The Pursuit of Truth

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Alex Shute

"This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

~1 Timothy 2:3-4

Sadly, we live in a day and age in which truth is not often sought. Many may think they are pursuing truth, when, in reality, they are simply listening to and heeding that which aligns with what they already believe.

We see this most often in the arena of politics, where we oftentimes are only willing to listen to a narrative that matches what we believe to be true - whether it is actually a factual narrative or not. We tend to be more interested in reports which undergird and support what we believe to be true about a certain law, situation, or politician more than we are interested in truly getting to the bottom of the facts about something.

What is most unfortunate is that this behavior is also too often present in the theological arena, as well. We act as if the book of Proverbs got it wrong when it said that being teachable is a virtue. We dig our heels in the dirt against any and every theological viewpoint that differs from our own, as if it were possible for us to somehow become infallible this side of heaven.

Friends, this kind of stance is so different from the position to which Christ calls us. Our passage today makes it abundantly clear that the Lord's desire is for us to arrive at the truth - whether what is actually true lines up with what we already believe or not. Consider, too, these words from Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17:

"Now I am coming to You, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth." (verses 13-19, emphasis added)

We must also remember these words from John 14:6 (emphasis added),

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through  Me.'"

We cannot escape the fact that Jesus placed a high price on truth and the pursuit thereof. He even went so far as to refer to Himself as being THE truth. As Christ-followers, it must be our aim to pursue truth, whether that makes us comfortable or uncomfortable, challenged or confirmed, popular or unpopular. Biblically, we can even go so far as to say that the pursuit of truth - in the case of theological truth - is of life and death importance.

May we seek to be faithful followers of Christ who are daily making it their aim to be sharpened to grow in their love, knowledge, and pursuit of the truth.

Questions for Reflection:

1) How would you describe your current pursuit of truth? Are you open to admitting where you might be wrong in some area and aligning your beliefs to be more in keeping with what is actually true?

2) Would you say you are more interested in knowing what is true or in staying comfortably where you are right now?

3) Do you pursue regular time in the Word, the only source of ultimate truth? Or are you getting more of your daily input of information from the world?