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How to be “Of The Truth”

Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. - John 18:37b

There is a distinctive condition that a person can have that makes him able to “hear” the words of Jesus. Like a radio tuned to the right frequency can pick up a station, those who are “of the truth” can receive what Jesus says. Those who are unable to “tune in” to the right frequency are deaf to the words of Jesus. We are told that the gospel is foolishness to those that are perishing (1Cor 1:18).

There is a principle of physics called resonance that describes the transfer of energy from a source to a target that has been configured to just the right condition. For example, a note played on a piano can cause the string of a guitar to vibrate if it has been tuned to the same note. Since Jesus is truth (John 14:6), those who are “of the truth” are able to tune in.

Most people today value feeling good over truth. The reason is that truth often exposes what we are ashamed of, our comfortable delusions, and our inadequacies (John 3:19). To be “of the truth” requires us to elevate truth in our lives even over our own comfort. When we allow the cold light of truth to wash over us, we are all brought to a place of humility. This alignment with truth is critical for our relationship with God.

Jesus told those who had believed in him that if they continued in his word, they would know the truth and the truth would set them free (John 8:31-32). This points to a progressive process of growing in truth. Truth not only brings us to Jesus, but also continues to work and grow in us so that we can be truly free (John 8:36).

We are told in Romans chapter one that the wrath of God is revealed against those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Since we would like not to find God’s wrath, but rather his mercy, it behooves us to consider how we might hold the truth in righteousness. An example of unrighteousness might be the scribes in attempting to answer a question from Jesus that they never even asked themselves what was true (Mark 11:29-33). By using this as a negative example, we can consider that always asking what is true might be a way to hold the truth in righteousness.

The Bereans (Acts 17:11) demonstrate being “of the truth” in that they used the source of truth (the bible) to measure what they were being told. Asking and seeking truth combined with comparing what we hear to what the bible says begins to build a condition of “being of the truth”.

There can be a sadness to “being of the truth”. Like for a combat veteran or a cop who have seen what humans are capable of, the comfort of delusion is not available. However, transcending the gloom that arises from seeing the human condition in truth is the radiance of the mercy and love of God that is greater than all of our evil. Truth reveals man for what he really is, however, it also revels God for what he is and that is our basis for rejoicing.

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