There is nothing so beautiful, transcendent, foundational, perspective-giving, hope engendering—as truth. Note, I deliberately include the words transcendent and hope-engendering because I’m not talking about what’s culturally fashionable to believe, and I’m not just talking about scientific empirical truth. I’m talking about full truth. I’m talking about truth grounded in the only one who embodies and guarantees what actually is true. I’m talking about God’s truth. Why? Because all truth, spiritual, moral and scientific, has its origin in God. As such, it makes no sense talking about fundamental truth without reference to God.

Truth is very dangerous. It challenges ignorance; it challenges false foundations built by those seeking to bolster their own significance and power. As such, God’s truth is hated by the arrogant and the evil.

It is also hated by those who seek compromise and tolerance of all things. As G.K Chesterton once said, wryly:

“Tolerance is the virtue of someone who doesn’t believe anything.”

You see, truth cannot compromise. Truth cannot allow 20% of untruth and still claim to be truth. Quite the reverse. Truth shines a light on untruth and exposes it for what it is.

So it is sad that truth is not a concept that has much credence today. In our postmodern, relativist culture, truth is being defined as whatever works for you. It seems as if the idea of real truth was just a little too optimistic for today’s society. It suggests a certainty, perhaps even a God—ideas which have long since been dissolved in the acids of today’s cynicism.

Certainly, truth can be hard to find. Thanks to the half-truths of advertising, politics and ideological Zealots, many people have given up hoping to find it… and reached for a bottle of Shiraz instead. Hedonism, at least, gives better rewards than trying to find your way through a maze of truth claims.

But some truth claims just keep hanging on, like chewing gum to the sole of your shoe. You can try and ignore them, but their ability to stick is hard to ignore, unless you smother them with dirt — as some choose to do.

So, I invite you to be brave, scandalous and counter-cultural. I invite you to explore the possibility of truth – specifically truth about God.

Why? Because only God’s truth will give you fulfilment, meaning, identity and hope.

Secular society, particularly its politics, won’t.

Social researchers are now beginning to question the wisdom of relying on politicians and government institutions to bring up the next generation. They say that its institutions are poorly positioned to instil notions of good, evil and truth. Why? Because they are prone to manipulating people, or saying what people want to hear in order to stay in power. Some governments force their will on others with the threat of violence and imprisonment. Others just slavishly reflect the declining morality of wider society. Either way, truth becomes a rubbery tool used to hang on to power.

It is, of course, reprehensible when those within Christian institutions engage in untruth in order to promote or protect evil. Some institutions engage in untruth because it reflects their leader’s morality. However, when anyone claiming to be part of Christ’s church tells lies, they are disobeying their leader — Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ standards of truth are not rubbery. His values are absolute and have never been improved on. Whenever any society has based itself on biblical standards, it has thrived. Whenever it has not, it has collapsed and lost its civility.

I have to say: the notion of truth has not fared well outside of Christianity. Some religions allow people to lie and deceive if it benefits their religious cause. The result of this is that you can never tell if such people are telling the truth. Leaders of totalitarian secular regimes often lie—so much so, that we’ve come to expect it. They lie about atrocities and malicious activities they have been responsible for and are engaged in. As such, they have long since used up the capital of trust people have invested in them. No one believes them any more.

And in the animal world, where there is no morality, it makes perfect sense to deceive, enslave and predate in order to thrive. And that’s where a society’s morality must inevitably end up if you think you are just another animal and ignore Jesus Christ.

However, if you value truth… and value a civilised future for your children, then please explore the truth of Christ Jesus.