Jesus declares that He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). I stood in the shower tonight and, for some unknown reason, I began thinking about truth. My mother often recited to us as children that old gem of wisdom:
“Speak the truth and speak it ever,
Cost it what it will;
He who hides the wrong he did,
Does the wrong thing still.”
I understood it—or thought I did—but never really pondered it deeply. There are some things we grasp intellectually, yet they never quite reach the heart. They stay as knowledge, never maturing into wisdom.
Handling truth can be hard, especially if your greatest fear is scorn or ungracious rebuke. It can be hard when it exposes your weaknesses, tramples on your pride, or leaves you feeling belittled. And so the question arises: Is there ever a time when the cost of truth is too high a price to pay? Should truth ever be avoided—perhaps by omission, or through what we call a “little white lie,” seemingly harmless and justified?
I don’t want to sweat over the little things, but I do want to be sure how big a thing truth really is. So then, is there only one truth? And if so, what is it, and how do we define it?
Truth as Observation
Truth can be something observed—but not everything we see or hear is necessarily true. What we witness is true in the sense that it happened before our eyes; yet even our eyes can deceive us. Observation alone is not the full measure of truth. As the saying goes, “the quickness of the hand deceives the eye.” A magician’s trick is witnessed by many, yet the reality behind it is not as it appears.
So, yes, what we observe can be factually accurate (“I saw it happen”), but if it rests on illusion or misdirection, it becomes what might be called a truth standing on a lie—and that is deception, not truth at all.
Historical Truth
Then there is historical truth—the record of what has happened in the past and been preserved through time. Its resilience, its ability to stand up to the tests of inquiry and re-examination, often lends it credibility. Jesus Himself said, “I am the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Historical truth can, however, be tarnished by those whose intent is to deceive. It takes many complicit parties to rewrite history convincingly, yet it has been attempted more than once. Forensic science gives us an analogy here: evidence can be tested, re-tested, and verified through multiple independent methods. Similarly, historical truth, when scrutinised honestly and across generations, tends to reveal itself in consistency. When, however, it masquerades in a cloak of deception, it blinds the eyes of those who behold it, concealing the genuine article beneath layers of narrative and bias.
Scientific Truth
There is also scientific truth, built on observation, testing, and evidence. Science, by its very method, seeks not to assert truth but to test it—to challenge assumptions and attempt to disprove hypotheses in order to strengthen what remains. In this sense, scientific truth is relative, not absolute; it is truth held provisionally until shown otherwise.
Once, it was believed that the Earth was the centre of the universe. That was “truth” until further observation proved otherwise. Yet even here, we must be careful—because how we define centre may itself shift depending on perspective. The humility of science lies in its willingness to revise its truths; the limitation of science lies in its inability to touch the absolute.
Absolute Truth
Absolute truth, on the other hand, is far more elusive—indeed, impossible to define apart from God. To speak of absolute truth is to acknowledge an agent of truth—One whose authority and power transcend human comprehension.
In Scripture, this truth is not an abstract concept but a Person. Jesus does not merely speak the truth; He is the Truth (John 14:6). All other truths—observed, historical, or scientific—find their coherence and validation in Him.
Absolute truth is eternal because its source is eternal. It has no beginning and no end, for it is bound up in the character of God Himself: “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). When we seek Him, we find that Truth reveals Himself—not merely as a principle to be proven, but as a Person to be known. Truth enters into relationship with our hearts, liberating our minds and sanctifying our understanding: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
When that happens—when Truth is not merely believed but lived—then we begin to see clearly. And one day, as Scripture promises, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Then, and only then, will truth be known in its fullness—the absolute Truth that is Christ Himself.
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