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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

 

Dear Rev. Graham: With all the court proceedings now available to the public by way of television and the internet, it’s interesting to watch people swear the oath to tell the truth, but disregard the oath by lying and getting away with it. Many say that no one can really know the full truth. Is this so? – N.T.

 

Dear N.T.: “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God,” is a familiar oath. It precedes a sworn testimony given by a witness who has made a commitment to speak truth no matter what. If the witness is later found to have lied while under oath, the person can be charged with the crime of perjury.

But in recent years, there’s been a great falling away from the truth, and often those who are found to be liars go unpunished. The Bible warns that when judgment comes, so will their punishment. The wrath of God is against such people who “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (Romans 1:25, NKJV).

The great quest for life has always been to find truth. Seekers of truth, when they find it, often reject it because sometimes truth hurts. So they turn in another direction to find a truth that makes them feel better about their defiance to the truth.

Jesus did not say we would know a truth; He said, “I tell you the truth.” This is one of the strongest and frequently used phrases spoken by Jesus. He knows the lies of the devil that root in people’s hearts. This is his bait. We hear the part that is truth and conclude that the rest is also true – this is trickery of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the lies of Satan, and He patiently waits for His truth to take hold in people’s hearts before He returns to strike the last blow on the devil’s works.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)