Three Dimensions of Truth

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32 KJV)

When Pilate asked Jesus, “what is truth?” Jesus gave him no answer. However, Pilate’s question has rippled like waves down the course of history upon the hearts of men and women. A prior Deshen Daily devotional examined the essentials of truth. However, this article will discuss three dimensions or facets of truth crucial for every one of us to understand: the truth, our truth, and the Truth.

Truth is the knowledge that corresponds to reality, whether physical or spiritual. First, there is something or someone. Second, there is our knowledge of that thing or someone. For example, gravity is real—it is truth. Science has helped us come to the knowledge of this scientific or natural truth. Also, Julius Caesar was a Roman emperor. History establishes this historical truth. Truth spans every aspect of life; if there is reality, there is truth. So truth is the general reality of things that exist, some we can see and others we cannot.

Truth by itself does not impact us, as John 8:32 teaches. There is a dimension of truth I refer to as “our truth.” We understand above that truth has two crucial parts: reality and knowledge. A mystery, and indeed a pain of human existence, is that our knowledge is incomplete, and therefore our knowledge of the truth does not always correspond to reality. In simple terms, we can know and be sure of something, yet the thing we are so confident of is false. Your truth is what you have accepted as accurate, which could be true or not. Happy is the man or woman whose truth is true. The truth that impacts a person’s life is the truth that the person has known and accepted.

The Truth is a unique aspect of truth that deals with divine realities. The Truth, with the definite article “the” and an upper case “T”, is the truth about God revealed to us in His Word. Jesus said, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6 KJV).

What does God want from us? He wants our truth to be the Truth. He wants you to come to the place where you have accepted as accurate the things He has revealed to us in His Word. Faith is the way of life that results when our truth is the Truth. It is an unforced manner of living when one has known and accepted God’s Word as accurate just as we have accepted, without even thinking about it, that clicking the “send button” would deliver our email.

What are the three facets or dimensions of truth discussed above?

Truth by itself does not change or help anyone. However, the truth we have received and accepted as truth impacts us. Sadly, although we have the Bible with us, there is still a wide gap between our truth and the Truth. The real work to grow your faith lies in bringing your heart to receive what God says as accurate. Get to work. Receive the Truth!

Ask the Spirit to help you receive the truth of the Word as your truth.