Accepting the Truth

“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32, ESV)
“ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”(Romans 1:18, ESV)
One of the dilemmas facing every individual who walks this earth is the dilemma of confronting the truth. Truth has become repugnant to many who find it offensive in the demands it makes. What demands? Truth demands that a decision be made. Take Pilate, for instance. When faced with the truth that Jesus had done nothing deserving of death, he mocked the idea of truth. In order to appear to have not made a decision, he publicly washed his hands before the people. He was in a position of authority and power and yet wanted to appear as much a victim as his defendant was. Politicians have subscribed to this kind of behavior since time immemorial.
More frightening than this is the truth we find about ourselves. Romans 3:23 says all (all people since the beginning) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That means I am a sinner. Unless I become a child of God, I am inherently doomed to be a liar. This is the charge that Jesus made against his accusers in John chapter 8. “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44, ESV) When I look in the mirror do I see a child of God or do I see a child of the devil? Am I truthful, especially with myself? I don’t want to believe I am a child of the devil but unless I have been born into Christ Jesus, I remain in my sin.
Much of the rejection of Jesus as the Son of God is a heart problem, not a mind problem. It is more comfortable to remain in the present situation rather than change. If this isn’t so, why do authorities have such a time getting people to evacuate disaster areas? Whether it be floods, hurricanes, fires or volcanos, the problem is universal. Many times lives could have been saved if people had heeded the warning and fled to safety. The truth is, they are more comfortable with their surroundings, even if that means putting their lives in danger.
When it comes to our spiritual lives, everyone outside of Christ is in imminent danger of eternal disaster. "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." (John 8:21, ESV) This is the situation of the world right now. More and more we hear reports of people seeking spirituality. They are really seeking Jesus because He is the author of all life, physical and spiritual. Yet many will die in their sin because they do not seek Him but rather seek that which is eternal and spiritual apart from Jesus. When Jesus said that where He was going, the Jews could not come, he meant that those who seek the eternal but reject Jesus are doomed. They cannot go where He is, because the eternal is in Him. Outside of Jesus, there is no eternal. The word “verdict” comes from Latin and was used in Middle English to mean to speak the truth. In our day it has come to mean a conclusion, a judgment. Either way, to speak truthfully we must decide if Jesus is truly God and truly the way to eternal life or reject Him. More information will not change the ultimate need to make a decision. If I am to live life as a truthful, truth-seeking Christian, I must be truthful with myself and of course, with my God. There is no handwashing exercise that will let me off the hook.