THE WALK
PART 13

THE WALK OF TRUTH III

How can we pursue truth without comprehending that it is not left up to human ability alone to know what it is? Selah. When man believes he can disregard the wisdom of God he has already missed his destiny. How can we find absolute truth without first finding the only one who IS absolute truth? Those who do not believe that God and His Word is infinite, divine, the ultimate authority, never failing and the highest supernatural wisdom in the universe will never know the spiritual reality of truth! “But without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him: for He that comes to God MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently SEEK HIM.” (Hebrews 11:6) God’s treasure map is given to all who believe that He is who He say’s He is – it is our responsibility to use the shovel. Man can do many things to enhance his chances to discern truth but we cannot substitute intelligence or imagination for listening to the Holy Spirit. Even those that have the Holy Spirit can experience error if they allow carnality to cloud and distort their thinking. God will not force His truth upon anyone because it is a “seeker” gift similar to developing a personal relationship with Him. God seeks man first as our faith comes by hearing God’s Word (which is God’s love reaching out to us) – but revelation comes through our faith by SEEKING God’s Word (which is our love reaching out to God). Selah. Those who diligently obey the Lord and surrender their will to His will profess to the Lord, “not my will but THY will be done”. But for those who reject God’s Word and build their house (life) on the sands of flesh, the Lord will respond, “not MY will but thy will be done” as He allows them to choose their own destiny. He is not pleased with anything that is not saturated in faith because that is the spiritual principal He moves through. Man can boast of his human ability but the author of truth is never impressed with diplomas, awards, medals or trophies? He desires our heart.

Listen to these modern worldviews concerning the differences in God’s truth and social opinion. “Moral relativism is more easily understood in comparison to moral absolutism. Absolutism claims that morality relies on universal principles (natural law, conscience). Christian absolutists believe that God is the ultimate source of our common morality, and that it is, therefore, as unchanging as He is. Moral relativism asserts that morality is not based on any absolute standard. Rather, ethical “truths” depend on variables such as the situation, culture, one’s feelings, etc. Several things can be said of the arguments for moral relativism which demonstrate their dubious nature. First, while many of the arguments used in the attempt to support relativism might sound good at first, there is a logical contradiction inherent in all of them because they all propose the “right” moral scheme—the one we all SHOULD follow. But this in itself is absolutism. Second, even so-called relativists reject relativism in most cases. They would not say that a murderer or rapist is free from guilt so long as he did not violate his own standards. Relativists may argue that different values among different cultures show that morals are relative to different people. But this argument confuses the actions of individuals (what they do) with absolute standards (whether they should do it). If culture determines right and wrong, how could we have judged the Nazis? After all, they were only following their culture’s morality. Only if murder is universally wrong were the Nazis wrong. The fact that they had “their morality” does not change that. Further, although many people have different practices of morality, they still share a common morality. For instance, abortionists and anti-abortionists agree that murder is wrong, but they disagree on whether abortion is murder. So, even here, absolute universal morality is shown to be true.

Some claim that changing situations make for changing morality—in different situations different acts are called for that might not be right in other situations. But there are three things by which we must judge an act: the situation, the act, and the intention. For example, we can convict someone of attempted murder (intent) even if they fail (act). So situations are part of the moral decision, for they set the context for choosing the specific moral act (the application of universal principles).

The main argument relativists appeal to is that of tolerance. They claim that telling someone their morality is wrong is intolerant, and relativism tolerates all views. But this is misleading. First of all, evil should never be tolerated. Should we tolerate a rapist’s view that women and children are objects of gratification to be abused? Second, it is self-defeating because relativists do not tolerate intolerance or absolutism. Third, relativism cannot explain why anyone should be tolerant in the first place. The very fact that we should tolerate people (even when we disagree) is based on the absolute moral rule that we should always treat people fairly—but that is absolutism again! In fact, without universal moral principles there can be no goodness. The fact is that all people are born with a conscience, and we all instinctively know when we have been wronged or when we have wronged others. We act as though we expect others to recognize this as well. Even as children we knew the difference between “fair” and “unfair.” It takes bad philosophy to convince us that we are wrong (for believing that God is right) and that moral relativism is true”.

Is there anything that could cause you to abandon your convictions? There have been many brave soldiers since the beginning of time to walk out on a battlefield and declare to heaven and earth, that they are willing to die for what they know to be true. Having faith in a false god or a false belief system does not earn favor with THE GOD of the heaven and earth. Sincerity does not earn special credit because His perfection would never allow Him to bend His own character of absolute truth which in the end will expose many who were SINCERELY wrong. I am not saying that He requires us to be perfect in order to inherit heaven because no one has it all correct. “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (I Corinthians 13:12) But, I believe that knowing truth makes a huge difference in us receiving the abundant life on earth that God wants us to have. It is our love for Him and our personal relationship with Him that is our highest purpose! We can study and learn His truth gradually as we dedicate our attention to learning directly from Him. There is a huge difference between possessing the knowledge of it and rightly dividing (interpreting) it! We can memorize information but His truth is more than just words on a page. “For the Word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

A “worldview” refers to a comprehensive conception of the world from a specific standpoint. A “Christian worldview,” then, is a comprehensive conception of the world from a Christian standpoint. An individual’s worldview is his “big picture,” a harmony of all his beliefs about the world. It is his way of understanding reality. One’s worldview is the basis for making daily decisions and is therefore extremely important.

An apple sitting on a table is seen by several people. A botanist looking at the apple classifies it. An artist sees a still-life and draws it. A grocer sees an asset and inventories it. A child sees lunch and eats it. How we look at any situation is influenced by how we look at the world at large. Every worldview, Christian and non-Christian, deals with at least these three questions:

1) Where did we come from and why are we here?
2) What is wrong with the world?
3) How can we fix it?

A prevalent worldview today is naturalism, which answers these three questions like this: 1) we are the product of random acts of nature with no real purpose. 2) We do not respect nature as we should. 3) We can save the world through ecology and conservation. A naturalistic worldview generates many related philosophies such as moral relativism, existentialism, pragmatism, and utopianism. A Christian worldview, on the other hand, answers the three questions biblically: 1) We are God’s creation, designed to govern the world and fellowship with Him (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:15). 2) We sinned against God and subjected the whole world to a curse (Genesis 3). 3) God Himself has redeemed the world through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:15; Luke 19:10), and will one day restore creation to its former perfect state (Isaiah 65:17-25). A Christian worldview leads us to believe in moral absolutes, miracles, human dignity, and the possibility of redemption.

True Christianity is more than a set of ideas to use at church. Christianity as taught in the Bible is itself a worldview that is a foundation for a lifestyle. The Bible never distinguishes between a “religious” and a “secular” life; the Christian life is the ONLY divine reality while the default life is automatic in the absence of God. Jesus proclaimed Himself “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and, in doing so, became the worldview of His disciples. True Christians are dogmatic because God is not tolerant of any other idol or view besides His own that tries to compete for His glory. He certainly is not humored with the “puppet” thinking that he is smarter than the one who made him. It is the same attitude that Lucifer had in heaven as pride blinds the eyes and hardens the heart from truth. God is not elected with popular or electoral votes! He is God. He created everything including the perfect way to think, believe, act and live. The standards of living are never up for debate because how could anyone sane ever question God? “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare (speak up) if you have understanding. Who calculated the measurements, do you know? Or who stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations fastened? And who laid the cornerstone?” (Job 38: 4-6) When God speaks it always becomes extremely quiet.

In Victor E. Frankl’s book, “Mans Search for Meaning”, we are given a glimpse of how depraved humans can disconnect their conscience and at the same time how God can bring revelation truth to the sensitive ones in the most difficult situations. Words cannot describe the cruel torture of a concentration camp prisoner. At Auschwitz, each morning he would march with a work party for miles to dig ditches in snow and freezing wind and at night receive one cup of watery soup. With unlaced shoes and no socks he would receive beatings with sticks and gun butts until he reached the work area where he would dig all day with a pick in the frozen ground. He learned to walk in this “valley of death” and go deeper into the spiritual realm in order to survive as he resisted the urge to give up and be thrown into the furnace. Listen to his words, “For the first time in my life I saw the TRUTH as it is set into song by so many poets and proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The TRUTH – that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way – an honorable way – in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, the angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory.” The TRUTH will be a martyr’s “beloved” in the time of persecution. Selah.
“My son, if thou wilt receive my Words and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge and lift up thy voice for understanding; if thou seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5) “Sanctify them through thy TRUTH: Thy Word is TRUTH.” (John 17:17)