The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth, So Help Us God.

[HKHaugan]

We have just dealt with “The Way.”  There are five things that mark Jesus being “the Way”, ---faith, love, obedience, humility and prayer. But you just can’t leave those words to find a home by themselves.  They need a structure that defines them.  That is why Jesus says He is the truth.  Unlike the world’s concept of truth, which usually ends up as the elevation of human experience being philosophically condensed, Jesus simplifies it by declaring He is the truth.  Truth then is a living personal reality of organized orderly spiritual thought at work in the mind of a believer. 

 

God has provided His Son as the truth through His Word.  When Jesus prayed for His believers on the night before His crucifixion He asked the Father, “Father, sanctify them by the truth, your Word is truth (Jn.17:17).”  The Gospel of John opens with Jesus the living Truth as its theme, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning (1:1-2).”  So the written Word was given to convey the living Truth that is the mind of God as revealed in Jesus.  Jesus and the Word are one.

 

This is why for a moment I want to amend my last remarks on the five things that mark Jesus being The Way.  Amend them by saying the first mark should be faith followed by love, humility, obedience and prayer.  The reason is this, what gives them shape is not man’s need but God’s Word.  The living quality of the nature of God comes through His Word written. 

 

When Jesus went to the Cross He went in faith, perfect faith, strengthened by love, humility, obedience and prayer, those five qualities that are the way of the Cross.  It was His Way, the Way He set for us, the Way of the Cross.  “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Mt.16:24-25).”

 

Jesus led the way by His Way to show us, to be an example for us, to bring us back into a right relationship with God.  Every step of ‘the Way’ in Jesus’ life was a step in letting His Father be His mind, His heart and His Spirit working in concert up to and through the Cross.  It was faith in His Father, love for His Father, humility before His Father, obedience to His Father and prayer to His Father that was the Way to the Cross, the Way on the Cross and the Way to death by the Cross.  The Way was and is and will always be defined and expressed by God’s own chosen living Truth,---His Word, Holy Scripture.  Jesus said, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Mt.5:18).” 

 

The Way then is defined by the Truth, God’s Word.  Thus the sequence makes sense.  Jesus shows us the Way, He is the definition of Truth that defines how we move along ‘the Way’ and then ‘the Life’ proceeds from it.

 

Let’s be specific.  He is the source of intellect thus the One who perfects ours.  As He thinks we learn to think like Him. 

First, since Jesus declares He is the Truth then He is the definition of everything it means to be a person.  As God the Son He is the exact image of God.  “I and the Father are One,” He says.  Having become human He is the definition of perfect humanity as God intended.  His Word redirects how our intellect is shaped.

Second, His living mind clarifies the purpose of our mind and the way it works.  He helps us to prioritize, plan, set goals and discover the ways we can individually respond with our minds.  Scripture study is the means.

Third, truth personalizes.  Since Jesus thinks personally what we find is that He takes a personal part in stimulating our minds to rethink how we approach any issue from His perspective knowing He is always present in our hearts.

Fourth, truth spiritualizes. Jesus gets us to think spiritually, to see everything as a copy and shadow of spiritual reality.  Since all of Creation comes from a spiritual mind the logic follows that we see the spiritual counterpart in everything. 

Fifth, truth keeps us focused. Jesus keeps us focused on Him so that as we assess what is taking place around us so that we let Him be the influence that directs our assessment.

Sixth, truth convicts.  All of our thinking has a moral imperative because God is moral.  Right and wrong, good and evil, sin and righteousness are the scales upon which the moment-by-moment choices of life are made.  The Holy Spirit of Jesus is always present to move our hearts in His direction when choices and behavior are involved.  The Holy Spirit convicts us at the moment of need.

Seventh, truth cleanses.  As we are convicted and make choices led by the Spirit, the power that sin had over us begins to wane and we grow to be more like the Lord.

Eighth, truth matures.  In the process of being cleansed we become freer to make decisions that are stabilizing, creative and character building.  We leave the past with its self-centeredness enabling us to move into the lives and needs of others.  It is how we are led into ministry and mission.

Ninth, truth stimulates.  When we have the stability of truth we find that insights become a daily experience.  When we read the Word it becomes a fountain of new thought and we eagerly desire to mine its depths.

Tenth, truth perfects.  As our mind grows in the Spirit through the Word we are being perfected.  Though we don’t become perfect in this world we find that we become more insightful, more caring, compassionate, truthful and more humbled about being a child of God.  By His Cross we stay at His feet always learning, always open to what He wants from us.  Jesus becomes our center and His Holy Spirit our welcomed Counselor and Comforter.