Revelation Chapter Three, Christ Is True

Revelation 3:7b He who is true,

Christ tells the church of Philadelphia that He is first holy, and then that He is true. Once our Lord simply stated that He is, “the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6. Homing in on this with greater focus, Jesus tells us, “I am…the truth.” Holiness and truth are interwoven, and the reason why is simplicity itself.

Holiness can only exist in an atmosphere of truth. Before considering this point, we must clarify what constitutes truth. On the most fundamental level, truth is something correct, accurate, right. Truth embodies the absence of lies and deceit; it is the oasis where what is objectively real dwells, versus the comfortable lies we are sold, and often sell ourselves on. Gender Dysphoria is an excellent example of twisting truth. We lie to ourselves about what is painfully real, are endorsed by a government that apparently also is uninterested in objective reality, and coerce others into agreeing–either explicitly or implicitly–with our revelation, lest they face the consequences of not accepting this new truth.

There is the saying, “live your truth.” This is preposterous and self-defeating. My truth may interfere with, overlap or be entirely contrary with another’s truth, and most often will be. Truth isn’t something we choose, like the flavor of ice cream or the style of shirt we wear today. It exists separate from us, does not need us to permit its existence, and will be true still long after we are dust. Truth is universal and objective; if it is true for me, then it is true for you, too.

Beyond all of this we enter into what Jesus Christ the Lord says when He tells His disciples that He is the truth. Christ is God. He personifies truth. As His opponent the Devil abides in and deals with the currency of lies, the Lord is only truth, and indeed only true. What He speaks is truth. When He tells us that the only way to God (and thus Heaven salvation, eternal life) is through Him, He means it in a simple, non-deceptive, straight forward way. It is not a play on words; He is not waxing eloquent or using symbolism. He is speaking what is true to His creatures, and then forcing us to come to terms with what we hear. If we accept the truth, we have embraced universal objectivity. The purpose back of creation is He who is true. Paul once wrote, “Let God be true but every man a liar,” Romans 3:4.

The argument Paul is making in Romans chapter three deals with the Jews that disbelieved, and whether the nation falling into unbelief negates the efficacy of God’s truth. It is a very human argument because we can only see the surface, and based upon what we see we make surface level assumptions about the perceived results, or lack of results. But Paul, quoting from Psalm 51:4, writes that God will be justified in the efficacy of His word when men attempt to judge Him by our limited understanding and intellect. The word “true” appears in Scripture 81 times. Counting its derivatives it reaches 360 entries. Five of those times God is referred to as the God of truth.

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He,” Deuteronomy 32:4.

“For a long time Israel has been without the true God (God of truth, KJV), without a teaching priest, and without law,” 2 Chronicles 15:3.

“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth,” Psalm 31:5.

“So that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from My eyes,” Isaiah 65:16.

“But the Lord is the true God (a God of truth, KJV); He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation,” Jeremiah 10:10.

Expositing all of these verses would take much too long, so let us briefly summarize. Moses calls Yahweh the Rock, whose work is perfect. All His ways (His works, His thoughts, His words) are justice; He is just and capable of justifying. In fact God is capable of justifying because He is just. His offer of salvation is the only just offer of moral and spiritual forgiveness in existence, Moses refers to Him as the God of truth, without injustice. Moses sees God like we see the sun: only sheer brightness, without any darkness or shadow. God’s presence, being true, expels everything that is not. In fact, lies and sin could not exist until God was absent, in a spiritual sense. In that spiritual vacuum, cold and dead like space, man could spiritually fester and rot in the darkness of truth’s absence. Lies need truth to exist; lies are defined upon the truth they pervert and steal from. But truth exists without any lie present. It is still as true before sin’s appearance as it was afterward. Lies and deceit merely helped us comprehend more fully as fallen, sinful people how invaluable truth is, and the God who personifies it, Romans 3:7.

The remainder of the verses expound the verity of knowing the God who is true. “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life,” 1 John 5:20. The Psalmist trusted in this God of truth; enough to commit his eternal fate to Him. In Chronicles the writer opined about the absence of God’s presence in the nation, and without His influence through priest or Law reading Israel was astray, rotting from within. Like light to darkness, truth exists without lies. But when it is withdrawn, or rather when we withdraw from it, we feel how profoundly important, how vital, how necessary it is. Darkness is merely the absence of light; it robs one of the ability to navigate rightly or perceive correctly. Without the God of truth, without Him who is true, we are entirely lost, left in the dark of truth’s absence as petty gods that want to manufacture little truths to soothe our sinful egos. Only when we know Him who is true do we have light, the light of life; we have sight and liberty. The world makes sense. Our lives within it make sense. Our destinies beyond it make sense.