What is Truth?

We read in the gospel of John chapter 18 verse 38 that Pontius Pilate asked Jesus 'What is truth?' when Jesus said to him that the reason He had been born into the world was to bear witness to the truth.  We too may ask 'What is truth?'  So what is this 'truth' that Jesus bears witness to, and where can we find it?  Is what man tells us always truth?  We only have to look at the weather forecast to know that man is fallible.  Is what out carnal mind tells us always truth?  Proverbs chapter 28 verse 26 tells us that he who trusts in his own mind is a fool, and I am sure that this proverb has been proved right many times in all our llives.  Or is what God says always truth, as Proverbs chapter 30 verse 5 tells us when we read that 'Every word of God proves true' ? and let us notice that this scripture says that the word of God proves true.  It is only by applying the word of God in our lives can it be proved.  There is only one mediator by which we may approach God, to receive that word of truth.  Jesus says in John chapter 14 verse 6 'I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me'.  In John chapter 1 verses 1-14 we are told that Jesus is the word of God which was with God in the beginning, and so we see that the way to the Father is the actual word of God revealed in Jesus.  God has made Him Lord and He is also the Holy Spirit, as we are shown in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 17, the same Holy Spirit that Jesus tells us in John chapter 16 verse 13 will guide us into all truth.  We are told in the twelfth chapter of first Corinthians that there are gifts of the Spirit that are to be used for the common good, to build up the church to edify one another, and so we should desire and pray for these gifts to be granted us so that we will be built up accordingly.  1 Corinthians, chapter 12 verse 11 tells us that these gifts are inspired by one and the same Spirit who appoints to each one individually as He wills, and 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 10 says 'as each has received a gift employ it for one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.'
we need to pray for the gift of prophesy because, as Proverbs chapter 29 verse 18 says 'Where there is no prophesy the people cast off restraint'.  We need to pray for wisdom, the beginning of which is to fear the Lord, for knowledge, without which we shall perish, and we need to pray for the gifts of healing and of miracles and the laying on of hands for those of us that are sick.
If every word of God proves true and the truth will set us free, then we need that word in our lives in order to be free.  Each person of the Israelite nation that was led out of Egypt into the wilderness on the way to the promised land was instructed to pick up a certain amount of manna each day according to the requirements of the individual.  So too each spiritual Israelite, each Christian, must seek the Lord for his or her 'manna', or word from the Lord each day in order to work out their individual salvation.  The Bible tells us that each had to pick up his own manna as he required it, so I cannot pick up someone else's manna of the day and expect it to be relevant to my life, it has to be specifically for me.  Jesus answered, when Peter asked, regarding John, 'What about him Lord?', 'Never mind him, follow me'.  This manna, this word of God in our lives is the truth that will set us free, and the word by which we must judge ourselves.  It can be brought to us in many ways, through apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers or through reading the written word.
Many things will come along to test that word of truth, but we must take encouragement from our forerunners in the scriptures to try to hold on and believe what God has said to us.  Joseph was one of those forerunners and we are told in Psalm 105 verses 18 and 19 that his feet were bruised with shackles and his neck put in irons, until what He foretold came to pass, the word of the Lord proved him true.  No matter what comes along to challenge that word, if we know that God has spoken to us in any situation we must hold on to that word until it comes to pass.
We are told in proverbs chapter 12 verse 25 that anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.  We know that all scripture is good and can be used for building up, reproof, correction etc., so once we know what the Lord is speaking to us we must act on it for our own spiritual good, and not allow our carnal mind to question it.  We have to have our minds renewed in Christ Jesus to be able to understand the spiritual truths of God.  God's ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts.  There will always be a battle between the Spirit and the carnal mind, for the carnal mind is at enmity with God and will not subject itself to the mind of Christ without a fight.  We can, however, be assured that the truth of God's word will win the battle.  For, as 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verses 3-5 says 'Though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
Although Job was a righteous man ( and we are righteous in Christ ) there was so much he did not know about God and His ways.  It was only after much personal affliction did he finally come to know God's ways.  Job was actually delivered of his affliction and hardship through his affliction because it was in his affliction that he sought God.  Job chapter 36 verse15 says that God delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity.  We shall all share in the sufferings as we seek truth in God's word because as surely as the potter's hand puts pressure on the clay to shape it into a vessel fit for his use, God's loving hand on us will inevitably cause temporary pain as He slowly moulds us into the image of His wonderful Son through the truth of His word.