As he prayed to the Father for his disciples, Jesus asked that they be sanctified by the truth.
Then he declared, “your word is truth” (John 17:17).

God speaks reality

In other words, not only is God’s word true, but it is itself the standard of truth, against which everything else must be measured. All that comes from the mouth of God corresponds to reality. He cannot lie. He never “spins” anything. He has no hidden agenda. And, though God does not tell us everything we can know, he has told us everything we need to know in order to know and obey and glorify him in this world (Deut. 29:29). He has told this to us in the Scriptures which he has inspired, and which are profitable for our training and equipping in this life (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

A Good Reminder

It’s good to remember this in a time when many are becoming either more gullible or sceptical towards the truth claims we read and watch and hear about. Whether on YouTube, Facebook, or _______ (insert favourite news source here), some are asking, where can we find the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Don’t Trust the News?

I’m not saying we shouldn’t trust the news. There are credible voices in our country and community; journalists that have served well for years, and have therefore earned an appropriate level of trust. But not everyone out there in the Land of the Internet deserves our trust. It’s easy to read or watch something and hit the “post” or “send” button, without establishing who the source is, what his or her credentials are, and whether or not he or she is truly an expert in their given field. It is a trustworthy saying: “Just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s true.”

Good News You Can Trust

But God’s word is truth. Over the constant din of airwave and Internet, God has spoken, and what he has told us is trustworthy. “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:2). Jesus Christ is God’s message, God’s “Word” to us (John 1:1). Jesus is himself the truth (John 14:6). In him we have true forgiveness, true redemption, true freedom, and
true hope.

Whatever news you come across, whether good or bad, credible or suspicious, interesting or inane, keep your ears tuned to the message that matters. Keep your eyes focused on the Christ who has come, revealed to us in the Scriptures God has given. “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isaiah 40:8). His word is truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.