Thriving in God’s FamilyNäide

Truth Telling

On the surface, truth-telling holds a place of honor in our culture. When we fill out tax returns, job applications, college admissions forms, employment records, and just about every other official document, we attest to the truth of the information we’re providing.

It seems as if the recipients assume we’re telling the truth. But most forms of documentation also have a built-in process of auditing and fact-checking: employers call references, schools require transcripts, and insurance companies verify health claims.

We value the truth in principle, but in practice, we don’t actually expect everyone to be truthful. There are even professions where our culture counts on some amount of fibbing as part of the job.

Of course, this is nothing new. “What is truth?” Pilate famously asked Jesus in the hours before the crucifixion (John 18:38), and it’s worth taking time to consider his question ourselves. The word truth has gotten a little vague in recent decades—people talk about “their own truth” and comedians coin words like “truthiness” to describe how politicians and other leaders use intuition rather than reason or facts to decide what’s true.

Communities tend to rise and fall based on their willingness to tell and receive the truth—about themselves, their history, and their future. Sometimes, truth-telling requires figuring out what the truth is. It may mean letting people express opinions or share their experiences.

Ultimately, we must commit to the truth at any cost, because when the members of a group are not honest with each other, there’s no trust. When a group is not honest with outsiders, there’s no credibility. Without trust or credibility, the group won’t survive—at least not for long.

Sometimes not telling the truth feels different than lying. Withholding information can even seem prudent, like being “wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16 NASB), as we talked about yesterday. But when the truth is withheld as a means of deceit, then it’s the same as a lie.

What about the difference between believing a lie and telling a lie? Of course, we can’t always help being deceived. But in Ephesians 4:14-16, Paul explains that learning to discern deceit from truth is part of the process that leads to spiritual maturity. He says we’re not to be “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (v. 14 NASB).

Instead, the apostle calls those who are being deceived (not the deceivers) to “grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ” (v. 15 NASB) by “speaking the truth in love” (v. 15 NASB). In other words, our relationships, our groups, and even the church will be sustained by telling the truth, especially in an era of deception and lies.

Reflect:

Considering 1 Corinthians 5:8, what is the connection between sincerity and truth? Can someone lie with sincerity? Can someone tell the truth insincerely? How?

How important are trust and credibility to you? How do you evaluate these qualities?

In his sermon “Troubled Friendships,” Dr. Stanley says you have to be honest with yourself in order to be honest with others. How honest are you with yourself? Can you admit when you’re wrong? Do you recognize your weaknesses?

After spending seven days reflecting on the dynamics of the body of Christ, what do you want to do differently in your own church?