Left to Write: The Whole Truth
10-13-2006
by Brenten Gilbert

I repent. . . for trading truth for false unity.
Derek Webb - "I Repent"

don't teach me about truth and beauty, just label my music
Derek Webb - "A New Law"

I love a good legal thriller. Whether it's a television show where the courtroom drama plays out over the course of an hour, or a well-crafted film that keeps me longer, there's something beautiful about seeing justice in action. It may be the intense scrutiny of the written word as law, the search for the spirit of the law, the logic of arguments, or simply because I grew up assuming that I'd eventually become a lawyer that keeps me tuning in, but whatever the case (pun sadly intended), I can't get enough.

As enjoyable as it is to watch, however, I do realize that numerous flaws exist within the system by which we base our earthly justice. I don't just mean that sometimes innocent people get convicted and guilty people get acquitted, though, that does happen at times. I'm thinking more along the lines of the root issue, the underlying problem that corrupts our representation of justice.

When witnesses are sworn in to take the stand, they promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. (At least in the movies). Unfortunately, we live in a world that consists of half-truths, a partial, broken understanding of the whole truth, and plenty of imaginative and creative misrepresentations of the truth.

Exemplifying this, a character in one of the newer legal television shows (Shark, if you're curious) professes the credo that there are many truths and that it is the job of a good lawyer to pick the best truth for your client and then to convince the judge and/or jury of that truth. As a result of this philosophy, lawyers are trained to emphasize certain aspects of the law while downplaying or ignoring others in order to benefit their client. Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with those of us who aren't employed by the legal industry.

Due to several factors, including the media, our own laziness, poor teaching or training and more, we've accepted half-truths as the basis for our lives. We can't fully understand the whole truth (ie. "You can't handle the truth") and it's gotten to the point where we don't particularly want it anymore. They may say that ignorance is bliss, but if nothing else, half-truths tell us what we want to hear.

After all, it was a half-truth that initially convinced mankind to sin. The half-truth was that we would become like God. The whole truth was that we already were like God as we were created in His image. The half-truth was that we would understand the difference between good and evil. The whole truth was that we would know evil, which previously didn't exist. You get the idea.

The truth in the Old Testament was defined by the Ten Commandments. But even that quickly became problematic. The half-truth - that by keeping all the commandments, we could reconcile ourselves to God - became the prevailing belief. The whole truth was that it wouldn't be enough. The half-truth expanded, providing us with more and more restrictions and laws. We liked the idea that our actions could dictate our eternal well-being. We believed the half-truth and we were happy.

Fast forward to the New Testament. Jesus, as He was known for doing, turned this system on its head. In fact when a rich young ruler confronted Him and asked what he needed to do to be saved, noting that he had already kept all the commandments. Knowing full well that it was impossible to keep the commandments by the spirit in which they were given (ie. "If you hate your brother, you've committed murder."), Jesus told the young man that he had to sell everything and follow Him. The whole truth? "I am the way, the truth and the life."

I could stop there, since I think I've proven a valid point, but I included two quotes at the top and there's more to be said. You may be thinking, "Hey, if half-truths make us happy, what's so wrong with that?"

Happiness may be a byproduct of half-truths, but it's not the only one. Half-truths also bring fear, guilt, and denial. Denial can lead to a spiritual numbness that prevents us from things like repentance and reconciliation. Guilt can be debilitating, keeping us from being used by God because we feel like we aren't worth anything. Guilt is actually closely related to fear which is closely related to spiritual laziness.

Look at the question that the young ruler asks again. "What do I need to do, to be saved?" It's easier to do something than to understand the rationale behind the command. We are called to be "likeminded" with Christ, able to discern what it is that we need to be saved. We are supposed to understand that it's impossible for us to guarantee our own salvation, but that it's only through Christ that we can be saved. But that's not enough for us. Why? Because we're still clinging to that pesky half-truth: if we keep these commands...

Also noteworthy, is that the young man asks Jesus for the quick answer. He's looking for that one extra commandment that will assure his salvation. He's not really willing to commit to following Jesus.  He just wants Jesus to give him the answer, the new half-truth, that will put his mind at ease. However, Jesus deals in the whole truth, nothing less. And the whole truth is that we know the difference between good and evil, we have a mind similar to God, and we know that there's not an easy, non-committal solution to the problem of sin. But we become lazy, refusing to exercise our discernment, resolving instead to wait for someone else to tell us what we should or shouldn't do.

This laziness inhibits our spiritual growth, feeding the fears that prohibit us from having the "abundant" life that God promises, a life marked by joy and freedom. Instead, we become a legalistic people, concerned more with our external actions than our internal condition. That can reveal itself in many ways. (In the Bible, it was the Pharisees).

We need to be careful to seek the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Anything less could be harmful.

Thanks for your time.

- bdg.