What Is the Truth?

By E. B. Staples

Many have sought truth yet do not recognize or acknowledge the truth when it is in plain sight. Truth is simple, and it’s not as complicated as people attempt to make it. Nor is it as complex as some attempt to describe it—some find it easier to accept a complicated lie than a simple truth. But what does the Bible say when it comes to the question of truth?

What Is the Truth? explains this search for truth and takes us on a journey of reality and actuality, perceptions and misconceptions. In today’s culture of alternative truth and realities, there are deceptions and lies that lead to a perversion of truth. Author E. B. Staples shares several of his inspired poems about the power of truth, and he brings a beautiful insight to the age-old question of what is truth. What Is the Truth? shows how truth cannot be known without faith in the author of all truth, God, and that there can be no truth apart from the creator of truth and all humanity.

All things must have a beginning, and in the beginning there was the word, and that word was truth. The word of truth spoke, and all things came into existence. We should thus be inspired to seek and find truth in God’s words and in all life experiences, for our Lord God is the source of all truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973641537

E. B. Staples

E. B. Staples is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and he first started writing poetry in high school. After high school he enlisted in the US Air Force and served for twenty-six years before retiring; he traveled extensively during his military career, most notably to Paris, Brussels, Luxemburg, and Prague, to name a few. E. B.’s writings are poetic and spiritual, and he is the author of four other books: Soul Poetry, The Mighty Storm, Reflections and Shadows, and The Story Teller—Book of Rhythm and Prose.

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Copyright © 2018 E. B. Staples.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

All scripture, unless otherwise cited is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-4154-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4155-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4153-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018911681

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/10/2018

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Definition of Truth

2. Truth about Facts

3. Truth on Trial

4. Absolute Truth

5. Perversion of Truth

6. Worship in Truth

7. Book of Truth

Notes

This book is for my number-one fan, my beautiful wife, Sharon. She is my joy and inspiration. I thank the Lord for allowing our paths to cross in 1975, at F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, of all places. We were both from South Florida, yet we were destined to meet in Cheyenne. I will never forget that day at the base dining facility, when I first laid eyes on her. I haven’t taken my eyes off her since. She was truly the answer to my prayer; I had prayed that the Lord would bring someone into my life who would be the right person for me. We are celebrating forty-one years of marriage after only knowing each other for about eight months. True love will last an eternity. Truth will stand forever.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

—2 John 1:3

Acknowledgments

I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His steadfast love and grace. Many thanks to family and friends for encouraging and supporting me throughout this project.

Thank you also, Sharon, for being steadfast in your love and support for over forty years of marriage.

To my mentor and uncle, Reverend James D. Sykes, thanks for your love and unyielding support.

Introduction

Many have sought truth yet do not recognize or acknowledge the truth when it is in plain sight. Truth is simple; it’s not as complicated or complex as people attempt to make it. Some find it easier to accept a complicated lie than a simple truth. They find it easier to accept a complicated lie from the science of evolution that man evolved from apes than to accept the simple fact that God created the heavens and earth (see Genesis 1:1). Man was made in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26). Some find it easier to believe the complicated lie of what one must do to earn salvation and eternal life rather than the simple truth of grace (see Ephesians 2:8–9). The search for truth takes us on a journey of reality and actuality, of perception and misconception. We must contemplate and attempt to substantiate the relevance of facts and what is true. In today’s culture of alternative facts and realities, deceptions and lies lead to a perversion of the truth. Fake news runs rampant in our mainstream media, where lies, hypocrisies, and deceptions are the norm. The hypocrisy of lies poison the very virtue of integrity and honor. Leaving mankind powerless to become what man was created to be, the likeness and image of his creator. Only a few unbiased accounts of truth are being reported in our secular news media. People now attempt to justify their opinions and their dishonest behavior as being acceptable for the good of society. Who can we really trust to tell us the honest truth?

More importantly, what is the honest truth, and where can it be found? Is truth in heaven the same as truth on earth? Is there really a heaven, as is written in the Bible? By faith, we trust and believe there is. There is only one truth, and that truth is the same for all of humanity. There is only one light of truth, and that light shines on all humanity. Even though people may attempt to hide from the light in dark lies, deception, and unbelief, the light of truth yet shines to reveal all things. This light of unadulterated truth is clearly shown when one studies scripture; scripture unequivocally defines the source of all truth. We simply must make a decision to believe it and trust the promises of God’s words.

The power of life is in the blood; and it is the blood that reveals the condition of the physical body. The power of truth is in God’s word; and it is the word that reveals the condition of the spirit. Just as the blood of Jesus redeems us, the truth of Jesus sets us free. This book attempts to lead the reader into a deeper understanding of truth—the absolute truth—void of the distorted interpretations of our modern culture. In this book, we will explore biblical references and scriptural doctrine to clearly show the source of all truth. As a poet, I also share several of my inspired poems written over the past ten years about the power of truth. My poetic style of writing brings beautiful insight to the age-old question: what is truth? Furthermore, how can you know truth without faith in the author of all truth? There can be no truth apart from the creator of truth and all humanity. All things must have a beginning, and in the beginning there was the word, and that word was truth. The word of truth was spoken, and all things came into existence. My hope is that this book will inspire you to seek and find truth in God’s words, for our Lord God is the source of all truth.

Winston Churchill once said, The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.¹

Note: All scripture references are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

I

Definition of Truth

To write a book about truth you must first identify it as nonfiction. How can it be fiction if it is about what is true? Fiction is an assumption of a possibility as a fact, irrespective of the question of its truth. There is a distinction between truth and what is true. What is true is defined as being accordance with fact and reality at the time. Truth is defined as the quality or state of being true. God and truth are inseparable. In his book, The Truth War, John MacArthur states, The biblical definition of truth is that which is consistent with the mind, will, character, glory and being of God; the self-expression of God. ¹

My approach to and understanding of truth is as perceived by God’s word. So the question may be asked, How do you know what is perceived by God? It is self-evident. The foundation of God’s truth is in His word, the Holy Bible. The Bible is a collection