2013-09-19 - Relative Truth

2 Tim 3:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, ⁴ and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Pilate asks Jesus, "What is truth?", scoffing.

The problem we see today has been around for a very long time. The Pharisees wanted to get rid of Jesus so they lied to have Him executed. Unknowingly they where the tools that fulfilled Jesus' purpose for taking on mortal flesh and being born into this world. Jesus was an enemy to their truth, so they justified their actions. The idea that deity would come and die for mankind is also scoffed at by many today. What is truth? The question is asked because those asking have given up on authoritative, unchanging truth. The idea of a fixed right and wrong today is being trampled under foot by the culture. And we allow it.

I saw a recording of a few minutes of a talk show where the host and a guest were talking about how we all must ascend and become like gods, improving as we go until we achieve this god-like state. When a Christian in the audience stood and quoted scripture and presented the truth of the Gospel the discussion that followed clearly divided the audience. It didn't get hostile, but there were lines clearly drawn. The truth was defended well that day.

Paul, as a Roman citizen, appealed to Caesar during his discussion with Festus. Paul felt his calling to go to Rome and possibly speak the Gospel before the Roman Emperor. Since the Emperor was considered a deity Paul would be speaking heretical words punishable by death, but Paul felt the call to go and preach. It is believed that Paul either died of old age under house arrest speaking to anyone who would hear him tell about Christ, or that he was executed in Rome. Either way he spoke the truth of Jesus Christ.

What is true today depends very much upon with whom you speaking. But none of that changes truth. Truth is the source of everything that is true. Two plus two equals four is true, but its veracity is founded in truth. Jesus told us that He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the source of all these things. All these things hold together, math for example can be used to accurately describe the physical world and the behavior of objects and forces like gravity, because God is the unifying source of Truth.

The unchanging truth is becoming unpopular these days. Unless we, the church, are willing to stand up for the truth the light we are suppose to be to the world will grow very dim, and the world will become even darker than it is. (Read Rev. chps 2-3)

How willing are we to stand up for the truth? Are we prepared to defend the truth?

"The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it." George Orwell

Grace & Peace,
Mike

jmhoskins@gmail.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org
http://www.redcross.org

All verses are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise noted.