“Election madness” is well on its way. The media has been quite busy covering all the activity of the political hopefuls. In the ongoing primaries so many claims have been made concerning oneself or one’s opponents. Of course, it’s not just the politicians but also their supporters who engage in this process. And it all can be pretty overwhelming.
A recent issue of Christianity Today offers help for interested readers by pointing to resources “at your fingertips” for checking the factuality and accuracy of claims made. Of course, not all of these resources are limited to political claims. Many also provide verification for claims made or assertions disseminated in advertisements, emails, and other platforms. Three, in particular, are listed by the magazine as trustworthy: FactCheck.org, PolitiFact.com, and Snopes.com. One would do well to check the facts for oneself. And it is worth our while to consult reliable resources such as these. This is especially true when the claims made may have significant impact on life.
Of ultimate importance is the kind of claims that may have long-reaching significance … eternal consequences. For that, we have the most reliable resource in the Christian Scriptures. The truth of the gospel is always a firm foundation on which to build our lives. The first believers in Berea provide a model behavior to follow. When Paul first came to their city and preached the gospel, the book of Acts tells us: “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth” (Acts 17.11 NLT).
The gospel is not just about making us feel good. It is grounded in truth. Otherwise, it would not really be “good news” if its claims were nothing but empty promises and vicious lies. Indeed, Paul calls the gospel the “word of truth” (Ephesians 1.13; Colossians 1.10). It will stand up to any verification process that is properly done. That is why it is important for the church that claims to follow Christ to devote “themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2.42) and to make sure that those tasked to teach “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2.15 NIV). Then every believer will be adequately taught to obey everything that Christ commanded his people (Matthew 28.20).
–Keith Y. Jainga