How to Know a Man of Truth
Philip G. Ney, MD, FRCP (C)
June 26, 2005

Introduction

Recent issues of CMD’s Focus Magazine have highlighted the dilemma of seeking people throughout the centuries i.e., How do I know when something I read is true? How do I know a person of truth when they write or speak? This is an essential and critical question, fundamental to all types of understanding. I believe there are reliable and practical criteria to guide us.

1. Whose Glory
   When accused of being a “fraud, deceiving the people”, Jesus responded, “I’m not teaching my own ideas but those of God who sent me” “Those who present their own ideas are looking for praise for themselves but those who seek to honour the one who sent them are good and genuine.” “He who speaks on his own does so to gain honour for himself, but he who works for the honour of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” (John 7:12,16,18*). Jesus is saying “Don’t trust anyone who is looking for approval, popularity or power, only trust the person who speaks so that God will be given the credit.”
   
   
2. The Test of Time
   When Jeremiah (Jeremiah 28:8-9) confronted the false prophet, Hananiah, he states: “The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations always warning of war, famine and disease. So a prophet who predicts peace must carry the burden of proof. Only when his predications come true can it be known that he is really from the Lord. When anyone says God will not overlook the slaughter of millions of innocent unborn people, most people respond with irritation and rejection.
   
   It seems to me that either: God isn’t the Lord I’ve known for 60 years, or He is blind, or He is so “loving” justice doesn’t matter, or else His patience is wearing thin. I believe He will soon act with indignation in proportion to the amount of evil in abortion, abuse, inequity and deception. To remind Christians that the judgement always begins with the house of God can leave you with few Christian friends.
   
   
3. Unpopular
   The truth sayer is unpopular because what he says “disturbs the people.” Truth is so upsetting that people would sooner shoot the messenger than listen to the message. You can expect somebody who speaks truth to be persecuted and have scars to show for it. Paul warns Timothy “In fact everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (II Timothy 3:12) The track record of truth speakers shows that they are likely to have angry, defaming responses from colleagues and/or lost jobs. Because of their uncompromising stand, they generally lived in poverty and isolation.
   
   
4. Rejection
   Even those who should support the person because they ostensibly hold the same belief will shun the truth sayer because he/she seems so foolhardy. They can’t admit their timidity. “Sticking our heads above the parapet means we might also get shot at, so don’t you do it and don’t ask me to be so crazy.” “You may not mind the backwoods but I’m going for tenure.” Those who write or speak uncomfortable truth don’t get either government support or Christian foundation grants. I was very successful in obtaining funding for research on drugs, child abuse, etc., but my research into the effects of abortion had to be almost entirely funded from my practice earnings.
   
   
5. Self Support
   Paul made it clear that he didn’t want anybody to give themselves the credit for the work that he was doing among them. So he supported himself “by working with my own hands.” The prophets of the Old or New Testament seldom lived on largesse. Although the worker should be paid by those to whom he administers, truth speakers avoid becoming dependent on others lest they are influenced or swayed so they generally live in places devoid of the usual cultural attractions.
   
   
6. Intuitive Resonation
   Truth resonates in a person’s mind, even the most disturbed. Those most controlled by their demons can still recognize Christ and the truth of His words. They can still move their minds and bodies toward Him. A mad man living in the cemetery and possessed by hundreds of demons could still see the truth in Christ and run to Him. (Luke 8:28).
   
   In psychotherapy even those with horrible backgrounds of abuse and neglect can still feel inside them the truth of a personal interpretation and eventually desire to know the source of all truth. “Yeah, that makes sense. Now show me the Way.”
   
   
7. Division
   Truth always divides, causing discussion and disagreement “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:51) Those who write or speak true words often cause disagreement and sometimes dissension. Pastors, presidents and department chairmen don’t want truth speakers. They are definitely not “team players”.
   
   
8. Truth Agrees With Truth
   There is only one truth. What is truth in one area must agree with the truth in another. We can be so thankful that scriptural truth is in close agreement with good biological, cosmological and psychological science of this day. The agreement is between scriptural and scientific truth is so good that it takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to be a theist. Those who preach religion that contradicts well researched scientific evidence or teach a science that opposes scripture are not likely to be people of truth.
   
   
9. Clarifies and Simplifies
   Truth not only explains but simplifies some things that are apparently, diverse, converse and discrepant. Isn’t it amazing how the simple formula E=MC2 explains so much. True words are few, direct and simple. Einstein did not achieve his desire to discover how the “Old One” made the universe or how big it is, but he got close.
   
   
10. Personal
    There is no abstract truth. Truth demands we test it, explore further, put into action for everyone’s benefit. Truth demands courage and is only found by courageous people. If what you hear is an abstraction, if it doesn’t call for action, it’s not likely to be true.
    
    
11. Crisis
    Truth will invariably put a person in crisis, particularly the crisis of knowing what to do with their lives now that they know more truth. Truth will set people free but will they dare to be free? It is an awesome responsibility to know more and have more choices. It isn’t surprising that people avoid insight. With greater self knowledge people can be held more accountable.
    
    
12. Testable
    Truth is observable, testable, reproducible and predictable. Science with all its limitations does help people discern the wonder of creation that God made. Those that live and speak the truth can be tested and trusted though often they are defamed with gossip that undermines their credibility.
    
    
13. Enlightens; Attracts and Repels
    Those who truly respond to truth will learn more about this world, themselves and the incredible, immortal Designer, our God who made it all. Only those who are prepared to see themselves as they are, will walk toward revealing truth. (John 3:19) Those who prefer the illusion of importance and power that comes with self-imposed ignorance, run from Life and Light. All too soon they find it leads to depravity. (Romans 1:18-32)
    
    
14. Absolute
    Quantum mechanics seemed to conclude that reality and therefore morality could be parallel tracks, determined by choice. Einstein till his death stuck with the notion there is one reality. Recent evidence agrees with him.
    
    
15. Discovered
    With God’s help we can discover reality, the truth of the universe and the truth about ourselves. We cannot invent or create truth. Only God creates. Satan cannot create; he can only deceive and distort reality. By God’s grace we have the joy and the obligation to explain what we discover.

Experiment

Try these practical criteria in your own life and see how they work. You’ll know they do when what you discover really upsets you. Try 1-15 on these two hypotheses that I find to be theologically, philosophically and scientifically true:

1. The preborn child at any stage of development is fully human and completely a person. A person is created in a “small bang” or “flash” at the moment of fusion between sperm, ovum and spirit. Because there are no innocent bystanders, you either protect vulnerable little people or by passivity contribute to their deaths.
   
   
2. No one can benefit at the expense of their neighbour no matter what creed, culture, class, sex, intelligence. Therefore if it’s not good for your neighbour, it’s not good for you. If it is not good for men it won’t be good for women. If it’s not good for black it can’t be good for white. If it is not good for the preborn baby, it is not good for the mother.

Our research [1][2] studying the effects of abortion compared to child birth in 186,000 women from the State of California shows just how accurate these statements are. The data provided by family physicians in Victoria clearly indicated that women’s general health is adversely effected by unresolved grief from all types of pregnancy loss and that pathological grief is much more common following an abortion.[3]

Physicians are experienced in telling their patients difficult truths about their illness and impending death. Should we not likewise confront the world about its pathological past and present symptoms indicating deteriorating moral health? When we don’t speak out as we should, let us at least be honest enough to admit what usually stops us is fear.

* Quotes from the New Living Translation Bible.

References