“Real” Truth
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - 17 the Spirit of truth.
The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
(John 14:16-167 NIV)
In researching the Greek word for truth in this passage, I have found that it literally means -
“unconcealed” or “not hidden”.
I like how the NRSV would read - “This is the Spirit of “unconcealment” or “revelation”, whom [not “that”] the world cannot receive…”
The word originated with a philosopher in Ancient Greece who wanted to convey truth in a way different from the conductive or deductive reasoning of man.
This truth is more of a revelation of “reality”, “holiness”, or “wholeness”.
John uses it to describe Jesus who is God’s revelation of Himself.
It is a revealed truth in a Person.
Jesus is the One who opens up or reveals the hidden things of God.
Paul referred to these hidden things of God as “the mystery of God as revealed through Christ Jesus, His Son”.
This truth does not come from reason but through revelation.
Not from observable scientific experimentation but from spiritual awakening.
Not from human logic but from spiritual awareness.
Not from the spirit of man but from the Spirit of God who created us.
And cannot be received without the Spirit of God through His Holy Spirit revealing it to us.
Without God’s Spirit, we cannot see or perceive these things.
That is why Jesus said the world system cannot receive, see, or know Him.
In other words, without this Spirit of truth, our decisions are not based on reality and are doomed to failure.
We could say what is happening in our western world governance is because they cannot receive, see, or know Truth, Christ, the Spirit of truth… and it is doomed to failure.
Why? It is not based on the fundamental truths of reality, but on their own limited understanding of truth.
But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, we can have this Spirit of truth abiding with us and living in us.
That is the inexplicable truth of Easter.
So we must pray that
1) we continually abide in His Spirit, His Presence.
2) the Spirit of truth will infiltrate the hearts and minds of those in our society - our leaders, our community, our family - so they may see.
Lord, may Your Spirit, Your Presence, become so real to those around us that their hearts cannot help but be softened to You and that they may find true freedom and truth through obeying Your Truth and Your Commandments.
Happy Easter.