Can You Handle the Truth?

We say we want to find the truth.  We study, but when we find the truth, some of us reject it if it contradicts our preconceived notions or conflicts with our preferred style of living.  Then, we continue to search, but we never find the answers that satisfy … because we are looking in the wrong places for the wrong reasons, and listening to the wrong people.  Further, some of us may be seeking the truth with insincere hearts - not seeking the truth in good faith - because we know in our hearts what we want the truth to be, and we will not accept what it is. 

For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,  and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.               (2Timothy 4:3-4 NAS) 

“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,

“When I will send a famine on the land,

Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,

But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

“People will stagger from sea to sea

And from the north even to the east;

They will roam about to seek the word of the LORD,

But they will not find it. (Amos 8:11-12 NAS)

Some want to suppress the truth.  The “cancel culture” denies a voice to all it disagrees with.  These are deluded people who refuse to accept that there is a God who is greater than their own understanding and desires. 

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal,  haters of good,  treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. (2Timothy 3:1-5 NAS) 

Many of us deny the existence of absolute truth.  They believe that truth is relative to the way it is perceived.  To paraphrase Star Wars’ Obi-Wan Kenobi, ‘You will find, Luke, that what we believe is true depends greatly on our point of view.’ 

Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”  Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”                   (John 18:37-38 NAS) 

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of absolute truth.  He said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6 NAS) 

If we truly seek the Truth with an open heart and trusting, childlike faith, the Holy Spirit will lead us to the Truth, which is Christ Jesus.  Jesus said: 

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth …    (John 16:13 NAS) 

We cannot hold anything back.  We must turn away from our desires, wrongdoing, perceptions, points of view, pride of opinion, and other belief systems.  That is called repentance.  Then we must follow Jesus.  He said: 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26 NAS) 

Jack Nicholson played Colonel Jessep in the movie, A Few Good Men.  Famously, Colonel Jessep shouts from the witness stand, “You can’t handle the truth!” 

Well, can you handle the Truth? 

When we come to know Jesus - absolute truth personified - then we will know the Truth that sets us free. (John 8:32)  Come to Jesus today.  Admit to Him that you have fallen short of God’s righteous standards.  Accept the forgiveness and salvation He has provided for you, and follow Him. 

 Acknowledgement: 

All Bible verses quoted here were copied from, https://biblehub.com