The Truth is Out There or Is It Within?
Perhaps some of you remember this phrase, “The truth is out there,” that was used for the introduction for the series that came out in the early 90’s, “The X-Files”.
My wife and I watched this series quite often as it investigated many different unknown sightings, which typically involved UFO and other strange phenomena.
It’s interesting to note that many of the eastern religions typically say, “The truth is within.” Those who adhere to this type of philosophy look within to ultimately find the answers to life’s perplexing questions.
Much of this involves sometimes forsaking many of the pleasures of this life in pursuit for finding what they may consider as “truth.”
And yet in my view, it’s really only an exercise of attempting to reach a type of god-head and peace that ultimately is devoid of real happiness and hope.
The reason I say this is because I sought out the answers to many of these questions through some of these avenues around forty-five years ago and ended up with only a hollowness inside.
To say that the “truth is out there” implies that one would find the ultimate source of truth out in the world around us.
And yet where would they travel to, and what obstacles would one need to conquer to find this elusive thing?
Of course in the series of the X-Files finding truth was ultimately about discovering the validity of strange phenomena and extra-terrestrials.
All of it of course was a cover-up by the government in keeping these things secret so that the common folk wouldn’t find out. All of that went back to Roswell of course and the incidents of 1947.
Perhaps some think that unearthing relics that were buried in the ground for thousands of years might lead a person to finding out about truth.
Would joining an archeological dig in search for a lost civilization cause one to find truth? Perhaps when one found the lost city of Atlantis or the most ancient civilization then one would arrive at this truth.
But even after spending decades digging in the ground and unearthing through layers of rock, one might find ceramic vessels of an ancient site but what would the answers be for arriving at what “truth” ultimately is?
Jesus told us that:
“Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto The Father, but by Me.”“ John 14:5-6.
When Christ was before Pilate he asked him:
“Pilate therefore said unto him, “Art thou a king then?”
Jesus answered, “Thou sayest that I AM a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”
Pilate saith unto him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.” John 18:37-38.
We can see that Pilate himself was intrigued by the concept of what truth actually was, and he received an answer, and yet I’m certain that he was quite baffled by this unearthly king that replied to him.
You see, ever since ancient times men have sought out the answers to what truth actually is.
Greek philosophers inquired through logic and reason what this elusive concept could possibly be, and yet even Plato realized that there was a world beyond what could be seen with the human eye.
The attributes of beauty, love, and hope had to reside somewhere beyond the earth he thought, and yet where would they exist?
We are also told that The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.
“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when The Kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”“ Luke 17:20-21.
And yet this again, is not to imply that the “origin” of The Kingdom of Heaven is inside us.
For if it was then within, then those who sought truth within as the Hindus and Buddhists did, then that truth could have easily be found through meditation and self-denial.
And yet once The Holy Spirit comes to reside within a person, then surely The Kingdom of Heaven is inside us. But it begins from the calling forth of that Spirit to us, and while it is an interior thing, the source is outside of ourselves until it resides within.
Over the last few years we’ve heard countless phrases like “fake news” and other such comments, and yet while it’s true that certain news stories can be biased, much of what is portrayed as fake, sometimes is discounted because it unearths things that we actually don’t want to believe or see in ourselves.
To be certain, there are facts and facts are undeniable and should be undisputed.
When someone is brought before the court, they are asked, “Will you tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth”?
And of course telling the truth is of utmost importance when having to be questioned by an attorney and in front of a judge and a courtroom.
But this type of truth concerns the factual whereabouts and situations involved in a particular case, and not what the universal implications of the abstract concept of what truth actually is.
We bring up our children in this world and teach them to tell the truth and to be honest because they are human characteristics that are standards of ethical behavior.
For without the ability to tell the truth and to honest, then anything is open to live in this world. Without truth than we are left with only lies and deceit and ultimately chaos.
Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson
Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?
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