They have told no lies; they are without blame. Revelation 14:5 NLT
This statement is made of the144,000 who have been redeemed and permitted to “sing the new song” in heaven. It is a remarkable statement and one that is of great significance. I suspect that it is not saying these people have never told a lie, but that their lives have come to be marked by a passionate devotion to truth.
What does that mean? “What is truth?,” in the famous words of the Roman procurator who has come to be immortalized in the Apostles’ Creed. “Truth” is simply reality. I am 5’10’ tall. That is true, and while I may make myself appear to be shorter by slouching, or taller by standing on tiptoe, I cannot change the truth.
So why would we not tell the truth about things? It is because reality stands over against us and calls us to account. And that account is not always favorable to us. So, we are tempted to lie, to try (futilely) to change reality. Years ago, I was the editor of a student newspaper. The editorial committee decided that we needed a new masthead and I agreed to find someone to do it. Well, I put it off, and the deadline came for giving it to the printer. So, I went ahead and made it up myself. I wasn’t very proud of the work. When I gave it to the printer – another student – he looked at it and said, “Who did this?” I was sure he was critical of it, so I lied! I gave him someone else’s name. As the day wore on, God and my conscience gave me no rest, so I had to go back and confess. It turns out, he had thought it was pretty good work! My lie had been totally unnecessary!
But when reality displays our failings and shortcomings all too clearly, how can we live with that? How can we come to the place where we don’t need to lie? It is when we come to know that God loves and accepts us for ourselves and not for our good performance. It is when we stand at the foot of the Cross and hear Jesus say, “Forgive him/her, he/she didn’t know what he/she was doing,” that we can face the reality about ourselves, and allow God to begin to reshape that reality for his best.
Called To Be Transformed 