It is a basic premise of logic that two diametrically opposing views cannot both be true at the same time. This is the reason that Dr. Francis Schaeffer maintained “that there are such things as absolutes.”[1] Norman Geisler defines an absolute as that “Which is true for everyone, everywhere, always.”[2] If someone were to dispute this by stating that there are no absolutes, they would have contradicted themselves in doing so by stating an absolute: there are no absolutes. Francis Schaeffer aptly pointed out how the deviation from this logical premise has affected our culture:
In morality, if one thing was right, its opposite was wrong. This little formula, “A is A” and “If you have A it is not non-A,” is the first move in classical logic. If you understand the extent to which this no longer holds sway, you will understand our present situation.[3]
In the ‘present situation’ within our culture, there has been a departure from the concept of absolute truth to the advancement of the notion of ‘relative truth’—whatever I choose to believe depending upon the circumstances or the context at the moment. This thinking has given rise to the idea that there are not just black or white issues in choices of right and wrong, but there are gray areas of choice in deciding right or wrong, or for that matter, what is true or false.
Because of the negation of the concept of absolute truth within our culture today, it makes it nearly impossible to determine the truthfulness of whatever is published or communicated by authority figures or broadcasted by the news media—whether it encompasses politics, science or societal issues and especially in the areas of faith and morality. Much of what is reported is viewed through the prism of what is desired to be true—and many times lacking objective and/or supportive facts.
However, when it comes to faith and issues of morality, believers in Jesus Christ do have a basis for absolute truth. For God has revealed to us His truth in the person of His Son Jesus Christ (“the truth,” John 14:6) and His Word (“Your Word is truth” John 17:17). Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer amplifies these two passages:
When Christ declared, “I am…the truth” (John 14:6), He alleged far more than the incontrovertible fact that He is Himself truthful. He declared Himself to be the Truth and in the sense that He is the central theme of the Scriptures of Truth. He is the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 1:5; 3:14. Cf. Isaiah 55:4). He said concerning Himself, “To this end was I born, and to this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37)—not merely a witness to the moral value of truth, but a witness to the Word of God. “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17).[4]
What is being implied here is that believers can be confident that the Bible contains absolute truth about God, His universe and man. We are assured by the Lord Jesus Himself that “Thy word is truth”—this is supported by the writer of Hebrews who stated that “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18; cf. Numbers 23:19; Psalm 119:160; Titus 1:2). And since the Bible has as its foundation absolute truth, it is not surprising that the Scriptures provide believers with considerable instructions to highly regard the truth that it contains. Note some of these directives:
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. (Ephesians 6:14)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
But note also how the Scripture views dismissive attitudes towards God’s truth:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:7)
And will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:4)
And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:2)
Christians today are being besieged by a culture that is advocating the concept of pluralism—that everything is acceptable—relative truth. That “there is no right or wrong; it is just a matter of your personal preference.”[5] This mind-set has infiltrated many Christian denominations today. That in spite of clear Scripture teachings on various issues (i.e. same-sex marriage, sexuality, women in the clergy), there is a push to do what we think is best, or worse yet, how we can appeal to the desires and dictates of the secular culture.
This is contrary to how we are to handle God’s truth. The Word of God is intended to be the believer’s standard for verifying the facticity of cultural claims and endorsements and to determine if they are contradictory to God’s revealed truth. Compromising the truth to accommodate cultural trends is nothing less than a denial of the authority of the Word and the short-circuiting of the work of the Holy Spirit.
There is a great divide in Christianity today. A real chasm as described by Francis Schaeffer:
The real chasm is not between Presbyterians and everyone else, or Lutherans and everyone else, or Anglicans and everyone else, or Baptists and everyone else. The real chasm is between those who have bowed to the living God and thus also to the verbal, propositional communication of God’s inerrant Word, the Scriptures, and those who have not.[6]
To stand on the side of the chasm that rejects the absolute truth of God’s Word is a failure to be a faithful witness of Jesus Christ to this lost generation.
[1] Schaeffer, Francis A. (1985). The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1.6
[2] Geisler, Norman (2002). Systematic Theology, Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1.109.
[3] Ibid, Schaeffer, 1.6
[4] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press 1.97
[5] Ibid, Schaeffer, 5.440
[6] Ibid, Schaeffer, 4.353