Have you ever played the ice breaker game called “Three truths and a lie”? In this game, people share either exciting stories or insignificant things and you try to guess which are true. Let’s play. Here are four statements about me. Can you tell which ones are true and which is a lie?
First: I love coffee. I can’t face mornings without a hot cup of joe. Second: My favorite dessert is chocolate cake. Yummy to my tummy. Third: I miss traveling and am eager to go places again. Fourth: When I wear my gold sparkle shoes, I feel happy. Maybe you are thinking, hey, this seems like a complicated way to get to know someone. Why should some have to guess what another person likes or not? Why can’t people tell the truth about who they are? Unlike humans, Christ did not hide His identity. In John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (NKJV*). In one verse, Jesus proclaimed Himself as the way to the Father, as truth embodied, and claimed that eternal life was found in Him. If I made such statements, you would consider me delusional. Jesus spoke no lies. His words are all true because He is the truth. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus’s life overflowed with grace and truth that glorified His Father and enabled us to catch glimpses of His majesty. Jesus sanctified Himself so that we might be sanctified in His truth (John 17:19). The Old Testament commandments showed us our sinful nature. No one could be justified by the law (Galatians 2:16). John 1:17 says “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The ultimate sacrifice for sins arrived in Christ and ushered in the grace that the law could never provide. The rules served as a tutor to bring us to Christ, so we can be justified by grace through faith (Galatians 3:24; Ephesians 2:8-9). We have a new relationship with God because of the grace and truth we receive through Christ. Because Jesus is truth, we can be free from sin and sanctified. John 8:32 says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Knowing Jesus means that we don’t have to live under the curse of the law any more. Death no longer reigns in our mortal bodies. Our sins are covered by God’s mercy, and fear of the Lord drives us to depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6). We become spiritually alive, able to commune with God and live a life that honors Him. We cease from striving because we recognize that all of our righteousness is like filthy rags. Instead, we rest in the completed work of Christ on the cross and cling to hope and abundant life. Truth is not only a conceivable concept, but a knowable person with whom we can have a relationship. Jesus wants people to know Him and thereby know the truth—so we need to share the truth. In Colossians 1:5, Paul explains how we have hope in heaven because someone shared the gospel with us. We didn’t think up salvation on our own. Someone used words to tell us about Jesus. No only do our lives need to be a good example, but our words need to proclaim the good news of Jesus with everyone we met so they may also know the truth. God desires for everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), so we must point people to the one true God. The God who can be known to us through Jesus. I tried to help you get to know me better through the ice breaker. Did you find the lie? If you guessed chocolate cake is not my favorite, you are right! Give me carrot cake any day of the week and keep the chocolate. Jesus doesn’t try to trick us. Every word He said is true and right. I pray that we study His Word to know Him better so that we can discern truth from lies about Jesus and proclaim the gospel to everyone we meet. * What are three truths about Christ that you appreciate? * Who are three people with whom you can share the gospel? *All verses are in NKJV.
11 Comments
3/28/2023 05:28:23 pm
Jesus did give us the example of truth. He exposed hypocrisy and didn't back down from telling people the hard things they didn't want to hear. But He did that with love and helped people change. Truth exposes the false promises we sometimes believe.
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Joanna Eccles
3/31/2023 08:43:33 pm
Jesus gave the best example of how to speak the truth in love for us to follow.
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Jeannie Waters
3/28/2023 10:08:18 pm
Joanna, I enjoyed guessing which statement was a lie, and I'd love to see your gold sparkly shoes. :) Jesus did boldly proclaim His identity which you summarized so well. I appreciate the fact He is always present with us and that He calls us to communicate with Him in a Father-child relationship.
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Joanna Eccles
3/31/2023 08:47:30 pm
Jeannie, I will have to find a picture of my gold sparkle shoes to send you. They are the best! I am also thankful for God's presence and that He desires close relationship with us.
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Joanna Eccles
3/31/2023 08:48:59 pm
So thankful that Jesus is the the Way, the Son of God, and that He died for our sins. You have the gospel in a nutshell in those three truths. I love it! I pray you have powerful ways to share the gospel with those you encounter.
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4/2/2023 12:58:32 am
Great presentation of the Truth, Joanna. The compassion of Christ always hooks me.
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Yvonne Morgan
4/3/2023 09:47:16 am
I would have guessed the sparkly shoes 😃. I love the analogy of your post. It makes so much sense. God is exactly who his says he is always. Thanks for sharing
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4/3/2023 07:01:41 pm
The true gospel is given in your wonderful post. Thanky you Joanna. John 8:32 is one of my favoriste scriptures.
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J.D. WIninger
4/4/2023 08:02:57 am
Amen Ms. Joanna. Another stellar post ma'am. I've often thought that people want others to see "who they think others want them to see: or "who they wish they were" rather than who they really are. Why we don't seem happy with being our authentic selves is perhaps a two-fold reason. We believe Satan's lies that tell us we're not good enough or two, we don't like ourselves enough and are too prideful or ashamed to let folks see the real "Us." Great thoughts here as you lead us to compare ourselves against the static "Truth" of God. Well done author!
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4/7/2023 10:02:28 pm
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Without Him we are lost. I like your challenge to spread the Good News. I pray we can do that. Happy Easter, Joanna.
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AuthorJoanna Eccles has led Bible studies for over twenty years and completed the year-long C. S. Lewis Fellows Program. She is passionate about discipleship and helping people grow in Christ. Joanna enjoys coffee and reading, and currently lives in Florida. Categories
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