"Is Incomplete Truth, Really Truth--Freeing Truth?"

In the current political discourse here in the USA, there is an attack upon truth.  Oh, I suppose one could out and out lie but that is not the real danger.  It goes back to the matter of having a superior truth paradigm that gives permission to toy with the truth to support your particular position.

In particular one political party seems to think that their superior position means that they can engage in nefarious activities.  What activities?  Of the many strategies, there are four that bear directly on truth and come to mind.  

1. For example over-shading the genuine truth. 
2. Another is giving an answer with only a portion of the genuine truth. 
3. Then there is diverting attention away from the genuine truth.
4. The final one to consider is to approach a genuine truth from an angle (a back door) that supports a particular agenda.

All of these and others like them are giving "incomplete truth."  Thus the question, "Is incomplete or shaded truth really truth?"

If you have studied or been involved in the situational ethics movement you've probably been involved in an exercise which played off some genuine truth with a conflicted situation.  You will recall that very quickly one can get caught up in the periphery of the basic question and soon transcendent, objection, universal truth is overshadowed by circumstance.

However, the basic truth is still a basic truth no matter the circumstance in which it is situated and not matter how that situation might challenge the basic truth or how that situation treats the truth.  No amount of over-shading, partial truth, diversion of attention, or back door approaching, genuine truth remains genuine truth!

The next time you hear the principles in the current national debate expound their positions be on guard and listen carefully to what they say and what they do not say and then ask yourself two very basic questions.

First, is this person taking liberties with the truth, making it say what his or her agenda wants it to say or are they presenting genuine truth?


Second, is this person seeking to divert attention away from genuine truth?

A GREATER DANGER

However, there is a greater danger--that of doing these same things with the Bible--God's Word!  There are those who explain away the Scriptures, read them with bias, look only for those Scriptures that offer some promise or another, those who proof text some doctrine or another, and/or fail to consider the Scripture in the context in which it is set.  These are but a few of the ways in which the Bible is distorted to fits one's agenda(s).

An example is found in this statement which was often quoted by an American personality who for many years appeared on mid-day television.  Though that person rose from poverty to great wealth, it seems that there was a certain poverty when it came to a greater understanding of truth.

As much as she quoted the following, I doubt that person ever took the time to read in context the quote that she were so fond of quoting.  Here is the statement.

"The truth will set you free."

Accepted on face value, that is a warm and comforting statement, however for a greater understanding one must consider more than these few words.  Consider the context in which it was originally given.

"So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth,and the truth will make you free.'" (John 8:31-32, NASU)

Notice if you will the four parts of the statement.  Breaking it down then we arrive at these parts that make up the promise(s).

The context: "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him..." Key:  Believe 

The condition (in an if-then statement):  'If you continue in My words, then you are truly disciples of Mine;...'  Key: Continue in Jesus words, being disciples of Jesus

Intermediary promise: "...and you will know the truth..."  Key: Know the truth

Concluding promise: "...and the truth will make you free."Key:  Freedom

However, may we notice that "Freedom is not free!" and that there is a cost involved to the whole business of continuing in Jesus' words and being a disciple of Jesus.  However, consider the following.

The writer of the Proverbs gives this advise.  "Buy Truth..." (Proverbs 23:23, NASU).  Know this, truth at any cost or inconvenience is a bargain because genuine truth brings about freedom where it cannot be taken away--within the heart which is then lived out through the life!

Now the obvious conclusion is that when the heart is not completely committed to truth you find the condition which was described at the beginning of this post.  The reality is that such is true.  More to follow.