John 8:31-32
Introduction:
1. Oprah Winfrey popularized this in her 2018 Golden Globe award speech.
2. She intended it to encourage victims of sexual abuse to tell their story.
3. Others have reshaped and broadened its usage well beyond her meaning.
a. “I know we disagree, but you have your truth and I have my truth.”
b. “We can all say different things because we each have our own truth.”
c. “You may not believe that the archangel Michael visited me last night and activated my chakras, but that’s my truth.”
Discussion:
I. My Truth vs. The Truth
A. “My truth” is a mixture of opinion, perception, and experience.
B. The truth= “The true or actual state of a matter; The fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience”
II. The Source of Truth
A. “My truth” makes me the source of truth and authority for myself.
1. It gives credence to any and every position I may hold.
2. This philosophy robs reality of all that is real.
B. The truth is fixed, stable, and independent of our opinions.
1. The word of God is the truth (Psalms 119:160; John 8:31-32; 17:17).
2. And the Word of God is the truth (John 1:1-4, 14; 14:6).
C. “My truth” seeks to sidestep the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
III. The Humility to Receive the Truth
A. The biblical view is that truth is something humanity finds, not creates.
B. Receiving and accepting truth takes humility.
1. First, it admits our dependence on God to reveal it (Psalms 146:3-5; Proverbs 3:5; 28:26; Jeremiah 10:23; 1 Corinthians 3:18-20).
2. Second, it yields itself to His will, not ours (Luke 9:23; James 3:17).
Conclusion:
1. The popular notion of speaking “your/my truth” seeks to shield one’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors from scrutiny.
2. The child of God must embrace the truth to remain free from sin.
3. May we humbly accept the truth rather than champion “our truth.”
We can feel any way we like about anything, but we cannot change the truth.