The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Kelcey W. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Research on Truth
What is truth? The media, teachers and professors, even friends tell us that truth is relative, and that no one can really understand what truth is. Even if there is truth, everyone has to decide for himself what is true and what is not. "Truth" for one person may be completely different from the "truth" another person practices.
God has a different view of truth. He says His message is the ultimate truth. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me." This means people can say what they want, but what God says will always be true. Truth is not held to human expectations, it is God determining His plan for humanity. God cannot lie, and that means He cannot be wrong. John also records that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Truth is imparted in love, not anger or a self-righteous drive to always be right. Telling the truth comes in love and humility. John also wrote of a conversation between Jesus and the Jews about truth. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Freedom is a costly thing, but inner freedom can be obtained by truth, even when it is painful.
Truth should be found in several specific places. The author of the book of Psalms says that God desires truth in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6). This means no lying, no fake representations of the truth, and refraining from deceiving yourself. There are many destructive things that originate in a lie told to yourself. For instance, anorexia and bulimia can start with a lie about the way the body should look. The destructive thoughts keep continuing if the girl keeps telling herself she has to look a certain way to be loved and accepted. The lies build until she cannot see that she is killing herself – she still sees imperfection. Murder or hate can start with an inward lie as well, for murder comes from the heart – as well as angry words – and the condition of the heart is directly related to the things it hears. If all it eats is lies, destructive thoughts turn into destructive actions. Immorality, racism, and depression could start here as well.
The God we serve is a God of truth, without injustice (Deuteronomy 32: 4; Psalm 31). He does not change truth to fit a whim; it is a constant. Mercy and truth are two key aspects of His nature and are mentioned together quite frequently. His truth was manifested in Jesus and the message of salvation (the ultimate truth). We can trust the Bible will never lie, because His Word is truth (John 17:17). The Lord's law is truth, and it endures forever (Psalm 119:42; Psalm 117:2).
The absence of truth results in much sorrow. Once truth is forsaken, the web of lies told to keep reality from coming to life gets bigger and bigger until the person behind the lies cannot separate the start and the end. The absence of truth was greatly lamented by the prophets in the Old Testament as a reason for Israel's destruction. They realized that punishment came when truth was not upheld with great honor. Sometimes it seems as though truth would make a problem worse; but Jesus says that the truth will set free. Peace comes when truth is upheld – internal peace and corporate peace. However, the biggest reason for upholding the truth is simply because God tells us to. It is what He desires in our homes, our hearts, and our courtrooms. We are not to bear false witness against our neighbors (anyone) (Exodus 20), and we are to keep our hearts rooted in truth. Truth, as it is an essential component for a healthy and clear conscience, is to be held in the highest regard. Do not let the world tell you truth is irrelevant – that is simply not the case.
