Is truth relative?

As Mark has been going through John in his Sunday sermons, some pretty tough topics have come up. One was this past Sunday regarding truth. If I asked you what 2+2 equals and you happened to say 7, would that be true? Our society might say, "Well, it is true for you, just not for me". Or, "That's just their truth. Everyone has their own truth". I say bologna. :) Let me explain.

There is only one truth. Dictionary.com defines truth as "the true or actual state of a matter, conformity with fact or reality, or a verified fact, proposition, principle, or the like." There simply cannot be multiple truths in this world. There can be misconceptions of truth, and different beliefs of what truth is, but only one truth. I am sorry, but just because you believe it is true does not make it true. Might sound hard, but it's the truth. ;)

John 17:17 says "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." In John 1:1 the Bible is clear who is the Word "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." In case you didn't catch that, he is speaking of Jesus. John 14:6 makes it undeniable when Jesus Himself says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." These are just a few of the verses that point to Jesus being the truth and the Word of God being that truth for us to read, learn, and obey. So, how can you prove this you might ask?

First, let me be clear. I know I cannot make you consider this. No matter how many facts, statistics, etc. I provide, I cannot force you to believe. Only God can open your heart to understand the truth of His word. Only God can soften the hardened pieces of you that are so closed off to His love and grace due to the hypocritical lives of those that call themselves Christians. I wish I could make every person who is a believer act like a believer, but I can't. I fail at this every day. We all do. However, one thing you can stand on regardless of how those around you might fail, is that God never will and His word is truth.

Society will say that the Bible was written by man and not God. The Bible actually says In 2 Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." He has given us everything we need to live a life full of joy that honors and glorifies Him. Yes He used man to write His words, but they are His words. We cannot look outside of the Bible to determine that the Bible is truth. That might be hard to comprehend, but if we go to an outside source, we are therefore making that source the authority or truth over the Bible. The books and words in the Bible are there because they are God's words and they are God's words because they are in the Bible.

So what does the Bible being the only truth have to do with our daily lives? Basically everything. I am serious. Any problem, situation, or difficult predicament you face can be solved with the Word of God. Any struggle or need for clarity can be illuminated through scripture. How we are to act, love, serve, forgive, discipline, grow, etc. can be found in its pages. God has given us everything we need. When society tells us we should act/believe a certain way that contradicts with what the Bible says, we can rest on the knowledge that we know the truth regardless of what they might say. It can be difficult when the world screams at us that we are discriminating or judging them. How we handle that is key and often where we fail the most. We are to love people. All people. And part of loving them is speaking the truth.

Christian, you have the truth. The one and only truth. Use it. That means, you have to study it to know what it says. :) Believe it wholeheartedly even when you might not fully understand. For those who might not be believers in Jesus, do your research. The Bible can defend itself. Isaiah 55:11 says "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Do not look to Christians to validate the truth of God's word. We are a flawed and sinful people. It will be a shame to miss the eternal salvation that comes only through Jesus because you weren't looking at Jesus, but rather were looking at man. He and He alone is truth. Let that truth guide you. I love you all. Till next time.

Worship with me!