Are you a truth seeker? What does the word truth mean to you? Do you understand how precious truth is? The greatest truths of the ages center on the answers to the questions of: Who is God? What is God? and What is His purpose? And the corollary to those questions are the same ones as they relate to humanity: Who is man? What is man? and What is his purpose? Could you provide a convincing answer to each of these questions?

The libraries and the Internet abound with information, and knowledge is being rapidly increased. Yet the truth that will truly set a person free from fear, ignorance, superstition and the dogmas of man is more and more difficult to discover. The apostle Paul prophesied that humanity would ever be learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7).

I believe that most people would say that they are truth seekers. But there is a great paradox that is operant in our society when it comes to seeking the truth. People want to know the truth about individuals, they want to know the truth about the people they do business with, they want to know the truth about politicians and celebrities; but this obsession has no transcendental purpose. When so-called juicy bits of gossip are aired, do those revelations raise our sights to become more noble and honorable people?

Does digging up the dirt and throwing it in the faces of others produce behavioral change? Or is this just another form of voyeurism in which people are entertained by viewing the dirty laundry of their fellow humans? And in some cases, living their lives vicariously through others.

All of the social barometers cry out loud and clear that our society continues to slide and slouch toward Sodom and Gomorrah. One of the discussion panel news programs closes with each panel member articulating the “outrage” of the week. But it seems that people are no longer outraged to the point of action about anything. And if they do raise their voices, it is usually through violent protests that serve to further exacerbate the tensions that caused the problems in the first place.

We have been desensitized and dumbed down to the point that almost no one dares to take a stand about anything. So once again, are you a truth seeker, and would you have the courage to embrace the truth and act on it?

We need what I call “3C” people: people of conviction, commitment and courage. Conviction comes from knowing within your heart and mind that a certain principle is right, just and good. Commitment has to do with realizing that the things you have been taught and convicted of are to be held in sacred trust and defended with all your being. And courage is really a product of conviction and commitment, to the degree that you are convicted and committed, you will respond courageously.

It is ironic and paradoxical that Americans will spend billions of dollars digging up dirt, printing gossip and broadcasting it, while the greater issues of life go unanswered. What happens to us after we die?

 Do good people literally go to a place called heaven that is filled with eternal bliss? Do bad people literally go to a place called hell where they are tormented in hell fire forever and ever? Do you have an immortal soul? And if so, where did it come from? Did God create a good, pure and righteous immortal soul and place it in a sinful body and then challenge you to “save your soul?”

These are just of the few great questions of life. But no one really pays much attention to these questions. Even the people who claim to believe in God have to a large degree made God over in their image to conform to their lifestyle and to their notions about what is acceptable to God and what is not. As a result, that which is good is called evil, and that which is evil is called good.

The Desire for Social Acceptance

Talk shows abound with everybody under the sun giving their opinion on whatever the talking point of the day is. But who or what is their authority? In turn, talk show hosts will then editorialize and give his/her point of view. But little is done to really challenge the foundational understanding of why we are on this earth.

Even when a guest might bring up certain principles that are backed by the Bible, the quick response by the hosts is to state that there are many interpretations of the Bible and he/she doesn’t necessarily see it that way. So even the plain words of the Bible are dismissed as just another opinion. Thus in effect agnosticism reigns supreme. No one knows anything absolutely; it is all reduced to a matter of personal opinion.

People are somewhat comforted by this, apparently believing that their position is justified. We are left with the erroneous position that one opinion is just as true as another. This kind of sloppy reasoning leads to people creating God in their own image—as a result they delve into more and more aberrant ways of expressing their so-called individuality and spirituality.

The greatest fear of humankind is social ostracism. People will do almost anything to remain a part of whatever social structure they are in. From the jet set to the corporate set to the political set to the media set to the man on the street to main street America to the gangs in the ghetto, the emphasis is on pleasing those who make the images.

If you don’t fit the image, if you are not politically correct, if you don’t do as they do, then you are out. There is indeed a tyranny of the peer group at every level of our society.

As a 3C person you can break the chains that bind you and be set free.

Humankind has been deceived and enslaved through fear, ignorance, superstition and the dogmas of man. The world is currently being enslaved more and more in the name of freedom, but that freedom is in fact just another form of slavery. There is only one path to true freedom, which Jesus Christ proclaimed: “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 6:32). These are the truths that will determine your future and the future of your children.

The truth is: You were born for a great transcendental purpose. You were born to become a member of the family of God. The truth is: God exists and earnestly desires to have a relationship with you. The truth is: Man does not have an immortal soul. We must receive eternal life from our Creator. The truth is: Humans have no consciousness after death. The truth is: You do not go to heaven when you die. The truth is: God is going to resurrect the faithful at the sound of the seventh trumpet when Jesus comes again. The truth is: You will rule on the earth with God and Christ as kings and priests. The truth is: Sinners will not burn forever and ever in hell fire. They will be burned up and become ashes under the feet of the righteous.

The truth is: Jesus was not born in December, and nowhere do the Scriptures even suggest that we observe His birthday at any time during the year. The truth is: Jesus was not crucified on Good Friday, and He not did rise from the grave on Sunday. The truth is: There will not be a rapture of the Church before the great tribulation. These are just a few of the truths that you can and should know.

Satan and his agents would have you believe the very opposite of these precious truths. Satan is the master of deceit and is deceiving the whole world. You must come to love the truth as much as you love your life. So now is the time to take to heart the words of the apostle Paul in his epistle to young Timothy: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Paul further admonishes the ministry to preach the word, for the time will come when people will turn from the truth and be turned to fables (2 Timothy 4:1-4).

And above all, develop a deep abiding love of the truth so you will not be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine and be deceived. “And with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

So ask yourself: Am I a truth seeker? Do I love the truth?

It is a matter of life and death