Truth...

"Truth is more than factual accuracy. It means being in sync with God." - not revealing the source of the quote so as to not bias anyone for or against the notion by associating it with the author.

I think I have stopped short in my understanding of truth. I have stopped at it being factual accuracy. And though accuracy is a part of it, it is not the whole.

John, one of Jesus' closest friends and author of the New Testament book that bears his name, writes that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14.6, NIV, italics mine).

I've been hung up on that. Though I trust Jesus when he proclaims that he's the truth, I've had a hard time nailing down what that means, exactly. But when I came across the above quote, it begane to make sense to me.

If ultimate truth is that which is in sync with God, then Jesus is declaring that he is in sync with God. As a matter of fact, his statement is a declaration that he is THE picture of what it looks like to be in sync with God, the Father.

Jesus says true things. But beyond that, his life is one that exemplifies truth because it perfectly portrays God. So to live in the truth is to live life in the way that Jesus did, because that most closely brings one into sync with God.

It has a very action-oriented focus. Truth is not simply knowing the right things. Beyond that, truth is to live one's life in sync with God. That has significant implications in many areas: truth-telling, love for others, forgiveness, grace, justice, creation-care, worship, prayer, discipline...

Beyond "What Would Jesus Do?"...we are called to live our lives in sync with the Creator. How do we do that? We sign up and make choices to live in the order of Jesus, who showed us what that kind of life looks like and he also made it possible.


In pursuit of Truth,

M@