WHAT IS REALITY AND TRUTH by W. G. Guy
How does reality and truth compare with what we see, what we hear, and what we experience on a day to day basis? Reality and truth is based on what is factual, honest, has a solid basis and can be trusted. The opposite is what are called lies, deception and falsehoods that are unsupported, have no validity or substance, and require added falsehoods to maintain the false illusion; thus they have no reality.
There is an age old question: “What is truth”? Even governmental leaders have struggled with this question for centuries; especially politicians; many of whom do not use truth when communicating to their constituents. Even the Roman ruler said this when addressing Jesus who was being falsely accused by the religious elite of His day:
John 18:38 – 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.
Pilot was staring truth (Jesus) in the face. It appears that Pilot wanted to go by what he knew was the truth, but he was politically motivated by the demands of the people he was governing to accept their false accusations. This is a common occurrence in politics today!
Lies and deceptions are used to control and manipulate people to get them to conform to what those who govern want them to do. People are conditioned to accept what is false and not to question, object, or challenge such dictates.
Unfortunately, even today our society has a problem with recognizing what is factual from what is false or fictional. The reason for this is that we have been conditioned to accept a great deal of what is not reality. Why have we become so vulnerable to such lies and deception? In the age we live in, this conditioning process has been going on for most our entire lives, and is based on the deception of what we see, hear, read and have been exposed to; and hardly anyone recognizes how this happens.
Consider that the average person is subjected to hours upon hours of what is false, unreal and pure deception. This comes by our focus on fiction: in books, movies, TV programs, and the national news (propaganda) media. By our exposure to so much of what is fake we have come to accept such by being complacent and not questioning, judging or challenging what we see, read or hear, regardless of the source. People just do not think for themselves; they simply follow what is doled out to them, and follow the crowd.
We have gone so far into accepting such false information that we have even made idols of those who produce and promote great amounts of fabrication; they are known as movie and TV stars. These are people who are highly paid, glamorized, and almost worshipped by fans. This is because, in the performance of their acting, they make believe that they are somebody that they are not; they say things that are not true; and do things that are not real. And the population enjoys it because it is entertainment. Thus we have become conditioned to accept what is not true or real! We focus so much on what is false that we often fail to recognize and accept what is real and true!
What does God think of those who get wealthy by being promoters of such lies and unrealities? What does God think of us who submit ourselves to such falsehoods? Now that I have hit a real sore spot, we need to consider what God has to say about truth and reality as compared to the lies and deception that the Bible identifies as those who are “wicked”.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
We are instructed to keep our focus on those things that are beneficial to us, which excludes what is false and unreal. Again, this is for our benefit, which is God’s will for us.
Psalms 15:1-2 – Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
Truth is a key element of righteousness and allows the presence of the Lord to abide with us, and guide us, which is a great blessing!
Psalms 51:6 – Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part shalt make me to know wisdom.
Seeking truth, and walking in truth, is to walk in the light, (which is true knowledge), and to be guided by the wisdom that truth yields.
Zechariah 8:16-17 – These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:7 and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
God hates deception and despises those who exercise falsehoods for their own benefit.
John 8:31-32 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Jesus declared that truth will set you free from the bondage of the enemy’s deception, and those who are of the devil who would use their lies and deception to take advantage of you.
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus is the greatest and most absolute truth; all other forms of religion are false and lead to eternal destruction,
Ephesians 6:14 – Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
Truth is the first piece of spiritual armor listed because it guards you from the enemy’s and the world’s deception.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The false preachers, teachers and prophets that do not use pure truth of God’s Word, but add what is not true, in order to gain followers to themselves. We gain truth by knowing the Word of God as recorded in the Bible. Too many Christians do not have a sufficient knowledge of the Bible to equip them to be able to discern what is true from what is false. This is specifically identified in the Book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 5:11-14 – (Speaking of Jesus) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, (or what is true and what is false).
What does the Bible say about liars, those who promote false information, and that which is false and unreal? It will not go well for them since they take unfair advantage over those they have deceived.
Psalms 101:7 – He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
Liars will have no part in the kingdom of God and will be punished.
Proverbs 19:5 – A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Proverbs 17:4 – A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
Evil people who lie tend to work together, (like corrupt politicians).
Proverbs 30:5-6 – Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Don’t stretch the truth by adding to it your own ideas, especially when teaching the Word of God; it has consequences as God does not like liars and they will not be found in heaven.
John 8:44 – Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Liars are children of the devil and they will be judged along with Satan by God.
1 John 2:4 – He that saith, I know him (Jesus), and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 2:22 – Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Again, such people are children of the devil.
1 John 4:20 – If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? How many people fit in this category?
Colossians 3:25 – But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
It makes no difference to God if you are famous, important, or even a king or a president, because God is not a respecter of your position in the world; only your position in the Lord Jesus Christ matters.
Revelation 21:8 – But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The consequences of being a liar and deceiver are severe and eternal; and you will forever be with some very bad company! Seek truth; God’s Word is truth!
How does reality and truth compare with what we see, what we hear, and what we experience on a day to day basis? Reality and truth is based on what is factual, honest, has a solid basis and can be trusted. The opposite is what are called lies, deception and falsehoods that are unsupported, have no validity or substance, and require added falsehoods to maintain the false illusion; thus they have no reality.
There is an age old question: “What is truth”? Even governmental leaders have struggled with this question for centuries; especially politicians; many of whom do not use truth when communicating to their constituents. Even the Roman ruler said this when addressing Jesus who was being falsely accused by the religious elite of His day:
John 18:38 – 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.
Pilot was staring truth (Jesus) in the face. It appears that Pilot wanted to go by what he knew was the truth, but he was politically motivated by the demands of the people he was governing to accept their false accusations. This is a common occurrence in politics today!
Lies and deceptions are used to control and manipulate people to get them to conform to what those who govern want them to do. People are conditioned to accept what is false and not to question, object, or challenge such dictates.
Unfortunately, even today our society has a problem with recognizing what is factual from what is false or fictional. The reason for this is that we have been conditioned to accept a great deal of what is not reality. Why have we become so vulnerable to such lies and deception? In the age we live in, this conditioning process has been going on for most our entire lives, and is based on the deception of what we see, hear, read and have been exposed to; and hardly anyone recognizes how this happens.
Consider that the average person is subjected to hours upon hours of what is false, unreal and pure deception. This comes by our focus on fiction: in books, movies, TV programs, and the national news (propaganda) media. By our exposure to so much of what is fake we have come to accept such by being complacent and not questioning, judging or challenging what we see, read or hear, regardless of the source. People just do not think for themselves; they simply follow what is doled out to them, and follow the crowd.
We have gone so far into accepting such false information that we have even made idols of those who produce and promote great amounts of fabrication; they are known as movie and TV stars. These are people who are highly paid, glamorized, and almost worshipped by fans. This is because, in the performance of their acting, they make believe that they are somebody that they are not; they say things that are not true; and do things that are not real. And the population enjoys it because it is entertainment. Thus we have become conditioned to accept what is not true or real! We focus so much on what is false that we often fail to recognize and accept what is real and true!
What does God think of those who get wealthy by being promoters of such lies and unrealities? What does God think of us who submit ourselves to such falsehoods? Now that I have hit a real sore spot, we need to consider what God has to say about truth and reality as compared to the lies and deception that the Bible identifies as those who are “wicked”.
Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
We are instructed to keep our focus on those things that are beneficial to us, which excludes what is false and unreal. Again, this is for our benefit, which is God’s will for us.
Psalms 15:1-2 – Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
Truth is a key element of righteousness and allows the presence of the Lord to abide with us, and guide us, which is a great blessing!
Psalms 51:6 – Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part shalt make me to know wisdom.
Seeking truth, and walking in truth, is to walk in the light, (which is true knowledge), and to be guided by the wisdom that truth yields.
Zechariah 8:16-17 – These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:7 and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.
God hates deception and despises those who exercise falsehoods for their own benefit.
John 8:31-32 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Jesus declared that truth will set you free from the bondage of the enemy’s deception, and those who are of the devil who would use their lies and deception to take advantage of you.
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus is the greatest and most absolute truth; all other forms of religion are false and lead to eternal destruction,
Ephesians 6:14 – Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
Truth is the first piece of spiritual armor listed because it guards you from the enemy’s and the world’s deception.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The false preachers, teachers and prophets that do not use pure truth of God’s Word, but add what is not true, in order to gain followers to themselves. We gain truth by knowing the Word of God as recorded in the Bible. Too many Christians do not have a sufficient knowledge of the Bible to equip them to be able to discern what is true from what is false. This is specifically identified in the Book of Hebrews:
Hebrews 5:11-14 – (Speaking of Jesus) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil, (or what is true and what is false).
What does the Bible say about liars, those who promote false information, and that which is false and unreal? It will not go well for them since they take unfair advantage over those they have deceived.
Psalms 101:7 – He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
Liars will have no part in the kingdom of God and will be punished.
Proverbs 19:5 – A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Proverbs 17:4 – A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
Evil people who lie tend to work together, (like corrupt politicians).
Proverbs 30:5-6 – Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Don’t stretch the truth by adding to it your own ideas, especially when teaching the Word of God; it has consequences as God does not like liars and they will not be found in heaven.
John 8:44 – Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Liars are children of the devil and they will be judged along with Satan by God.
1 John 2:4 – He that saith, I know him (Jesus), and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1 John 2:22 – Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Again, such people are children of the devil.
1 John 4:20 – If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? How many people fit in this category?
Colossians 3:25 – But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
It makes no difference to God if you are famous, important, or even a king or a president, because God is not a respecter of your position in the world; only your position in the Lord Jesus Christ matters.
Revelation 21:8 – But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The consequences of being a liar and deceiver are severe and eternal; and you will forever be with some very bad company! Seek truth; God’s Word is truth!
