Most people in the world today are looking for “truth” – or at least their own version of truth. They want to know what is real and what is fake. They want to see that truth lived out in their own lives.
As Christians, we go after truth with a passion. We want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The worst thing you can tell a Christian is that they’ve missed truth somewhere along the way. In fact, they’ll probably tell you that you’re wrong and why you’re wrong, with plenty of verses to back up their opinion.
Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” But interestingly, Jesus didn’t say, “Pursue truth, and when you know the truth it will set you free.” Instead, He said, “If you hold to my teaching… you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Truth comes through holding onto Christ and His teaching, not from seeking out truth for the sake of truth.
Once we find truth, we want everyone else to experience the same truth that we have. Often that’s because we know they’re also looking for truth and we have the answer. But other times, we want them to experience truth because we’re so insecure that we have a need for us to be right and everyone else to be wrong. Or, almost worse, we decide that because we have truth, God loves us, and God is mad at everyone who doesn’t agree with us.
When you pursue truth for the sake of truth and then slam everyone else over the head with the truth you’ve found, that’s a good example of truth in judgment. Basically, you think about truth in the realm of, “If I don’t believe the truth, then I’ll be judged.” In other words, you’re afraid of punishment if you as much as forget to cross a t or dot an i.
The Pharisees were experts in truth in judgment. They made sure that everyone knew the truth and followed the truth. Jesus condemned them because their motive was 1) being right and better than others, and 2) fear of judgement.
But there is also truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Truth in love recognizes what truth is, but instead of thinking, “If I don’t follow the truth, I’m in trouble,” it thinks, “This is truth, and it will let me love others more.” It’s a totally different mindset from truth in judgment.
I see a lot of truth in judgment on social media and in churches today (though I’m not just talking about the conservative agenda). They’re right; what they’re saying is (frequently) the truth. But it’s been filtered through the lens of judgment. So instead of the truth setting free – the truth being a vehicle for loving others – the truth becomes a tool by which they can cut down, judge, and destroy other people who Jesus died for.
Instead of pursuing truth, it might do us well to pursue Christ and His discipleship. In that context, we will not only discover truth but also the heart of love that is behind the truth that sets us – and others – free.
