I had a simple goal – to determine if the man lying in the street was dead or alive. I first called to him to see if he would respond to my voice, but there was no reply. I quickly moved ahead in search of a second sign of life…was he breathing? I examined his body to see if his chest was rising and falling with the subsequent inhaling and exhaling of air. There was no movement. Sadly, he had failed the second test of possessing a genuine sign of life. He had quit breathing.

The discussion of breath is not always a topic of worry and fear. Often, it is the subject of an exciting event…the birth of a child. On the "joy meter" of life, a baby’s introduction into this world has very few rivals. There is one moment in particular that everyone anticipates. It is the moment that the baby takes his/her first breath. The first breath marks the beginning of independent existence. The mile-marker of life starts when the newborn emerges from his/her mother and gasps for air. The lungs become filled with this newfound necessity. And, this vital activity of breathing continues until the moment that a person "breathes his last breath" (Genesis 25:8).

In many ways, the spiritual life parallels the physical life in regards to breathing. Just as the receiving of air marks the beginning of physical life and continues to be an ongoing necessity, so also the receiving of truth (the Gospel) marks the beginning of spiritual life and continues to be an ongoing necessity. The new birth takes place at the exact moment when the soul draws in the truth of the Gospel and begins to depend upon it. James captures this idea perfectly when he says, "Of his [God’s] own will he brought us forth by the word of truth" (Jas 1:18). As Christians, our souls were birthed by inhaling the truth of the Gospel. Therefore, truth really is the life air of the soul. Jesus summarized this fact in Mathew 4:4 by saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

But, what exactly is this truth that brings life to the soul? Where does this truth come from? And, most importantly, how can a person tell if he/she has it? These will be the three questions I hope to answer in this article.

First, what exactly is this truth that brings life to the soul? Because God is true, Scripture speaks of anything emanating from God as truth. For example:

But, specifically, believing the truth about Christ’s life, sacrificial death, and resurrection from the grave is what makes the human soul alive. 1 Peter 1:22-23 says, "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth… you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." Thus, it is the obedience to the Gospel call of Jesus Christ that awakens the soul. As John 8:32 proclaims, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Secondly, what is the source of ultimate truth? The unbelieving world often looks for truth in two primary places – themselves and society. To look for truth within oneself is to search for truth by personal conviction. The problem with this approach is that there is no standard measure for one’s convictions. Wholeheartedly believing something to be true does not make it truth. A Buddhist is convinced that his truth is right; but so also are the Jew and Muslim. The Bible is clear that a person’s internal convictions about what is right/true should not be followed blindly. Proverbs 14:12 warns, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

The unbelieving world also turns to society as a source of truth. This is searching for truth by consensus. It is similar to looking internally, only it seeks verification and further ideas from other fallible humans. This approach claims that an agreement by a large populace of society determines that something is true. The problem is that the world (and its approach to life) is driven by the falsehood of Satan. John 8:44 describes it this way, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him."

So, God is straightforward about the fact that truth is not found in self or society. Rather, truth is established by the very words of God and preserved for us in Scripture. Consider the following passages:

Finally, how can a person tell if he/she possesses truth? Again, we turn to Scripture to answer this question. The Scriptures give a number of ways that a person can confirm if his/her soul is breathing truth:

In short, a person born of the Spirit of truth is a person who is walking in the truth of the Gospel (2 Jn 4). The truths of Scripture are repeatedly inhaled into their affections and exhaled through their actions. They live what they believe! In Real Christianity, William Wilberforce said it this way, "It signifies little what a man professes; look to his practice."

So, parents, how can you know if your teenager is alive to Christ? Well, are they breathing (practicing) truth? Are they inhaling the "life air" of Scripture; or are they inhaling the poisonous errors from the world’s tailpipe? Does your teenager go to God in Scripture to seek direction on how to govern and counsel their life? Do they love the truth of the gospel and strive to be obedient to the commands of Christ? If not, then parents please don’t stop evangelizing your teen with the grace and love of Jesus Christ!