Truth is truth, no matter who speaks it. Early in His ministry, Jesus faced intense opposition—not because what He said was false, but because the people could not accept that someone they looked down on could speak such profound truth. They had no real argument against His teachings; His background simply bothered them. Some doubted that a person like Jesus could be a vessel of truth (Mark 6:1–5), and as a result, He stopped preaching there. Nothing has changed to this day.
Sometimes we spend too much time worrying about those who reject the truth. The truth requires no argument. As Jesus said, His sheep hear His voice, meaning not everyone belongs to His flock (John 10:27). People who value truth cannot genuinely fight against it, while those who do not value it cannot accept it—and often fight bitterly against the person delivering it. Sharing the truth requires people who understand this reality and refuse to be discouraged by strong opposition.
Truth, representing what has always been, reveals itself for what it is, but it is embraced only by those who stand with it. The real challenge arises when those who hold the truth are questioned by people they have long considered close associates. Our world includes both truthful and untruthful people, and recognizing the difference helps us face these challenges without malice. There is no need to battle those who resist the truth or to try to force them to change.
Being truthful is not tied to race, tribe, religion, or any other label. Those who stand for the truth focus not on the person delivering it, but on the truth itself. Even my own son, wife, father, or close companions may not see the truth as clearly as I do. Sometimes, those who oppose the truth are the very people I share my life with—just as Jesus taught.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34–36, NIV)
Often, people reject the truth out of pride or fear. Pride can make someone ignore anything that challenges their beliefs, especially if it threatens their image or status. The truth can feel unsettling, so they avoid it or respond defensively when they have no counterargument. This is especially true of influential people in society—those regarded as trendsetters. They are not like those who simply follow the majority, relying on others’ influence and echoing whatever the trendsetters dictate.
Cowardice describes those who fear and follow the proud instead of thinking for themselves. They find comfort in agreeing with the crowd, often basing their beliefs on who delivers the message rather than on the message itself. This speaks to those who cling to the words of figures like scholars, not realizing that it is fear—masked as respect for authority—that holds them back. Trusting authority may be the simplest way to navigate life, but it often comes at the greatest cost. True knowledge comes from the source, through Jesus Christ.
As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13–14, most people take the easy road to destruction, while only a few choose the harder path to life. This happens largely because people place their heroes on a pedestal, valuing them above their own judgment. Pride is a dangerous trap, and even the most admired heroes can fall into it.
When someone reveals a truth, those lacking the courage to think for themselves may blindly pledge loyalty to the messenger, defending their hero no matter what. For those who embrace a truth that is universally accepted, life becomes easier and even exciting. However, they forget that the truth comes from one source: Jesus Christ.
Discovering the truth can be thrilling, but at first it often leaves people unsettled when it puts them in conflict with friends and family. Many struggle with this choice and decide to let go of the truth rather than risk those relationships. Jesus used the metaphor of “hating” one’s own relatives and even oneself to illustrate the high cost of standing by the truth (Luke 14:26–27).
Like Jesus, humans were never meant to truly belong to this world. The lyric “This world is not my home” captures that feeling perfectly for truthful people. Even something as simple as gravity reminds us that the world is designed to keep us grounded—and resisting it can be dangerous, much like going against what holds everything together.
The customs we grow up with are shaped by the world’s conditions, aligning with our animalistic instinct to survive. Life follows a familiar rhythm: birth, survival, aging, and death—a cycle mirrored even in the possessions we own. That shiny new car we love eventually reaches its peak before declining into decay and is eventually forgotten.
People follow the same path. No matter how attractive or admired someone may be, time brings decline and death—a fate no one escapes. This is the reality of the material universe, touching both the living and the lifeless. Every creature has its own pattern of survival; some live longer than others, but all share the same inevitable end.
When death comes, the body breaks down quickly, enriching the soil. To deal with the smell of dead animals, God created creatures like vultures and hyenas that feed on them, helping keep the environment balanced. Unaware of their origins, humans get caught up in the cycle of sustaining life’s temporary nature.
With creativity as a gift, people can use their short time to achieve remarkable things by human standards. This reality often leads to comparisons among humans, where some are seen as important and others as insignificant. Yet humanity’s real potential—created in God’s image—goes far beyond appearances.
Jesus told His disciples that even faith as small as a mustard seed could make anything possible, when aware that humans were made in God’s likeness. Such comparisons fuel the chaos and evil in the world, giving rise to pride. Born out of comparison, pride provides a false impression that some people are heroes while others should be dismissed, leading to racial or tribal prejudices.
Those born into families considered “successful” gain respect, while those from less privileged backgrounds are often undervalued. These situations can spark both pride and fear. Those linked to success often worry about slipping into the “unsuccessful” category, while those seen as unsuccessful may feel secure supporting the successful.
In life, voices tied to success are usually louder than those associated with failure, with the considered successful often viewed as authorities. People labeled as unsuccessful might find comfort in trusting those considered successful. Like a heavy train that can’t stop right away, the law of inertia, tied to this world, makes it hard to quickly shift from one belief to another. Once a certain view of reality is accepted as truth, it’s tough to change, as its momentum makes it feel almost unshakable.
People are shaped by their surroundings, which often keep old ideas alive even after new truths come to light. But those who are honest and perceptive can see past these limits; as Jesus said, they know His voice. A lie can stick around for years, and even when the real truth finally surfaces, many still struggle to let that lie go.
Those tied to the ways of the world often resist new truths, while those committed to truth face less pushback—though they still feel pressure from friends and family who prefer what is familiar. Pride is the biggest roadblock to fresh ideas, driven by constant comparisons among people, while fear grows from seeing others as better, leading to insecurity when someone challenges their hero. Some people are so devoted to their heroes that they’re willing to risk their lives for them.
Together, pride and fear are a combination that leads to failure. The basic truth is that all humans are equal. Failure to understand this makes it the only way the world’s problems remain, and solutions often come from those who are overlooked or dismissed. Jesus revealed that those who oppose the truth cannot support it, but to Pilate He said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37).
The truth remains: some accept it, while most do not—yet God loves them all. We must remember that humans are made in God’s image but live in a world steeped in pride, which draws in those inclined to conform to its ways. Worldly pleasures can be hard to resist, and for some, nothing feels more enticing than what this physical life offers here and now.
To them, losing these things would seem like the worst punishment. One way or another, it’s hard to deny that everyone eventually ends up losing everything they own. Because the Creator—a God of love—understands this pull, convincing them to let go of what they see as life’s ultimate goal is not easy. The real problem is their short-sightedness, as they overlook the temporary impact of the pleasures they chase.
It is intriguing how the human mind works, especially when considering what is described after Satan’s release from his thousand-year imprisonment (Revelation 20:7). Even after Jesus shows a life built on love and care for others, some will still see that way of living as uncomfortable and choose to rebel. They will ignore the long-term consequences of their choices and the lessons history taught before the millennium. While God is patient and tolerant toward sinful humanity, there comes a time when His grace must bring that chapter to a close.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16, NIV)
This passage shows God’s great patience with humanity, wanting no one to be misled by Satan since Adam’s time. Yet God remains firm in truth, rejecting lies, and those who cling to falsehood will ultimately share the fate of Satan, the great deceiver. Truth and lies were never meant to mix. Like a farmer planting seeds in hope of a good harvest, not every seed becomes good grain—some turn to chaff, destined for the fire.
Those who love the truth do not truly belong to this world. They may not discover the truth in their lifetime, but when it is revealed, they recognize it instantly, no matter who delivers it. Some may sense it but struggle to understand at first, eventually accepting it before they die. Others may need another life to fully grasp it, while the most stubborn may never face it before they perish.
When someone is baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they become a vessel for Jesus to work through, carrying His mission forward. Those who live in truth have nothing to fear in this world, for they hold the true essence of being God’s children. Opposition from the world only proves the significance of their calling.
For anyone searching for the truth, there is no reason to lose heart when encountering resistance, or when some turn away out of pride or fear. Jesus, who promised never to leave us as orphans, is always by their side. Though unseen, He lives within those who cling to the truth—often overlooked by the world, just as He was overlooked during His first coming and still is today. Those who are truthful but may never hear the gospel will have their opportunity on the Day of Judgment, as vividly described in Matthew 25:32–46 and Revelation 20:11–15.
What must concern God are those who, after hearing the gospel, remain undecided out of pride or fear. Some may know the truth but hesitate to give up the pleasures of this life. Others may understand it yet refuse to risk relationships with people they hold dear, not realizing how temporary this life really is. My prayer is that God grants them the courage to see that nothing in this world offers lasting value, as the gospel does.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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