The Truth Absolutely Matters

Truth is important to me. Truth is important to us as Christians. We have a deep seated regard for it and for good reason. Our King set the tone for us by saying things like, “I am the way, the truth and the life” and, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" and, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” So you can see why we hold it in such high esteem, not only because of wanting to be guided away from deception, but because of how intricate it was to the life of Jesus.

Modernism by way of the Renaissance began an erosion of the Bible as the foundation of truth. Modernism dethroned God and placed humanity at the center of all things. Francis Schaffer defines it well for us, “Humanism is man demanding to begin autonomously from himself and turning away completely from anything God might have to say.”

And so while reason, science, intelligence and logic were meant to serve the Creator, it instead usurped Him. The results have been increasingly disastrous. When the eternal has been sucked out of the equation, we are left with nothing more than what we can get out of this life. It empties life of meaning. “Let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.”

Now as we enter the post-modern age, the soul and spirit crave for something more than the particulars we can touch, see and measure. It’s an honorable ambition. Who among us is satisfied with an empty life? But keep in mind that this pursuit no longer takes place within the perimeters of absolute truth. No, in our post-modern world we purse relationships, social norms, morality, politics, lifestyles, spirituality and education from the realm of relative truth.

This means that individuals and groups are left to determine for themselves what they think to be or maybe more accurately want to be the truth. It’s a designer approach to life forged together from dozens of places regardless of inconsistencies and contradictions – various religions, majority opinion, traditions, positive vibes, philosophers, cultural norms, spirit guides, progressive thoughts, ancient teachings, scientific theories, mother earth or what we might discover deep within ourselves.

The consequences of throwing off restraints are self evident. When we lose the moral compass that points to True North both individual lives and societies eventually crumble. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

The truth is that absolutes matter. By that I mean an unchanging reality that transcends time, circumstances, events and cultures. I’m not referring to a set of very wise laws designed to promote orderliness. But instead the absolute character that flows from the immutable essence of God. The Truth that isn’t burdensome but freeing, isn’t lifeless but abundant, isn’t joyless but brings peace. And Truth that absolutely matters to all of us.