Where "Truth" (BIG "T") is absolute/infinite Truth and "truth" (small "t") is what we fallible/finite humans may assume - rightly or wrongly - to be Truth.
For Truth to really be true, it must be eternal, absolute, and never change. If it is ever changeable or not absolute, then it cannot be considered Truth. Truth is not a moving target. Sin is anything false that varies off of the target of Truth, regardless of the varying degrees. It is something that cannot be altered or compromised. It stands alone awaiting discovery and needs nobody to prove or disprove it. It just is. It can be validated consistently and eternally! Jesus likens a revelation of truth to a "rock" (Matthew 7:24-25, 16:17-18). You can/should build your life upon it. We are to "know the Truth and the Truth will set you free"! (John 8:32) In fact, God and Truth is inseparable because God is Truth. "In and by Him all things consist" (Col 1:17) - even truth. Truth is a light of illumination. His Word also says that God is Light and the Truth is the way. It also says Jesus is the Way and God is Love. So I believe it is safe to understand that Truth is Love and so it ought to be told and expressed in love. (He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love 1John 4:8) Jesus is God. Therefore, this is a TRUE equation (in no certain order):
Jesus = God = Truth = Light = The Way = Love = Holy = Infinite
ALL these attributes and more are grounded and have their source (emanate) from God. It is just like light/energy/heat are attributes that emanate and have their being from the sun. It is in this same way that these attributes (Jesus = God = Truth = Light = The Way = Love = Holy = Infinite) are all attributes of this omniscient, omnipotent, good and infinite God. In His infinite love, God gave us many gifts (grace). First, he gave us the gift of our life/being. He also gave us His Word in three forms spoken, written and living. His Word is Truth and revelation/illumination. His Word is with Him, IS Him and it became flesh and dwelt among us. His word says that one should "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Tim 2:15 How do we rightly divide the word, unless we study and seek to understand its meaning in the proper contexts with a heart towards Truth/God/Love/Illumination?
NOTE: A heart toward anything else without God being paramount, is fundamentally a form of idolatry! (Definition of Paramount = overriding: having superior power and influence).
Now let's take notice of the converse of this scripture (2Tim2:15):
"Study [not] to show thyself [dis]approved unto God, a
This would mean that the lack of study of His Word is directly connected to being ashamed by foolish misunderstandings of God's word based on asymmetric understandings that don't line up with the contexts throughout the Bible as well as earning God's disapproval (a/k/a possibly His judgment - whatever that may be)! The more you study His Word with a heart towards (an intimate relationship) God (Infinite Truth/Illumination/Love), the more your ideals will start to shape into more alignment with His Ways, which is a way of less sin - this is true holiness and separation from the world! This is a way to "love not the world, neither the things that are in the world" by loving His Word. What ever you truly love, you will also seek to know and understand intimately. Wow! Isn't this simple to understand, yet it can be so profoundly hard for us to do~!
THE BIBLICAL APPROACH TO LEARNING TRUTH AND BECOMING WISE:
In this order:
BE HUMBLE, SEEK HIS FACE (HIS WORD/HIM) IN PRAYER AND TURN FROM YOUR WICKED WAYS (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Seek "understanding" instead of "agreement" with people:
The highest objective for many people is that they want everybody ELSE to agree with them that what they believe is true. However, isn't it unrealistic to meet this objective of agreement consistently? Is this also a very prideful and arrogant-based objective if we start to make it about us being right? If agreement is not happening, then what do you do about it? Do you take it personal? If so, why? Is it about just wanting to believe that you are right? Do you feel insulted? <-- This sounds like a pride issue. Do you separate and ostracize yourself from those that don't agree? Why? Is that manifesting the true love of Christ? This goes back to my original point of Truth and its direct relationship to Love/Light/The Way/God. Doesn't love seek understanding - to go out from itself to express itself in love/compassion to others - for their benefit - just because... you care?
However, if you cannot achieve agreement, wouldn't the next highest achievement be understanding? If I aim for understanding over agreement, I have nothing bad to lose and everything to learn from it. In the process of seeking mutual understanding, you may indeed also find yourselves ending in agreement! While you may not quite make the journey from mutual understanding all the way to agreement, then, hopefully at the very least, you will have a mutual respect and/or understanding of the differences.
Let me segway to a scripture about Love:
1 Corinthians 13
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a]but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Here is the "Cause and Effect" Principle: Our cause should be understanding (this is an attribute of love), the effect will be either agreement or, if done properly in love and gentleness (fruits of the Spirit), mutual respect.
This is an undeniably good fruit. At least you have learned something. You may also discover something from the discussion that prompts you to do more research on a premise you may currently believe. This is another valuable outcome. After all, who wants to believe a lie?! Sadly, there are some that do want to believe something so bad, they will never allow their faith in what they believe to be the Truth to be tested - this is usually based on a fear of some sort (usually pride?). When I am honest to the truth, I sometimes have had to get my pride out of the way - this is why I ought to be humble and honest with myself.
This leads to another point, if one thinks they have a firm grip on a truth, then why should they feel fear for it to be tested? The testing of it should only validate it more if it is indeed Truth. The Bible says that "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" 1John4:18 and "These [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11. This tells us that it is "noble" to have "readiness of mind" to receive new understandings in the word and to validate them in the "scriptures daily" to find out if "things were so". If the Bereans were so solidified in their beliefs (I believe they were) but were not willing to take new information into consideration simply because they believed they already had the "truth", then I don't think they would have been called "more noble" - more like stiff necked and self-absorbed people that isolate themselves from any change.
The truth is... we humans only have the ability to understand finite degrees of infinite truth. No man has plumbed the heights, the depths, or the breadth of God's infinite love, grace, illumination, ways, mercy or holiness. It is simply impossible in this finite life!
Here is my current approach to understanding truth:
- I must love and seek God with all of me
- I must seek to continually refine my finite understanding of truth diligently
- I must read and study God's Word diligently
- I must do my best to not be presumptuous.
- I must be remain humble to the fact that I can get things wrong and use these errors as blessings to help me refine my understanding
- I must be loyal to what is true even if it contradicts my own opinions.
- My opinions must be carefully and prayerfully malleable to discovery of new information.
- My agenda must be for truth alone - not for any selfish desires - they will invariably lead me astray
- Loyalty to anything other than Jesus and His Word is a mistake and a sin against to yourself and the Truth/God as well
- Don't search for perfection on earth or in anything else of His creation - It only exists in Him and His Word.
- I know I won't ever have all the answers to all the questions I have in this life, but I will never let that stop me from striving for them
- I will always strive for more excellence in every facet of my life - not alone, but with His help I can do all things!
- Instead of calling on someone else first, I will call upon the Lord and ask His help because He never fails!
- I will then seek wise counsel of Godly men and affirm it in the Word - knowing that even the most sincere and smartest men are fallible and finite
In using this approach, the outcomes has been more understanding, more clarity, and ironically, more humility than ever before in my life. This "seeking of truth" is Godly and is encouraged greatly MANY times in the Word. God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him/God/Truth/Love/Light/etc. Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened. Truth is infinite. We finite beings should never feel arrogant enough to believe we have all absolute/infinite truth in this life - ever. Like the apostle Paul, who wrote a lot of the canonized New Testament said, "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" 1Corinthian13:12. Even as authoritative as he was in writing the scriptures/epistles, he still maintained his humility as a finite human being - therefore, also his integrity. Notice he did not say, "You all see through a glass, darkly and I see it all clearly how it is". Why should we be any less humble than the Apostle Paul? Yet in his humility it garnished an undeniable authentic authority that only came from a true man of God.
When you encounter an opposing idea and it seems to contradict what you understand, then you have a choice to make. Are you going to engage it or avoid it? If it comes in the form of a person who holds a different view, how are you going to treat that person representing the opposing idea? Do you try to engage them in love, honesty and humility? Do you treat them ill? Or do you avoid them all together? If you can't support anything you "know", then you don't really know it. If you honestly don't know/understand anything, my encouraging thought for you is "it's never too late" to start learning and studying now... Ask lots of questions with a heart to know what is right. Or you can do like some and just put your trust in someone else and take your chances... As for me, I never felt that I could completely do that. I have seen enough people follow false doctrine unwittingly by trusting in someone else. I have always felt a passionate desire and godly responsibility based on His Word to learn and understand things for myself. I dare you to try God and seeking Him first before anyone else!
We should study to understand so we share what we have with others. Once you do this, it opens an insatiable appetite to learn more. Then one starts to compare notes with others and refine their own understandings, but always using God's Word and His Spirit in you as a compass. Iron sharpeneth iron! If you hold a view and you don't even understand it enough to defend it yourself, you are like a blind man following another. Hopefully, whoever you are following is not blind or the Word says you will both fall into the ditch! We are all following someone, I hope and pray that it is ultimately Jesus and His Word!
Here is a scripture that I would like to end with as it comes directly from Jesus to people that claimed they knew "Truth":
John 8:
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (Jesus here seems to tie previous statement about the "Truth" that sets you free to the Son - Jesus - that makes you free)
Abraham’s Seed and Satan’s
37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father (He is referring to Truth - see verse 40 below), and you do what you have seen with[l] your father.” (He is referring to the converse of Truth - lies - see verse 44 below)39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. (The Jewish forefather of FAITH in God - the Truth) 40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want (He is talking about the heart - the paramount seat of power for the human will - this is where our desires are sourced) to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears (loves/emulates/obeys/submits to/is in awe of/is humble to/supremely influenced by) God’s words; therefore you do not hear (do not love/do not emulate/do not obey/do not submit to/are not in awe of/are not humble to/are not supremely influenced by), because you are not of God.”
God has a way of going directly to the HEART of the matter - the heart!
So this tells me that who or whatever you allow in the supreme place of your heart - the seat of the human will - determines your ability to even hear Truth!
Now, read these two scriptures with this perspective and tell me if it does not bring a whole new meaning!
Matthew 6
20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (or any other master, mammon was used as one particular example where the love of money can become a supreme god - master - in your heart that has supreme/paramount influence on your behavior)
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Now you heard it... straight from Jesus Christ himself: Not only will you find Truth when you seek It/Him, but He will even provide for all your material needs WITHOUT EVEN NEEDING TO ASK HIM!
Matthew 15
1Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Again, God has a way of going directly to the HEART of the matter - the heart!
So this tells me that who or whatever you allow in the supreme place of your heart - the seat of the human will - determines your ability to even hear Truth!
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