MARTIN CAREY | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Life Assurance Ministries Board Member
Pilate said to Jesus, “What is truth?” and then he walked away. He didn’t wait for an answer because he wasn’t asking an honest question. His question was merely a bitter jest. He spoke for all those who have become cynical of competing truth claims. Many of us grew up hearing various leaders clamoring for attention and claiming divine authority. We can become hardened like Pilate, doubting the possibility of knowing absolute truth.
Throughout their history, Adventists have had many theological debates amongst themselves, especially over what beliefs are essential to salvation. Ellen White has been held up as a continuous and authoritative source of truth for settling arguments. The more devout Adventists have pointed back to her writings, to the “testing truths” that she claims will reveal who has genuine faith.
What is a “testing truth?” Former president of the Arizona Conference, Jerry Stevens, describes a testing truth this way:
“Testing truths are ‘plain, soul-testing (Biblical) truths which require self-denial and renunciation of the world’, and thus are ‘necessary to salvation.’”—LINK
Stevens lists seven “soul-testing” beliefs affirmed by Ellen White: the third angel’s message, the Sabbath, the non-immortality of the soul, the work of redemption, Christ’s second coming, keeping all the commandments, and lastly, receiving Jesus as one’s personal savior. Stevens argues that the Adventist baptismal list affirms the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church, and those items are therefore testing truths.
The Real Prophet
The Bible, however, says we certainly have a last-days prophet who has clearly proclaimed eternal, testing truths:
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” —Hebrews 1:1-2
For a continuing, authoritative, and infallible source on essential, testing truths for the last days, we have God’s Son. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus’ disciples were confused, sad, and feeling He was about to abandon them. They trusted Jesus as their Lord and believed all He told them. But He was about to leave them, and they were frightened by what He was about to do. They desperately needed His truth to guide and protect them. Thomas spoke for all of them:
“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”—John 14:5
His answer was both simple and eternal:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”—John 14:6
With these words, Jesus places Himself at the very center of all testing truth: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6).Furthermore, He beginsHis stupendous claims with His title, “I am.”
Throughout John and the other gospels, Jesus claims the same divine name that God revealed to Moses. For example, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 6:35), and “I am the bread of life” (John 8:12).
Notice the echo of God’s announcement to Moses at the burning bush: At the burning bush He told Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”(Exodus 4:14). Similarly, Jesus told a group of hostile doubters, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).They picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy, but He hid Himself.
Later at His trial, Jesus again spoke His divine name to the high priest:
“Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” —Mark 14:61-62
The high priest tore his garments in outrage: “You have heard his blasphemy!” Jesus had taken The Name for Himself. How shocking this was for them to hear!
When Jesus says that He is “the truth,” He is elevating Himself above all other sources of truth, including the Mosaic law. He is fully God in a fully human body. He is the complete revelation of God’s character. Jesus did not point back to the Law as our ultimate source of truth.
In Matthew 5, He used this phrase repeatedly in His sermon, “You have heard that the ancients were told…but I say to you” (Matt. 5:21-22; 27-28; 31-32; 33-34). He quoted the law to show that He is the final law-giver and law-fulfiller.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” —Matthew 5:17-18
Greater Than the Law
What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the law? Jesus affirms that all the law and prophets must be fulfilled at the appointed time. And how are they fulfilled? Let’s look more closely at the word, “fulfill.” The Greek word here is plerosai, from pleroo, to fulfill, to complete, to fill up. Jesus is not merely the greatest source of truth. He is the only truth. Therefore, He fills up the law. As eternal Truth, He has co-existed with the Father for eternity. Jesus the Son pre-existed all of God’s laws. Christ is greater than the law because in His person, He is the full expression of God’s will. Jesus reveals God’s character more fully than any law can possibly express.
What then is the fundamental testing truth?
The crowd asked Jesus, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” He answered, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:28-29).
Belief in Jesus is clearly the first and fundamental testing truth for salvation. All other doctrine must flow from trusting in Him.
We who have a past embedded in law-keeping have a deep-rooted problem with accepting Truth as a divine Person. We would rather have truth codified in a system of laws than face Truth directly. When the Person of Truth did come, the teachers of the law wanted to kill Him. Truth arrived as judge of all the earth and nothing escapes His gaze. He cannot be manipulated or corrupted. We humans, by nature, hate submitting to that kind of power.
All laws, moral and natural, point to their Giver. The deepest realities of the created cosmos testify of an ultimate governing authority:
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”—Romans 1:20
Nature’s laws testify of an absolute, transcendent authority. In fact, natural law demonstrates the very attributes of God. Theologian and mathematician Vern Poythress, in his book Redeeming Science, demonstrates how natural laws show their divine source. The truth that 2+2=4 is true everywhere (omnipresence), has always been true (everlasting), controls everything (omnipotence), and cannot be changed (immutability) is a clear display of the divine nature (Romans 1:19-20). Natural truths, like God, are also powerful and invisible, and we see their power demonstrated every day (Poythress, Redeeming Science, ch. 1).
Even in the laws of mathematics, Christ “upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). And yet, like people’s dismissal of Christ as Truth, the beautiful laws of nature are usually taken for granted.
“What is truth?” is a great question if you actually want a true answer. It is an even better question if you are asking the right Person. Pilate was a cynic and didn’t believe there could be an answer. The very Person of Truth stood there, speaking to Pilate, and he was unable to hear His voice.
The good news is, Truth has come to us from outside of nature, outside of our doomed and rebellious humanity. Truth has come to save us, and His power can change the most hardened, truth-resistant soul.
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”—John 1:16-17
We have sought after the “present truth” for these last days. Present Truth arrived on earth 2000 years ago, and He has spoken. When He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” He was not giving us advice or instructions; He was offering us Himself.
Friend, lay down your arguments and hear His voice. When you know and trust Jesus, the noisy debates are settled for good. The Truth is saying to us today, “Take heart; it is I” (Mark 6:50). He is always present with us who believe.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 †
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