John 18:36-38 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”37“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”“What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
How would you answer this important question? Do you think you should? Does it matter?
Which one is truth more like? Is it like a RUBBER BAND? Does truth stretch and bend with the times? Or is truth more like a ROCK? Is it absolute and unbreakable?
Do you know?
I believe the question “What is truth” is not one of those “there are no right or wrong answers” things. I want you to believe in the doctrine of absolute truth, and I would like to give you three compelling reasons to believe in absolute truth.
Absolute truth is defined in the CHARACTER of God
Now any discussion of truth has to begin with definitions. How many times have you talked with someone and said or heard, “it depends on how you define it.”
The reason why there are so many “definitions” of words these days is because of the influence of the secular humanist worldview. According to humanism, we don’t need a book we call a dictionary (by the way, my dictionary has 6 different meanings for the word truth) because all of us are walking dictionaries, able to define words as we like for our own purposes.
Truth is one of those crucial words that has been completely redefined, so in this defense of a doctrine of absolute truth, I had better define what absolute truth is, right?
But if I did that, someone would say, “but that’s your definition of absolute truth, not mine, so I’m not going to accept your definition!” OK, let’s play it his way. Let’s come up with a definition of absolute truth that satisfies even the harshest of skeptics.
If we are going to define it like that, obviously it has to be totally objective – since he doesn’t like my definition and I don’t like his, absolute truth has to be outside of our personal feelings or opinions on the matter. In fact if any person defines absolute truth, then it fails to be completely objective. Every person has some kind of “bias.” This is why the people who claim to be completely “objective” and “unbiased” (like the news media, politicians, university professors, and people who are trying to sell you something) in fact are not. Absolute truth is OBJECTIVE.
Not only does it have to be objective, but also it has to apply to every human there ever was or ever will be. It has to apply to every person in every situation whether you are hiking with pygmies in Africa or sitting in an office building in downtown St. Louis. Absolute truth would demand a universal standard. How many times have I heard some kid say, usually in a whisper, “Oooh, you shouldn’t lie in church.” Absolute truth means that you shouldn’t lie in church or on the golf course or anywhere. Absolute truth is UNIVERSAL.
So this is a fairly high standard already, but let’s step it up another level – not only does absolute truth have to be totally objective, and 100% universal, but it also has to be completely constant. It has to be unchanging, not wavering or cowering in the moment, but as true and right today as it was 10,000 years ago. It has to be as true and right today as it will be 10,000 years from now. It can never, whether in past or future, be different. Absolute truth is CONSTANT.
Does anything fit the bill?
Now a skeptic may agree to this definition of what absolute truth is, but he would probably say, “according to that definition, absolute truth cannot exist because nothing can be totally objective, universal, and constant.” Is that really the case? Well, in fact, there is nothing in our human (or natural) experience that fits the bill. That leaves us with only one possibility, and that is the “super” natural. Only a SUPERNATURAL being could be totally objective, universal, and constant. Absolute truth is defined in the character of God.
Now we are going to examine what the Bible says about this in a minute, but outside of the Bible, is there any EVIDENCE that there is an objective, universal, and constant God? Does anything that we know to be real correspond with that idea? I can think of several things.
The evidence of the EXISTENCE OF LIFE: People have been arguing about how life, the universe, and everything have come into being for thousands of years, yet only one answer satisfies every question. Even though people may not choose to accept it or believe it, only an objective, universal, and constant Person could have caused all the intricate detail of the universe. Every other theory is faulty.
What is the number one competing theory with intelligent design? There are several theories, but the top competitor would probably be random chance. How many statistics do we need to show us that random chance is a sorry solution? Here’s an experiment you can do with the kids at home. Take a thousand monkeys and set them up in a room with typewriters. Leave them there until every one of them bangs on the typewriters enough to come up with the works of Shakespeare. Random chance doesn’t cut it.
The evidence of the HUMAN CONSCIENCE? Humanist scientists say that morality evolved from our communal existence as primates (all that time trying to type up some Shakespeare). Every culture of history has had some sense of right and wrong. Why? Only one answer logically satisfies the question. Even though people may not choose to accept it or believe it, only an objective, universal, and constant Person could have designed the human brain to have an innate sense of love and morality. Every other theory is faulty.
The Bible says in Romans that creation and conscience show people the nature and character of God.
Romans 1:18-20 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Absolute truth is bound tightly with the nature and character of God, and if you deny absolute truth, you are denying whom God truly is. But how do we know who God truly is?
Absolute truth is revealed in the WORD of God
Did you see the movie “A Few Good Men?” It was about the trial of some Marines who had unwittingly killed a fellow Marine during training. Do you remember the end where the prosecutor is making accusations against the general and finally demands, “I want the truth!?“ What did the general say in response? “You can’t handle the truth!”
Do you think that Pilate really wanted an answer when he asked his famous question? Do you think he really wanted to know? In fact it says that he didn’t wait around for an answer. Do you think he could handle the truth?
Can anyone handle the fact that God is objective, universal, and constant? Can we handle the fact that God’s character demands that we are accountable to Him? Apparently God thought we could handle absolute truth, because he revealed it to us in His Word.
We have been given “GENERAL Revelation,” which is creation and conscience. But He didn’t stop there. He gave us “SPECIAL Revelation” in two ways. God gave us the written Word, which is the Bible, and he has given us the Living Word, who is Jesus. Absolute truth is revealed in the Word of God
God did not just say it in His written Word, He did it in the real historical person of Jesus. Does the Bible claim absolute truth about God, or about the Bible itself? Did Jesus claim to be the Word of God? Did He claim to speak absolute truth?
Well, I can confidently say, “absolutely.” Here are some of the Scriptures that make these claims:
GOD:
Ø 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Ø Titus 1:2 2a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
Ø 1 Samuel 15:29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”
Ø James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
THE BIBLE ITSELF:
Ø John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Ø 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
Ø 1 Peter 1:23-25 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,25but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.
Ø 2 Peter 1:20-21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
JESUS:
Ø “I tell you the truth” or “AMEN” – 31 times in Matthew, 26 times in John
Ø Revelation 3:14 These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
Ø John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
Ø John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
When the Living Word – the “Logos” became flesh (John 1:14) and proclaimed this absolute truth in his teaching, Jesus made an absolutely stunning, mind-boggling claim. He said that he was the way, the truth, and the life. He didn’t say He was one of several ways to God, He said he was the ONLY way to God.
Now here’s the rub. If Jesus claimed to be the ONLY way, then one of two things is possible. Either Jesus was a liar (and so is God and the Bible) or He was speaking absolute truth. Which is it? It can’t be both. You can’t say both are true.
Let that sink in for a minute. If Jesus was a liar, then there is no absolute truth. If Jesus was a liar then people can legitimately say, “Truth is not objective, so I can decide what’s true. Truth is not universal, so it is different in different situations. Truth is not constant, so it changes with the times.” When you deny absolute truth, you deny the truth of the Word of God. You can’t have something be both hot and cold at the same time in the same place. Truth and lies cannot coexist!
Now let’s get personal. This isn’t just about some kind of deep philosophical debate that bleary eyed university eggheads enjoy. What do you believe? Do you believe Jesus lied about absolute truth? Do you have any evidence to support that? Or do you believe that Jesus spoke and lived absolute truth? I would suggest to you that there is more than enough evidence to support the truth of God’s Word.
A long time ago, a young farm boy traveled to the city for the first time. As the boy walked with his father down the unpaved main street, he heard a loud clang ... clang ... clang.
"What's that?" he asked his father.
His father said, "Come, I'll show you," and took the boy to the door of the blacksmith's shop. There the boy saw a huge man lifting a big, heavy hammer high in the air, as if to chop down a tree, and then crashing it down on a glowing piece of metal on top of the anvil. The man hit the anvil so hard that it made the boy wince. The boy's father explained to him that the blacksmith made all kinds of metal pieces for wagons, carriages, plows, and tools.
But the little boy was fixed on two things: the heavy hammer and the great metal anvil. They met each other with such a loud sound and with such force that the boy thought surely the anvil could not last long. The big, strong blacksmith paused for a moment to catch his breath, and saw the boy standing in the doorway.
"Aren't you going to break that thing?" the boy asked, pointing at the anvil.
The blacksmith smiled and said, "This anvil is a hundred years old and has worn out many hammers."
Likewise, God’s Word is an anvil that has worn out a thousand hammers. In every generation, new heavy "hammers" are forged against the truth of the Bible. Strong men and women use these hammers to pound on the Scriptures. People with no historical perspective--like little boys who've never been to town--see it and say, "Surely the Bible will be destroyed." But others who know their history a little better say, "This Bible was forged in the furnace of absolute divine truth and has worn out many hammers."
Well, the question that needs to be asked here is “why should we care?” Does the fact that absolute truth is defined in the character of God mean anything to me? Does the fact that Absolute truth is revealed in the Word of God have any application to my life?
Again, I say confidently, “absolutely.”
Absolute truth is applied in the children of God
How do you know the difference between truth and a counterfeit? You know the truth so well that the counterfeits are obvious. When you don’t know or don’t care about truth, you open yourself to the next available counterfeit.
When Dorothy Livingston, opened an account at the First National Bank in Newport, Penn., the teller wasn't at all suspicious, even though the opening deposit was $1 million. Even though the deposit was made in cash. Even though it was made with a single $1 million bill. Even though there is no such thing as a $1 million bill -- the largest U.S.-dollar bill in common circulation is the $100 bill. After the account was open, Livingston allegedly withdrew some of the balance and transferred some to other accounts.
My question about this is not how did this lady print up such great funny money, but why didn’t the bank teller know that there is no such thing as a million dollar bill? And who trained this bank teller? I have no doubt that the powers of this dark world are going to come up with lies, phonies, counterfeits, and half-truths. The Bible says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light – tricking and deceiving people. The real question is why do Christians believe these things? I think it is because they have not believed the first thing, and that is absolute truth. Absolute truth is applied in the children of God.
There is a big difference between interpretation and application. Let’s say you walk into a Bible study and you read a passage of Scripture. The Bible study leader then opens the discussion with a question, “what does that Scripture mean to you,” Is that a good question? Many people would say that it is. When the Word of God says something, how many meanings, or interpretations should it have? It only has one meaning. It only has the AUTHOR’S INTENDED MEANING (the AIM).
It really doesn’t matter what you or I think the Scripture means. It only matters what the Author meant to say. Who is the Author? The One who is Absolute Truth: eternal, immortal, who does not lie, who is the ONLY way, truth and life.
What if the Bible study leader said, “how does this Scripture text apply to your life?” Is that a good question? Of course it is, because it does not seek to change the meaning of the Word of God, but seeks a response in the individual. “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the Life” only has one meaning - Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God. It could have many applications – in your marriage, how you talk to your co –workers, how you manage your money, etc.
Absolute truth is applied in the children of God because God didn’t give us his Word so we could have a useless museum RELIC to sit on our dusty shelves. He wants us to LIVE it.
There was a university professor from Canada who tried to get out of a ticket for running a stop sign. What was his excuse? He said the stop sign was too “vague.” If four drivers ask, “what does “stop” mean to me?” when they all arrive at a four way stop, the result could be a disaster. It will also be a disaster if the drivers understand the correct meaning of the stop sign, but refuse to apply it.
If the sign says “No Parking” it means no parking, because the results could be a disaster. You probably ought to apply the Author’s Intended Meaning of “No Parking.” If the Word of God says that something is wrong and we shouldn’t do it, then that’s what it means. It doesn’t matter if we don’t like it. Whether we like it or not won’t change the meaning and the absolute truth behind the meaning. God’s Word is a Rock, not a rubber band.
Perhaps one of the greatest lies around today is that if it feels good and makes you comfortable, it is true. “If you believe or feel that it’s true, then it is.” Truth has nothing to do with how we feel about it.
I know this doesn’t work, because I like to go fishing. Now people like me who like to fish are hopeless optimists. When I go fishing I “believe” that I’m going to catch a fish, and not just any fish, but the biggest fish in the pond. My belief in my ability to catch fish, as intense and misguided as it may be, certainly doesn’t make a trout swallow the hook.
Let me put it another way. Imagine a battleship on the ocean on a dark, foggy night. The ship’s captain sees a light ahead, and at the same time he gets a call on the radio. The voice on the other end says, “change your course.” The ship’s captain doesn’t want to change his course so he barks back in reply, “no, you change your course.” This goes back and forth for a few minutes till finally the captain is so fed up that he yells in the radio “change your course! I am a battleship!” Listen to the reply. The radio squawked to life and the captain heard these words: “I am not going to change my course, I am a lighthouse.”
Absolute truth does not adjust, does not change, and does not bend with the times or the winds of cultural whims. Truth does not adjust to us. We adjust to truth. What happens if we don’t adjust our lives to God’s truth? What would happen to the battleship if it did not change its course? If you deny absolute truth, you deny the necessity of obedience, and that is a very dangerous, disastrous place to be.
CONCLUSION:
My biggest fear for Christianity in these postmodern days is not attacks from the outside. Jesus told us to expect those – indeed many hammers have been broken on the anvil of God’s Word. My fear is that Christians will crumble on the inside, and that we will replace moral absolutes with moral relativism.
Guess what? It has already happened. According to researcher George Barna, only one out of THREE Christian adults believe in moral absolutes. And here is the really frightening part: only one out of TEN Christian teenagers believe in moral absolutes.
If you deny absolute truth, you deny the character of God, the Word of God (Jesus and the Bible), and the need for obedience to God, and that is eternally deadly. When push comes to shove, at the end of the day, when a crush of culture says that divorce is OK and God says it’s wrong – I’m going with God. When the American Association of Pediatrics, and Rosie O’Donnell say that homosexuality is OK and God’s Word says it’s wrong – I’m going to stick with God’s absolute truth.
If ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, TNN, TBN, the CIA, the FCC, the FFA, & the IRS all say it’s right; if Antarticans, Americans, Africans, & republicans all say it’s right; if technocrats, democrats, & bureaucrats all say it’s right; if, rock stars, talk stars, & jock stars all say it’s right; if, computer geeks, oil sheiks, & Oprah freaks all say it’s right; if presidents, principalities, powers, princes, paupers, papers, and people for the ethical treatment of penquins all say it’s right; and God’s Word says it’s wrong, I’m going with God every time.
Why? I believe in God's absolute truth. Romans 3:4 says Let God be true, and every man a liar.
No comments:
Post a Comment