To Tell the Truth

Are you old enough to remember the television show, “To Tell the Truth?” The show originally aired in 1956, and I watched it in the 70’s. (No, I didn’t watch it in the 50’s!)

The premise of the show revolved around a panel of judges whose goal was to determine which of three contestants was the central character. The occupation or experience of the contestant was read by the host, and each character introduced themselves with the same name. The panel asked a series of questions to the characters. The two imposters could lie, but the real character had sworn to tell the truth.

Let’s play a little spiritual “to tell the truth” based on the old game show. You are a contestant, along with two others, and your name is “Christian.” You are the central character who must tell the truth. The host reads your bio and experience, which includes: “Life was radically changed for Christian upon accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Old sins were turned away from, and a new life began. The way Christian spends his/her time and money completely shifted. They now spend time going to church, serving others, reading the Bible, praying, and even singing strange new songs.”

You’ve been introduced and now the questions begin. Remember, you must answer in truth.

“Did you lose any friends when you made this decision?” “What did you give up from your old life?” “How often do you attend church?” “Do you give generously and regularly to the church you attend?” “How are you serving God and others?” “Can you tell me what the Bible says about Jesus and how others can have their lives changed like yours?” “Do you still frequent the same places you did before the change in your life?” “How many people have you led to make the decision to become a Christian?”

The questioning is over, and now it’s time for the judges to determine who the real “Christian” is. Based on your truthful answers, will they pick you from the line of three?

No, we’re not perfect, and we never will be, but as believers our lives should be different from the world. Others should be able to look at our lives and say, “Yep, she’s a Christian,” or “Yep, he’s a Christian.”

Does your life reveal enough evidence to be chosen as the central character of, “To Tell the Truth?”

³ And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. ⁴ If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. ⁵ But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. ⁶ Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:3-6

Join the conversation below and share how your life has changed since becoming a follower of Christ. If you haven’t given your life to Christ, or your life hasn’t changed since you “said the prayer,” please contact me and let’s talk about it.

Next week, look for a follow-up to this post concerning what it might look like for us to tell the truth to others about who we really are. Scary, I know. But don’t miss next week’s post because we all need people in our lives we can “be real” with, just like the main character in my novel. She has lived a life of lies for over eight years and is faced with telling her truth to the people in her life. She struggles to take off her mask and reveal her secrets. A valuable lesson will be learned about seeking the approval of others based on lies and how transparency can set her free.

It can set us free, too.