²⁶ “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me …”

Our western culture values the market place of free speech and public debate. Hatred blinds the mind of the one who hates and suppresses the truth against all good conscience and fairness. Hatred cares not for what is right and good, and drives a person to reject the very One who created him. Hatred, extremely powerful, forceful and violent, doesn’t seek fair debate or discussion. It seeks to kill and destroy, as demonstrated in the execution of the Logos, the Truth of God (John 1:1, 14).

Mere human effort cannot stand before acrimonious, withering, bitter hatred, which is what the world ultimately heaps on the follower of Christ. If they hated Him, they will hate us. Now, we normally don’t see that “emotion” hanging on people’s sleeves, but it breaks out from time to time – more so in heavily persecuted areas. But make no mistake, the hatred runs deep below the respectable clothing of the religiously righteous, as is about to become so clearly evident in the Jewish leaders’ trial and execution of Christ. Their hatred for the truth was focused on “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6), their only hope of salvation. For Jesus exposed their arrogance, pride and self-sufficiency—in short, their desire to be independent of God, the whole while giving Him lip service. Their only recourse was to suppress the Truth of God.

This suppression of truth began in the Garden of Eden when Satan, that fallen angel of light, distorted God’s word to Eve. Eve and then Adam fell to the lie, and they joined in the big cover up. Instead of welcoming the light of the world Who came down to walk in the garden “in the cool of the day” and have fellowship with them, they hid in the bushes and covered themselves with leaves. The hatred Satan had and still has for God bred the big Cover-Up that continues to suppress the truth to this very day.

This lie against the truth of God infiltrates all of life, because Adam’s sin passed to all his descendants, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” This lie affects not only our relationship with God, but also our relationship with each other, and, insidiously, our relationship with ourselves. Indeed, we struggle with self-deception, ever believing the lie about ourselves, that we are the center of the universe and fully capable of self-determination. This onslaught of the false can only be countered with the overwhelming help of the Trinity of God, Father, Son and Spirit—all working in perfect harmony to advance successfully the truth of God.

Lord, help me always embrace Your truth and not the lies of this world.