"Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." John 17:17
I must confess that when I hear the phrase, "Speak your truth," it sets my teeth on edge. The implication is that truth is whatever you believe it to be. If I don't believe it, it's not true for me. And so there is no absolute truth, there is only relative truth. I love Gotquestions.org's take on this: "But no one really believes that all truth is relative. No sane person says, 'Gravity works for you, but not for me,' and proceeds to jump off tall buildings believing no harm will follow." (gotquestions.org - Is Truth Relative?)
Furthermore, in the light of scripture, the idea of relative truth crumbles. In the seventeenth chapter of John we find Jesus' prayer to the Father in which He prays for His disciples, both those who are currently with Him, as well as those who will come after. He prays for their sanctification in the truth, and declares that God's word is truth. What a remarkable statement in which there is no ambivalence. Sanctification (being set apart for service to God) comes through the truth of God's word. A sharp contrast to the notion that truth is relative.
Jesus was all about THE truth, not some version of the truth; a version that can change from person to person. This is so important because being sanctified depends on knowing the truth and living it. What's more, our very eternal existence depends on knowing the truth and standing firm in it.
"Truth is a representation of things as they are. The Saviour prayed that through those just views of God and of themselves they might be made holy. To see things as they are is to see God to be infinitely lovely and pure; his commands to be reasonable and just; heaven to be holy and desirable; his service to be easy, and religion pleasant, and sin odious; to see that life is short, that death is near; that the pride, pomp, pleasures, wealth, and honors of this world are of little value, and that it is of infinite importance to be prepared to enter on the eternal state of being." (Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
God's word is truth, and it is eternal. It doesn't matter whether someone else believes it or not.
Today's music video Your Word Is True by Nathan Taylor speaks to God's truthful word and faithfulness. Enjoy!
I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.
When I got saved I was relieved to realize I had been wrong about so many things. I agree with you. The truth is not relative.
ReplyDeleteAmen Nancy. This is beautiful (and true!)
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