. It's a very old one. To those who insist on rebelling against the Creator, the search for truth is a confusing mishmash of personal opinion based on preferences; on self-indulgent appetites. Since everyone's tastes opinions and preferences can be vastly different basing any search for truth on that standard becomes a futile confusing mess. It's like walking into a room with 50 people as a public speaker. You don't dare ask if everyone is comfortable with the room temperature before you start your presentation because everyone in the room will have a different opinion and making the entire room, 'Happy and comfortable,' is generally a futile exercise.

 

Be Willing to accept that absolute TRUTH does exist

However, once you are willing to accept that there is a True Creator, who designed the universe, then the search for truth becomes infinitely more possible and productive.
Once you are willing to accept that the Ultimate Creator who designed everything, and since the Creator is the designer of everything, then the Creator must have had a purpose and a reason for the design, we have a much greater chance of beginning an orderly and productive search for what is truth.
Once we are willing to decide that learning Who the Creator is, and what His purposes are for the design, then our chances of Learning what truth is and how to find it successfully, have increased exponentially.
Once we are willing to accept that the Bible might even have some useful advice in it our search for truth has greatly increase its chances for success. Why? Because God has guaranteed in His written word, that if we are sincerely searching for truth, we will find it. If we are willing to accept it, the GPS for finding truth is right in front of our nose.

Take Your Own Responsibility for Seeking and Finding the TRUTH

As it is written:
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13, NKJV)

As it is written:

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:6–9, NKJV)

As it is written:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8, NKJV)

As it is written:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen....."But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”” (Hebrews 11:1,6 NKJV)

So now, the Creator GUARANTEES that if I care enough to sincerely and diligently ask, seek, and knock until I find the truth, then my search will be rewarded with success. So the question then becomes, if I'm not increasingly discovering what truth is and how to use it productively; if I'm not increasing and thriving in my search for the truth, then ultimately whose fault is it that I'm not increasing and thriving in my knowledge, understanding and productive use of the truth?
One of the key foundational truths in life is that we MUST learn when and where to take personal responsibility, for our own desires, attitudes, beliefs and actions. It's essential to good mental health and productive living. In reality, the desire not to take personal responsibility is one of the key thought processes behind atheism and agnosticism. Think about it.

If I acknowledge that there is in fact an Ultimate Creator, then that Creator has a design and the purpose for what He created; because True Intelligence does not create without some kind of purpose and intent. Otherwise, it is a waste of breath.
Since the Creator had a design for everything in Creation, then in order to fulfill my purpose in being created, then I have a duty and obligation to seek the Creator, to learn what His intended purpose was in my creation and to gradually grow into fulfilling the purpose successfully.
Here's the rub. Since there is an Ultimate Creator, then there is an ultimate design and purpose for my being here. Since there is a design and purpose for my being here, then my obligation as part of the Creator's creation, is to learn for what purpose He created me, and how to successfully fulfill the Creator's intended purpose.
Here's the other rub. If I choose not to learn and not to fulfill the Designer's purpose, then my life will not function as well as the Designer or as the Creator intended that it should. Moreover, if I choose not to seek, not to learn and not to follow the Creator's design, then by definition I will be accountable to the Ultimate Creator and Designer for my choices and actions. I will have to answer and give an account for why I choose not to fulfill the Creator and Designer's purpose in creating me. It's simple logical progression. That right there is the crux of the problem. The vast majority of people are greatly uncomfortable with the concept of personal accountability. Ultimately, many people are much more comfortable refusing to acknowledge the Creator's existence, because they do not want to believe that they are ultimately answerable and accountable to Him for how they use the life which He gave them, and that they will face His judgment, based on how they used that life, which He gave them. They make believe and deceive themselves into thinking that if they refuse to seek and acknowledge the Creator, then they don't have to concern themselves with the prospect of His Judgment. It's a comfortable little delusion, albeit temporary; sort of like the notion that God Himself could not sink the Titanic. The basic lack of desire to be accountable is the truest reason that people choose to deny the Ultimate Creator's existence.

As it is written:
"because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21, NKJV)

 

So What is TRUTH?

God has some amazingly well spelled out standards for learning and walking in truth. They are clearly defined in his word:

In order to be truth it must agree with Yahweh Almighty God, otherwise there is no light in it (Isaiah 8:20; 1 John 1:5-7).
In order for something to be TRUE, it must agree with God's Word (John 17:17; cf. Psalm 119:160; Ephesians 5:26 etc.).
In order for something to be TRUE, it must also agree entirely with God's Law, Commandments, and principles. Why is this the case? Because Scripture has already identified the laws and commandments of God to be the sum of all TRUTH. Therefore, if it runs contrary to God's Law and His Commandments. It cannot be the truth by definition (2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 119:9; Psalm 119:142; Psalm 119:151; Psalm 119:160; 1 Peter 1:22).
In order for something to be TRUE, it must also be in full agreement with the teachings and deeds of Messiah, who is the physical embodiment of TRUTH (John 1:14; John 14:6).
In order for something to be TRUE, it must agree with Godly Love, because true godly love refuses to rejoice in any sin, unrighteousness or iniquity, but genuine godly love ONLY rejoices with the TRUTH (1 Corinthians 13:6). The lesson there is, that if something does not match God's standards of truth, then it is not genuine love either. This is important in our day and age, because there are many people, some even presumably Christians, who claim that in order to be more loving and compassionate we must accept ideas, attitudes, desires, motives, lifestyles and behaviors from other people which are in direct contradiction, defiance and disobedience to Scripture.
So when teachers, even presumably Christian teachers try to tell us that we have to compromise God's Word, that in order to be more loving and compassionate we have to break God's Law, violating His standards or change His Words in order to show more love and compassion, then what they are actually telling us to do is to lie, and they are teaching us how to NOT TRULY LOVE PEOPLE; because they are teaching us to do the opposite of what genuine godly love does.
In summary, if something is contrary to Yahweh Almighty God's true character, then it is neither truth, and neither is it love. If something violates Yahweh Almighty God's Words, if it contradicts His Laws and Commandments, then by definition it is neither truth nor love. If something violates the teachings and deeds of Jesus Christ the Messiah, then again, it is neither true nor is it really Love.

As it is written:
"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:21–25, NKJV)

May Yahweh Almighty God richly bless you as you continue to seek, to learn, and to walk in the TRUTH.

Brother R. Michel Lankford