The Truth Is Not Contingent on Me

Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

"What is truth?" Pilate asked. (John 18:37b-38a)

The Truth is not influenced by opinion. Lies do not change the truth. Truth is not changed with popularity. The Truth was the Truth before you were born. It will continue to be the Truth after you die. The Truth is neutral. It does not take sides. The Truth is much bigger than you. It cannot be on your side, you can only be on the side of Truth. Perspective does not limit or dismiss Truth, regardless of how much you see or understand. Truth by its nature is absolute, that is what makes it Truth. You can try to manipulate the Truth for your purposes, but it will ultimately win, every time. You must search for the Truth, but at the same time it will find you out. Truth is bigger than you. It will not be tamed to fit your purposes.

People will try to dismiss the Truth, call it relative, try to defend themselves with it, but Truth will not succumb to these attempts. What makes Truth Truth is that it is uninfluenced and does not change. What happened is what happened, no matter the spin put on it. What is fact is fact, no matter how good or bad it looks. Truth will never change because you are right, wrong, have a different opinion, are embarrassed by it, or disagree with it. Truth is a powerful thing, because it is always right. Many people spend their lives trying to make their own truth. This is a futile and ridiculous effort, because Truth is and always will be. It was true before you were born and will still be true after you die. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be Truth.

I am learning that no matter what life brings, it is better to hang onto the Truth. That means that sometimes it will not make me look good, because I have sinned, or done something embarrassing, or something stupid. But when I am on the side of Truth, it will defend me, uplift me, teach me, and vindicate me.

When people bring falsehood against you, or expose a true flaw, Truth is your ally. Because in the case of falsehood, it enables you to stand. Regardless of anybody else’s view or opinion, you can hold to it. If you mess up, you cannot recover until you admit the Truth, no matter how painful. But in this process healing takes place, and it is the only way to get back on the right track. There is a good reason the first step in AA is admitting that you have a problem. It is essential to recovery.

Perhaps you have heard this story (I took this from Hot Illustrations from Youth Specialties):

In an ancient village, a parable tells, all the people were blind. One day while walking on the road, six men from that village came upon a man riding an elephant. The six men, who had heard about elephants but had never been close to one, asked the rider to allow them to touch the great beast. They wanted to go back to their village to tell the other villagers what an elephant looked like.

The rider agreed and led each of the six men to a different part of the elephant. All the blind men touched and stroked the elephant until they were certain they knew what the animal looked like.

In great anticipation they returned to their village to report their experience. The villagers gathered around to hear about the elephant. The first man, who had felt the animal’s side, said, “An elephant is like a great thick wall.”

“Nonsense,” said the second man, who had felt the elephant’s tusk. “He is rather short, round, and smooth, but very sharp. I would compare an elephant not with a wall but with a spear!”

The third man, who had touched the ear, took exception. “It is nothing at all like a wall or a spear,” he said. “It is like a gigantic leaf made of thick wool carpet. It moves when you touch it.”

“I disagree,” said the fourth man, who had handled the trunk. “I can tell you that an elephant is like a giant snake.”

The fifth man shouted his disapproval. He had touched one of the elephant’s legs and concluded, “An elephant is round and thick, like a tree.”
The sixth man had been allowed to ride on the elephant’s back, and he protested, “Can none of you accurately describe an elephant? Clearly he is like a gigantic moving mountain!”

To this day, the men continue to argue, and no one in the village has any idea what an elephant looks like.

Here is the issue-regardless of the view of the blind men, the animal is still an elephant. People may see things differently. There may be validity in how they see things. But the Truth is too multifaceted to be fully understood. That is why it must continue to be searched out and investigated. You cannot find a piece of Truth and stop and defend it as all Truth. It’s too big and we are entirely too limited to understand it all. But you are capable of finding Truth? Absolutely. It is accessible It is there. What attitude do you have towards the Truth? Do you look and search for it? Or do you try to defend yourself in the name of Truth? What is your attitude towards Truth?

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

The Truth
by Derek Webb (from the Caedmon's Call album "Intimate Portrait")

I’ve been putting on and putting off too many people, and I’m getting old to live
Like an injured man, ailments and unfilled prescription
Like the nose on my face.
Like a broken boat, safety raft, love for the water
Well I just can’t decide to sink of swim it’s me or them should I save myself?
Or go back for the others…

Because maybe there’s no gray and I was wrong to tell them so
Then maybe all that I’ve to do was done a long time ago

Because there was life before my life
There was provision before my need
There was redemption for my sin
For the sake of the world, I thank the Lord
That the truth’s not contingent on me.

‘Cause I’ve been dressing up and dressing down for too many people
And I’m a little young to live
Like a troubled boy, a troubled soul, fish out of water
‘Cause we’re all just the same
We’re all just as good, and just as bad, and just as distracted by the corners of our eyes
As our father’s were and theirs before and all those before them
But still I glance around.

And with the way I stare you'd think I'd seen through a two by four.
And with the way I walk you’d think I’d never seen grace before.

Because there was life before my life
There was provision before my need
There was redemption for my sin
For the sake of the world, I thank the Lord
that the truth’s not contingent on me.

I’ve been putting up and putting down too many things I know nothing about
Well I’m jealous of, holding pride as tight as I can
Like she was my only daughter.

There was life before my life
There was provision before my need
There was redemption for my sin
for the sake of the world.
I thank the Lord
That the truth’s not contingent on me.

‘Cause the truth’s not contingent on me.