“Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?  Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?  Pilate answered,  Am I a Jew?  Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?  Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.  To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.  Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.  Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?  And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:33-38).
When Athanasius, the early church Father stood up against the councils to defend a teaching in the Word of God someone said to him, “the whole world is against you!”  And he courageously answered, “...and I am against the whole world!” 
   The multitudes may have an opinion about something, but a general consensus is not the criteria for determining truth.  Years ago the masses proclaimed that the earth was flat, but they were all wrong.  Some people believe that traditions are founded in truth simply because they have been repeated over and over again.  However, handing down traditions from generation to generation does not make them vaild.  We can find various traditions in many cultures that promise their followers eternal happiness, but are they true?  For example, in the Far East millions upon millions bow down to Buddha in all sincerity, but they are sincerely wrong!  Jesus Christ is the way, the TRUTH and the life... “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”(Acts 4:12).  The philosophies of men are simply opinions that blind and hinder people from seeing life as God wants us to see it!
                                         The Truth Will Set You Free
   “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:32,36).  Salvation by grace through faith in Christ is a personal experience that we should KNOW about.  Religious leaders claim that we can only hope for the best when we die and face God...  But God tells us clearly in His Holy Word, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God”(1 John 5:13).  Don’t you see that?  Salvation is not, “I think so...” or “maybe,I hope so...”  “Ye shall KNOW the truth and the TRUTH shall make you free”.
   The apostle Paul knew he was a saved, born-again believing Christian.  It wasn’t just an opinion it was a life changing fact!  In Acts chapter 26 the great apostle is brought before King Aggripa in bonds where he tells about his conversion to Christ.  Although Paul is a prisoner in chains he says with joy, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?  I know that thou believest” (vs.27)  “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.  And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am,
except these bonds”(Acts26:28,29).  Paul was FREE because he knew the truth, he knew Christ as his personal Saviour!
                                              The Truth Will Shield Your Faith
    “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with TRUTH, and having on the breastplate of righteousness (Eph.6:14).   Someone is always trying to question the truth of God’s Word.  It is nothing new.  The Devil challenged Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by misquoting God about eating the forbidden fruit...  Satan twisted the truth of the Holy Scriptures when he tempted the Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matt 4:6).  But Christ knew the Word and quoted it back to the Devil.  God’s Word, the Truth, will shield your faith!  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God” (Eph.6:12,13).   The reason many Christians are weak is because they don’t feed their faith from the Word of God.  “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt.4:3,4).  “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth...  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked”(Eph. 6:14-16).  Know also, that as the Lord blesses you the devil is always fighting!
                                                 The Truth Will Send You Fire
   “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?”(Luke 24:32).  Our faith is a God, “ that cannot lie...”(Titus 1:2)  The truth of God’s promise is not to be questioned, or doubted.  Born-again beleivers are sure of their destiny.  It is not, “I think so...”, or “I hope so...”, or “maybe I have eternal life”.  We can say with boldness we know our God is real.  We know He took us out of darkness into light.  We know He is coming again soon, because He promised He would return!  There is a reason why the Apostle served Christ with passion.  He said, “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren...(2 Cor.11:25,26)  Paul endured troubles because he knew the truth.  He knew that men will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell.  He knew that Jesus changed his life and could do the same for anyone who received Christ into their hearts and lives, by faith.  This truth of the Gospel of Christ gave Paul a zeal for the souls of men.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth...”(Rom.1:16).  “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake!”(2 Cor.12:10)
   What about you my friend?  Have you been set free from the lies of Satan?  Do you know the truth?  Was there ever a time in your life when you prayed and trusted Christ as your personal Saviour?  If not, I invite you to receive Jesus Christ now!  Pray and confess to the Jesus that you are a sinner.  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom.9:9-10).
                                                                                                         Tom Meador