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Bible Truth 101
Mike Fletcher
The dictionary defines truth as a fact or a collection of facts and information leading to an inevitable conclusion. Bible truth is more precise. But in the information age we now live in, we’re drowning in facts.
And the truth of the matter is that facts don’t constitute truth.
In this postmodern age, we live in a culture that says that truth is arbitrary, it’s all relative, there are many truths. And, when it comes to God, God is whatever you want God to be.
But the Bible reveals that God is not a consciousness or force or "everything.”
"This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, 'What do you see, Amos?''A plumb line,' I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people." (Amos 7:7-8)
Notice who is holding the plumb line. It is God. There is a direct parallel between the function of the plumb line that God is holding and Biblical truth.
We are not the holders of truth, we just have a relationship to the one that does. But not only can we confuse who is holding the plumb line, but we can miss the whole point of what truth is.
The Bible was written over more than 40 generations, over a 1,500 year time span, by 40 plus authors on 3 continents and in 3 languages dealing with hundreds of controversial topics. Yet it tells one consistent, unchanging story – God’s redemption of man through Jesus Christ.
There are more than 300 Old Testament prophesies about Jesus that were precisely fulfilled. Scientists have calculated the odds of such predictions coming true. They are impossible by natural odds. Yet each prophesy was fulfilled exactly as predicted.
"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." (John 18:37)
There is truth -- truth that comes from outside the world that is above us and gives meaning to the world. The world doesn't make this truth. It doesn't shape or change this truth. It is THE TRUTH, not a truth for me and a different truth for you. But THE TRUTH for all of us. Truth outside of our own mind, truth that we don't create but discover, truth that we don't control but submit to.
Saying this in our politically correct climate is controversial statement. It meets with widespread disbelief. If you try to claim today that there is absolute truth -- truth that everyone should believe and follow -- you will very likely be considered misguided and intolerant.
People will say you are misguided because there's no God to give absoluteness to truth, or, if there is a God, there is no way of knowing him and what he thinks. One person's idea of what he is like is as good as any other person's.
Tolerance today tells us that whatever one thinks is true, IS true for them. What works for us. That’s what true. To each his own.
But to this, Jesus says: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." (John 14:6)
He didn't say He taught the truth or that He knew the truth - He said, He IS the truth.
People don't need to know what we know as much as they need to know who we know. There is a huge difference between trying to convince people to believe a truth and introducing them to truth.
Truth is not a Feeling or Belief but a Person.
And that's the Bible truth
Mike Fletcher is the publisher of the Online Christian Shopper, which offers llifestyle evangelism resources like Christian T-Shirts, Christian clothing and Christian jewelry. |