"The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth..."

          It would seem as if it is difficult to come up with what is really the truth in any given situation.  We have become used to changing terms and coming up with what is the truth.  We use terms such as "fudging" or "white lies" or "half truths" to try to come up with something that is almost the truth.  We have also come up with terms that are saying almost the same thing but the real meaning is gone.  I remember a story in a magazine called “Kindred Spirit” that was put out by Dallas Theological Seminary where a student was home and had an appointment that he didn't want to keep.  He and his wife were having some fish that evening which at the time, was frozen.  He took the fish and threw it up in the air and caught it.  His wife then called the person with whom he had the appointment and said that her husband had just thrown up his dinner and that he wold not be able to keep his appointment. There were two pictures expressed by the phrase, “thrown up his dinner.” Now, the words were the "truth" in some respect, but the meaning was lost because the intent was different.   We spend a lot of time trying to bend the truth and it often results in just what it is, a lie. I sometimes think that there must be a class on how to do this especially for politicians. Perhaps this is why in an oath in a trial that a witness promises to tell “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”  John 17:17-19 says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.   As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.   And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."  

         The Lord Jesus Christ, in His high priestly prayer, prays that the disciples would be sanctified by the truth and then He states the Word of God is truth.   The Bible is the standard in a world that has tried to redefine the meaning of truth.  Even believers have succumbed to stating what is not really the truth, but is shaded to meet their own agendas.  Every statement that is made needs to be compared to the prime standard, which is the Word of God.  That way, you will be able to tell if something is the truth or not. God has given us the ability to discern what is truth and what is not truth. All you have to do is to compare it with the Scriptures.   So, praise God today that we have not been left to define truth ourselves, but He has given us the standard.  All we have to do now is follow it.