What Is Truth?

on October 18, 2013

What is truth? How do we know if something we learn at school or see on TV is true?

The best way to discover the truth is to read the Bible, which is the written Word of God (2 Peter 1:20–21). The Bible is so special because it is the only book from God. He chose men whom He instructed as they wrote down His words. No other book can accurately make this claim. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we read that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”

God is perfect and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He never makes mistakes, so we can trust everything God says. Jesus, who is God, says that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” in John 14:6 (see also John 1:14). Because the Bible is God’s Word, it is completely true and reliable (John 17:17).

What Is Truth?

Illustration by Paul Agner

In the Bible, God tells us the truth about where people came from (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:7; 2:18–21). God describes how He created the heavens and the earth in six days that were each 24 hours long (Genesis 1). We can learn about how Adam and Eve sinned against God and hurt their relationship with Him, affecting all people to come (Genesis 3). Adam and Eve listened to the lie of the serpent, instead of believing the true words of God.

The Bible sets down rules for how we should live our lives (Matthew 22:37–39; Galatians 5:22–25). We discover why sin is a problem for us, and how Jesus Christ came to the earth to offer the free gift of salvation to those who believe (Romans 6:23; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:8–9; 1 John 5:13). The Bible tells us about some of the wonderful promises Jesus has made to those who believe in Him (some examples are found in these verses: John 14:1–4, 15–18; Romans 8:28–39; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 1:2–4; Revelation 22:1–5).

Why is it sometimes so hard to recognize the truth? It is because there is a battle going on between good and evil, between truth and lies. To know the truth about these all-important issues, we must read and study the Bible so that we can keep God’s Word in our hearts.

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