Learn the Truth pt. 2
What is a baby? What is a boy? What is a girl? 50 years ago, these questions were absurd. Today, the debate plays out on national TV, our families, and perhaps even our own minds. Who is to say what is right and what is wrong? What may be true for you, isn't necessarily true for me, right?
If what was true 50 years ago is no longer true today, then truth 50 years ago was a lie or truth today is a lie. Truth, real truth, does not change. It is immutable. What is true for you, is true for me, and is also true for every other person in the world. This does not mean we all share the same experiences, but it does mean that people cannot change truth. The problem is that we cannot agree on truth.
Certain things most people agree on: the existence of gravity, elementary mathematics, the necessity of food and water. However, the rest of life is seemingly built upon opinion. What is beautiful? Should people be vegetarians? What is gender? What is a family? What defines race? Who is right? Who is wrong?
Since life is mostly opinion, we get to make many of our own choices and decide for ourselves what food is good and what looks beautiful. But the basis of life is built upon truth - real truth, not personal opinion. Here is the first truth: God made the world. Sure, society debates the fact, but the truth is, God made the world. Do we know exactly how it all worked? Was it loud or quiet? Was it fast or slow? What was the date the world was made? None of us know for sure. Some people have really well thought out opinions based upon fact, but no one can prove their opinion beyond a shadow of a doubt. The only truth we know is that God spoke the world into existence and He explains the process using a week long model. Just because we do not know all the details does not mean God did not make the world.
In life, we will never understand or know everything. But we can know some things for sure. All of the things we can be certain of are found in the Bible. God is immutable. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" The Bible is God's Word, and it teaches us what is true, but we must read and study it carefully. If a person wants to know a moral answer, the Bible can teach them. However, they must have a teachable heart, and they must read significant portions to understand what God says.
My grandmother was a wonderful cook. She also did not write down her recipes. I grew up knowing what her food tasted like. People raved about it all the time. I even helped her make some of it, but I had significant difficulties replicating her recipes as an adult because I only remembered a few ingredients. We have a lot of "cooks" in the Christian community who claim to be master chefs. But these amateur cooks cannot make a quality chocolate chip cookie because they only know that flour and chocolate chips are in the recipe. With a little water, they might be able to make something that resembles a cookie, but their cookie tastes horrible and is not representative of the Master Chef's.
One day, I heard a Christian argue that the Bible teaches us not to judge. They went on to explain that men could have pierced ears based upon a verse about ear piercing in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, the quote they used was in reference to slaves and not at all applicable to their argument. In less than 30 seconds this person used two verses out of context. They elevated their opinion and attempted to randomly support it with God's Word in order to give their opinion the smell of truth. But their cookie tastes bad, and I'm not eating what they're making. (For the record, I do not believe the Bible forbids men from having pierced ears, but that is a topic for another day.)
If you want to know the truth, you must not merely read your Bible, you must study it. God has a lot to say about men, women, husbands, wives, babies, life, and even sexual orientation. Truth doesn't change. Society changes. Politics change. Laws change. People change their minds over the course of their life, but God does not change. His Word does not waiver. We can trust that it is always true for all people, and we can look to it for guidance in all things. Do not buy two ingredient cookies from amateur bakers who appeal to your eyes and entice your senses. Read the complete recipe book (the Bible) yourself. Study it. Learn what is true and apply it to your life.
If what was true 50 years ago is no longer true today, then truth 50 years ago was a lie or truth today is a lie. Truth, real truth, does not change. It is immutable. What is true for you, is true for me, and is also true for every other person in the world. This does not mean we all share the same experiences, but it does mean that people cannot change truth. The problem is that we cannot agree on truth.
Certain things most people agree on: the existence of gravity, elementary mathematics, the necessity of food and water. However, the rest of life is seemingly built upon opinion. What is beautiful? Should people be vegetarians? What is gender? What is a family? What defines race? Who is right? Who is wrong?
Since life is mostly opinion, we get to make many of our own choices and decide for ourselves what food is good and what looks beautiful. But the basis of life is built upon truth - real truth, not personal opinion. Here is the first truth: God made the world. Sure, society debates the fact, but the truth is, God made the world. Do we know exactly how it all worked? Was it loud or quiet? Was it fast or slow? What was the date the world was made? None of us know for sure. Some people have really well thought out opinions based upon fact, but no one can prove their opinion beyond a shadow of a doubt. The only truth we know is that God spoke the world into existence and He explains the process using a week long model. Just because we do not know all the details does not mean God did not make the world.
In life, we will never understand or know everything. But we can know some things for sure. All of the things we can be certain of are found in the Bible. God is immutable. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" The Bible is God's Word, and it teaches us what is true, but we must read and study it carefully. If a person wants to know a moral answer, the Bible can teach them. However, they must have a teachable heart, and they must read significant portions to understand what God says.
My grandmother was a wonderful cook. She also did not write down her recipes. I grew up knowing what her food tasted like. People raved about it all the time. I even helped her make some of it, but I had significant difficulties replicating her recipes as an adult because I only remembered a few ingredients. We have a lot of "cooks" in the Christian community who claim to be master chefs. But these amateur cooks cannot make a quality chocolate chip cookie because they only know that flour and chocolate chips are in the recipe. With a little water, they might be able to make something that resembles a cookie, but their cookie tastes horrible and is not representative of the Master Chef's.One day, I heard a Christian argue that the Bible teaches us not to judge. They went on to explain that men could have pierced ears based upon a verse about ear piercing in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, the quote they used was in reference to slaves and not at all applicable to their argument. In less than 30 seconds this person used two verses out of context. They elevated their opinion and attempted to randomly support it with God's Word in order to give their opinion the smell of truth. But their cookie tastes bad, and I'm not eating what they're making. (For the record, I do not believe the Bible forbids men from having pierced ears, but that is a topic for another day.)
If you want to know the truth, you must not merely read your Bible, you must study it. God has a lot to say about men, women, husbands, wives, babies, life, and even sexual orientation. Truth doesn't change. Society changes. Politics change. Laws change. People change their minds over the course of their life, but God does not change. His Word does not waiver. We can trust that it is always true for all people, and we can look to it for guidance in all things. Do not buy two ingredient cookies from amateur bakers who appeal to your eyes and entice your senses. Read the complete recipe book (the Bible) yourself. Study it. Learn what is true and apply it to your life.
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