(Read Genesis 1)
Dr. Gregory House, from the NBC medical drama House, once said, “It’s a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only variable is about what.” House is portrayed as a brilliant but abrasive diagnostician, blunt, often rude, and fiercely intelligent. In another episode, he added, “I don’t ask why patients lie; I just assume they all do.”
I’ve caught myself doing the same, downplaying symptoms to my doctor, as if telling the absolute truth would somehow bring consequences. Even the kindest, most sincere person eventually faces a moment when truth feels inconvenient, relative, or secondary.
I had an epiphany of sorts while getting a 3D digital scan of my teeth for a dental device the other day. As my dentist adjusted the scanning probe, I glanced at the monitor and saw a perfect digital replica of my teeth, down to the last detail. Unlike at a typical medical appointment, I realized I couldn’t fake anything or hide part of the profile. The scan captured everything.
In that moment, I realized, “It is what it is.”
As an American who has only traveled abroad a few times for vacations, I admit I’ve rarely seen the deeper realities of life in other parts of the world. It’s easy to assume, through our own cultural lens, that all societies are fundamentally the same. But the truth is more complex. Cultural values and norms vary greatly. What may seem unthinkable in one culture might be tolerated or even celebrated in another.
For example, moral boundaries around justice and personal conduct shift dramatically between societies. In some places, things we consider criminal, like corruption or violence, are overlooked or even justified. Likewise, what defines a “good person” often depends on who you ask and where you are.
But if you’re a Christian, you know that goodness isn’t just about cultural expectations or moral behavior. It’s about our relationship with God. Scripture teaches that our standing before God isn’t based on how “good” we appear to others, but on our faith, obedience, and worship of Him. As Isaiah 64:6 says, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags,” reminding us that even our best efforts, apart from God, fall short of His holiness.
Many people believe that being a “good person” matters most to God. However, Scripture teaches that our standing before Him is not based on our deeds but on something more absolute—His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Consider two individuals: one is a devoted family member, respected in the community, active in church, and morally upright; the other has a troubled past marked by addiction, broken relationships, and even imprisonment. From a human perspective, these two seem worlds apart. But in God’s eyes, both are equally in need of salvation. Why? Because God’s judgment is based on His perfect righteousness, not our relative goodness. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What ultimately matters is whether one trusts in Christ, not how their life compares to others.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1–3
Nothing is more absolute than the opening words: “In the beginning, God.” The story of everything doesn’t begin with us or with chaos—it begins with Him. Genesis 1:1 makes the first absolute truth claim: before time, space, or matter existed, God already was.
The apostle John echoes this in his Gospel, using the Greek word Logos (λόγος) to describe Jesus in John 1:1. It’s a profound affirmation of Christ’s divine and eternal nature. These verses remind us: the world is not random or accidental. It exists because God willed it. Everything that flows from Him carries the weight of His unchanging truth.
Even in the darkness, the Spirit of God is present, hovering over the waters, moving not away from disorder, but toward it. He brings beauty and structure out of chaos. Then, with a single sentence, “Let there be light,” God speaks, and light breaks through. His Word doesn’t just describe reality—it defines and creates it. When God speaks, truth is established: absolute, justified, and righteous.
Dallas Willard wrote, “Belief is relative, as are our perceptions, but truth is not.” Belief is what we hold to be true, shaped by our experiences, upbringing, emotions, and understanding. Because of this, belief often varies from person to person and culture to culture. Perceptions, how we interpret what we observe, follow the same path. Both are deeply flawed because both are relative. But truth is not.
The Gospel makes this clear: just because I believe something doesn’t make it true, and just because I perceive something a certain way doesn’t mean it is that way. God’s Word stands above all, unchanging, eternal, and universally true. It cuts through the noise of opinion, transcends cultural bias, and confronts the limits of our understanding.
Consider this: when I stand on the shore and look out at the ocean, the horizon appears flat. Some, relying only on that perception, have even concluded the Earth is flat. But from 35,000 feet in the air, the curvature of the Earth is undeniable. Our perspective changes, but the truth never does.
“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay…”
Romans 8:20–21
Paul wrote to encourage followers of Jesus to endure “present sufferings” by lifting their eyes to the glory and freedom that await. In Romans 8, he connects human pain to a much larger story, one in which even creation itself is subjected to “bondage to decay.” This echoes the Fall in Genesis, where not only humanity, but the entire created order began to unravel. The universe, marred by sin, is moving toward disorder—but this is not the end of the story.
There is both a personal and cosmic application here. As believers, this truth reshapes how we see our own lives and families, as well as how we understand the future of our world, our galaxy, and even the entire universe.
Through Paul, God reveals that the physical world isn’t as it was meant to be. Like a creation groaning in labor, the world longs for renewal, just as we do. This passage reframes suffering and entropy as signs of something greater coming, not the end, but the beginning of a redeemed creation. This hope isn’t built merely on faith, but on the unshakable promises of God.
Most astrophysicists agree that the universe is gradually losing energy and breaking down, an effect explained by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This law states that entropy, or disorder, increases over time in a closed system. As energy spreads out, it becomes less usable. Applied to the cosmos, it means the universe is winding down: stars burn out, systems collapse, and usable energy grows scarce.
Regardless of the Big Bang debate, observations show galaxies drifting apart due to cosmic expansion, isolating energy and accelerating decay. Both science and Scripture agree: the universe, in its current form, won’t last forever. We may seek truth in science, politics, nature, or the stars, but none are eternal. The universe may outlast us, but it will not outlast its Creator.
When I was a kid, Pluto was the ninth planet. In 2006, it was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” because it doesn’t clear its orbital path. Now it’s called a “plutoid,” a Kuiper Belt Object, and sometimes a Trans-Neptunian Object. The way we define Pluto has changed over time. Who knows what we’ll discover next about this icy world 3.7 billion miles away?
The truth about Pluto keeps changing. But absolute truth—God’s truth—doesn’t.
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate.
John 18:37–38
“What is truth?” On the surface, it sounds like a sincere philosophical question. But most scholars believe Pilate’s tone was skeptical, even dismissive—especially since he didn’t wait for an answer. Perhaps he was challenging Jesus’ claims, suggesting that truth is relative or unknowable.
The irony is staggering: Pilate asked, “What is truth?” while standing face to face with the Truth incarnate. It’s as if the sun were shining directly on him, lighting everything around him, and he sarcastically asked, “Where’s the light?” Pilate stood in the presence of Jesus, the embodiment of divine truth, yet remained blind, whether by cynicism, fear, or spiritual darkness. Closed hearts often confuse absolute truth with personal perception.
My friend (B) explained that absolute truth, in a single word, is “God.” She explained, “What it means to me is complete openness and obedience. All in. Perfection.”
Lies are like shadows at sunset. They start small and easy to ignore, but they stretch longer the further you go. At first, a lie might seem manageable, even harmless. But over time, it grows, expanding behind you, following every step. No matter how fast you move, the truth keeps pace. And when the light finally fades, the shadow catches up—and what was hidden is revealed.
Mark Twain put it well: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
God isn’t interested in hollow religion or empty rituals. He loves us too much for that. The only truly permanent thing in existence isn’t our careers, families, or even the universe—it’s Him. That’s why we place our trust not in opinions or shifting perceptions, but in the Word of the One who “was in the beginning.” (John 1:1)
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen—not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
—C.S. Lewis, Is Theology Poetry?
- Key Application:
When we accept that God’s truth is the foundation of reality, not our feelings, culture, or circumstances, we should abandon shaping our identity by comparison, performance, or public opinion and root it in the unchanging truth that we were made in God’s image. - When God speaks, things happen. “Let there be light,” and there was light, shows that God’s Word defines what is real, not human perception. Commit to aligning your thoughts, choices, and beliefs with what God has revealed in Scripture. Trust that His Word still brings light to chaos (Psalm 119:105) and clarity to confusion. Pray on this boldly and confidently.