Article May 20, 1996 Issue

"Bear witness unto the truth"

Sarah Goetze Hyatt

In the middle of a trial that was a mockery of justice, Christ Jesus said very little. But he did make this important declaration in response to a question from Pilate: "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth" (John 18:37). In his healing works and in his life example, our Master left us a waymark as we seek to follow him in showing forth the power of God. But what does it mean for us to "bear witness unto the truth"?

In our day-to-day experience, we are continuously presented with evidence arguing that the world is torn between two powers, good and evil, and that evil is personified in individuals in our experience. Sometimes it even seems that the preponderance of power is on the side of evil. The Bible affirms, however, that "power belongeth unto God" (Ps. 62:11). It teaches the perfection of God's creation. The Bible also gives us this view of man's nature as spiritual, as God's expression: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:16). The omnipotence of God, good, and the perfection of His man is the truth to which Jesus consistently bore witness. We can also bear witness to this fact by acknowledging and obeying only what God knows and is causing to exist as the real and eternal. The more we give evidence of divine good in our lives, the more we see good as the only truth.

This witnessing is as vital in the small events as in the large happenings of our life. Many times during the course of any given day, we are presented with mistaken views of ourselves and others—views that seek a witness to establish them as truth. A relative, a co-worker, a classmate, a fellow driver in traffic, might appear to be anything but the image and likeness of God, good. How we respond to this supposed evidence of evil determines our experience. Christ Jesus was very direct in summing up the character of evil. He called it "a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44). In our work as witnesses to truth, we need to recognize that evil is always the lie Jesus said it was.

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