According to Webster, truth is defined as “a statement which agrees with reality”. That’s a great definition because it is a simple definition. It is a profound definition. When things are clarified in simple profound ways they tend to leave very little wiggle room. The more accurate the definition, the more encompassing it is.

The reason this definition is so profound is that it actually helps us understand how something can be proven true. Simply put, it must agree with reality. So with that understanding under our belt, let’s try it on a truth-statement you’ve probably heard:

“Good always triumphs over evil”

Now that truth statement sure sounds good and you may even agree with it. But is it true? Is it true or do we wish it were true. It feels true. But as Ben Shapiro says, “facts don’t care about your feelings”. So regardless of how we feel about this statement, when we place it next to reality it doesn’t hold up.

How about this one:

“All men sin; all men die.”

Is this statement true? If you compare it to reality I think you’ll find it is absolutely true. I’ve never met another human who was sinless and as far as I can tell, none of us are getting out of here alive.

I have friends who have had the boldness to take religious truth-claims they have believed their whole lives to the test of reality. When what you believed to be true turns out to be false, it can be a very emotional experience. For starters, it can be very confusing and difficult to communicate with family and friends who still believe in those things. It can even be frustrating. It can make you feel alone and insecure. But there is also something liberating about it. No matter how hard it is for others to understand, there were things about what you believed that you are more than happy to be rid of.  

One mistake I have seen some people make is to conclude that since the religious truth-claims they trusted turned out to be false, all spiritual truth-claims must also be false. They will say "with all the religions out there, how can any one be certain that they are absolutely true? But think about that logically. That’s like a child in a terrible home with terrible Parents concluding that since their Parents were so wrong, all Parents must be wrong. They are still making conclusions based on emotion, not on reality.

Try this. Instead of trusting in nothing (like an orphan on the street), what if you sought to find what was trust-worthy? In my next blog I want to suggest one trust-worthy thing you can start with. I will discuss why the Bible is trust-worthy. If it is trust-worthy, I should be able to show how the Bible agrees with reality. Until then, think about this concept. If something is true, it should agree with reality. If I could show you with plain reason why the Bible is trust-worthy, would you have the boldness to consider it?