November 13, 2001
A few weeks ago, our top government officials were asked by the opposition to produce an original document and thereby prove that the copy they publicly displayed was not a forgery. These opposition members of parliament demanded truth. My parents told me “don’t lie” and “truth may hurt.” They said I should never make up stories to protect myself from truth, yet for some, truth is not that important.
I’ve met people who can lie as easily as they breathe. At first, they sound sincere, but after getting to know them, contradictions appear and my confidence in them begins to slip. I’ve learned that telling the truth involves more than giving other people an accurate description of the facts. Being a truthful person is also an ideal, a desirable quality. People of truth never intentionally deceive others and are never artificial or false.
Truth is sometimes relative though. For instance, if I say “the sky is blue” then it looks blue to me. However, an astronaut in outer space or a color-blind person might see something else. For each person, what they see is true for them. In other words, the color of the sky is relative. It depends on who is looking at it and the conditions of the time.
Truth may also be objective. That is, something is true all the time, for all people. It never changes and cannot be made relative to any person’s opinion or perspective. For instance, “all living people were once babies” is an objective truth. “All will die” is also an objective truth.
A sign outside a church says, “Fight truth decay — study the Bible daily.” What kind of truth is this sign referring to? Is it relative or objective?
If it were relative, the sign would be correct in linking it with decay because relative truth often changes or fades away. The color of the sky is not the same today as it was yesterday. Not only that, those who hold to relative truths often strongly defend or fight for their opinion. Is the Bible relative truth? Those who think so say things like, “it may be true for you but not for me” but with that, they dismiss Scripture as having no importance for their lives.
What if the Bible is objective truth? If it is, then the sign on the church is wrong: objective truth cannot decay. The real victim of deterioration is our attitude toward the Bible and towards the truth in it. Here’s a few examples of objective statements from Scripture. However unpopular they may be, the rules of grammar do not allow them to be made relative. They are either true and apply to everyone, or they are false.
“There is none righteous, no not one. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All and none are inclusive words. God is not saying “some” or “a few” people sin and fall short; He says everyone does. If this is not true, then this statement must be false.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.” God cannot say His love is everlasting but only love us for a limited time. This statement is also either true or false.
Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no one comes to the Father but by me.” Jesus did not say He is “a way” or “a truth.” He also said “no one” can come to God apart from Him. The statement cannot be partly true or true just for some people. His language does not allow us to say “this is not for me.”
Actually, relativism tosses the Bible entirely. Even though they hope their neighbors will live by the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments, they say Scripture is not for them.
Those who study Scripture find that the Bible is not like other books. God speaks through it. He points at sin but also repeats His declaration of love and offers the Way to overcome that universal sin problem. He tells the truth, and while it often hurts, it also always heals and gives hope.
Showing posts with label objective truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label objective truth. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2018
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Facts rule over opinions ................ Parables 562
July 15, 1997
Children in a grade school crowded around their new school mascot, a furry little hamster. One asked the teacher if it was a boy or a girl. The teacher didn’t know. The children hotly debated the question until finally, one little fellow thought he had the solution. He said, “I know. Let’s vote on it.”
This amusing story is harmless because the children will soon learn that taking a poll does not change a hamster’s gender. However, what happens when we make vital decisions based on opinion polls rather than on established facts?
One example might be the trial of a person for a murder he did not commit. A decision must be made whether or not the suspect committed the crime even though innocence is already a fact. But if innocence cannot be defended with solid evidence, the suspect’s fate is left in to the opinion of a judge or jury.
All too often, spiritual matters are likewise tried in the courts of popular opinion. Consider statements like: “The Bible? Nobody believes that anymore.” Or “Christianity is just old-fashioned and not very popular.” Or “None of my friends believe in God so why should I?”
In polling Americans to find out their beliefs, results consistently show that about 85% of Americans and Canadians consider themselves to be Christian. The biblical definition of a Christian is someone who knows God, trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, and believes the Word of God. That is, Christians put their faith in what God says rather than in the opinions of people.
Being a Christian is a fact-issue. A person either believes God or they don’t. Yet another poll reveals that some of those 85% may have the wrong opinion of themselves. This poll asked questions about spiritual matters to those who claim to know God. Some were: Can a person who does good earn a place in Heaven? Is Hell an actual place or a state of separation from God? Is Satan a living being or a symbol of evil? Was Jesus actually resurrected from the dead?
In this poll, 57% said they think people who do good can earn a place in Heaven. In contrast, Scriptures say the opposite: “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2).
Of course God wants everyone to do good, but the Bible makes it clear that not one person’s life measures up to God’s standard for heaven. If we want to have eternal life, He offers only one way to get it—through faith in Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one can come to the Father but by me.”
Those who entrust their eternal destiny to Christ are given His life and a new nature, out of which comes the ability to do the kind of good deeds that please God. Apart from Christ, whatever we call good cannot earn us a place in Heaven.
Another question in the poll asked people if they believe Jesus rose from the dead (as if such a monumental event could be decided by opinion). Despite evidence from Scripture, the testimonies of key witnesses, and other historical records, 45% of people interviewed believe that Jesus was not resurrected.
What if that had been a 100% decision against it? Or for that matter, a 100% vote for it? Would either one determine whether it happened or not?
Public opinion is not always reliable because many people do not always make decisions based on facts or a thorough examination of the evidence. In this case, everyone needs to examine the record and claims of Christ as they would a case in a courtroom. This is a vital issue that concerns eternal destiny and should not be left to public opinion but given serious investigation.
Children in a grade school crowded around their new school mascot, a furry little hamster. One asked the teacher if it was a boy or a girl. The teacher didn’t know. The children hotly debated the question until finally, one little fellow thought he had the solution. He said, “I know. Let’s vote on it.”
This amusing story is harmless because the children will soon learn that taking a poll does not change a hamster’s gender. However, what happens when we make vital decisions based on opinion polls rather than on established facts?
One example might be the trial of a person for a murder he did not commit. A decision must be made whether or not the suspect committed the crime even though innocence is already a fact. But if innocence cannot be defended with solid evidence, the suspect’s fate is left in to the opinion of a judge or jury.
All too often, spiritual matters are likewise tried in the courts of popular opinion. Consider statements like: “The Bible? Nobody believes that anymore.” Or “Christianity is just old-fashioned and not very popular.” Or “None of my friends believe in God so why should I?”
In polling Americans to find out their beliefs, results consistently show that about 85% of Americans and Canadians consider themselves to be Christian. The biblical definition of a Christian is someone who knows God, trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, and believes the Word of God. That is, Christians put their faith in what God says rather than in the opinions of people.
Being a Christian is a fact-issue. A person either believes God or they don’t. Yet another poll reveals that some of those 85% may have the wrong opinion of themselves. This poll asked questions about spiritual matters to those who claim to know God. Some were: Can a person who does good earn a place in Heaven? Is Hell an actual place or a state of separation from God? Is Satan a living being or a symbol of evil? Was Jesus actually resurrected from the dead?
In this poll, 57% said they think people who do good can earn a place in Heaven. In contrast, Scriptures say the opposite: “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2).
Of course God wants everyone to do good, but the Bible makes it clear that not one person’s life measures up to God’s standard for heaven. If we want to have eternal life, He offers only one way to get it—through faith in Jesus. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one can come to the Father but by me.”
Those who entrust their eternal destiny to Christ are given His life and a new nature, out of which comes the ability to do the kind of good deeds that please God. Apart from Christ, whatever we call good cannot earn us a place in Heaven.
Another question in the poll asked people if they believe Jesus rose from the dead (as if such a monumental event could be decided by opinion). Despite evidence from Scripture, the testimonies of key witnesses, and other historical records, 45% of people interviewed believe that Jesus was not resurrected.
What if that had been a 100% decision against it? Or for that matter, a 100% vote for it? Would either one determine whether it happened or not?
Public opinion is not always reliable because many people do not always make decisions based on facts or a thorough examination of the evidence. In this case, everyone needs to examine the record and claims of Christ as they would a case in a courtroom. This is a vital issue that concerns eternal destiny and should not be left to public opinion but given serious investigation.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Rules and absolutes? .......... Parables 510
May 14, 1996
Youth leader and speaker Josh McDowell says that young people today usually agree that lying is wrong, but most of them are unable to explain why. I asked a young friend about this and she could only say, “It’s wrong because it’s wrong, that’s all.”
According to McDowell, parents often teach rules, such as “do not tell lies” but neglect to give any foundation that supports or explains those rules. Rules or precepts without reasons for them amount to legalism. We may teach that telling lies is wrong because it is immoral, but adding that principle is a no-no in today’s culture. Too many now insist that there are no absolutes, that truth is subjective and what is true changes relative to time and situation.
McDowell says people need to know absolute truth does exist. Not only that, truth is objective, universal and constant. It can even be tested. According to Webster, truth is “fidelity to an original or a standard.” Therefore, to test if something is true, all one needs to do is measure it by the original standard.
For instance, if you wanted to test whether a liter of milk actually contained a liter, you could take it to the place where standards for weights and measures are located. A careful comparison would show if your liter is truly a liter.
In the case of lying and other moral issues, the standard is the person, character and nature of God. He is the Original, the Creator of all things who made us in His image.
Even those who doubt the existence of God would say, if God did exist He would be perfect and true, not a liar or an immoral being. The Bible confirms this: “God is light; in Him is no darkness at all” and “...it is impossible for God to lie.”
We can safely measure truth by God because He is the author of it. Obviously, lying cannot pass the test. Not only are lies the opposite of truth but they, and the act of lying, are contrary or opposite from the Original Standard.
Also, McDowell suggests that children (and adults) need to know God’s purpose for precepts, such as “do not lie.” While most people think God makes rules to ruin our fun, in reality His precepts protect us from being harmed and from harming others. In the long run, lies are destructive. They ruin relationships, undermine trust, destroy confidence and produce emotional instability. God does not want us to experience those consequences.
One of our biggest difficulties is that immediate consequences from disobeying Him may not look so bad. People steal or do other illegal and immoral things but negatives are either delayed or do not happen, at least in this life. Today’s instant society finds long-term effects difficult to visualize and ridicule the idea of eternal judgment.
Faith in God can look at eternity. As the Bible says, it is “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Faith believes God without seeing because sight has nothing to do with it. Faith is based on who God is and He stands firm as its foundation. Because God does not lie, we can believe what He says about the effects of lying and other wrongs.
In contrast, Jesus speaks of the fallen angel, Satan, as “a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Ultimately, lying is also wrong because of its source. Truth, and the reality of its nature, is good and right because of its source. It is grounded in the absolute and flawless character of God.
Youth leader and speaker Josh McDowell says that young people today usually agree that lying is wrong, but most of them are unable to explain why. I asked a young friend about this and she could only say, “It’s wrong because it’s wrong, that’s all.”
According to McDowell, parents often teach rules, such as “do not tell lies” but neglect to give any foundation that supports or explains those rules. Rules or precepts without reasons for them amount to legalism. We may teach that telling lies is wrong because it is immoral, but adding that principle is a no-no in today’s culture. Too many now insist that there are no absolutes, that truth is subjective and what is true changes relative to time and situation.
McDowell says people need to know absolute truth does exist. Not only that, truth is objective, universal and constant. It can even be tested. According to Webster, truth is “fidelity to an original or a standard.” Therefore, to test if something is true, all one needs to do is measure it by the original standard.
For instance, if you wanted to test whether a liter of milk actually contained a liter, you could take it to the place where standards for weights and measures are located. A careful comparison would show if your liter is truly a liter.
In the case of lying and other moral issues, the standard is the person, character and nature of God. He is the Original, the Creator of all things who made us in His image.
Even those who doubt the existence of God would say, if God did exist He would be perfect and true, not a liar or an immoral being. The Bible confirms this: “God is light; in Him is no darkness at all” and “...it is impossible for God to lie.”
We can safely measure truth by God because He is the author of it. Obviously, lying cannot pass the test. Not only are lies the opposite of truth but they, and the act of lying, are contrary or opposite from the Original Standard.
Also, McDowell suggests that children (and adults) need to know God’s purpose for precepts, such as “do not lie.” While most people think God makes rules to ruin our fun, in reality His precepts protect us from being harmed and from harming others. In the long run, lies are destructive. They ruin relationships, undermine trust, destroy confidence and produce emotional instability. God does not want us to experience those consequences.
One of our biggest difficulties is that immediate consequences from disobeying Him may not look so bad. People steal or do other illegal and immoral things but negatives are either delayed or do not happen, at least in this life. Today’s instant society finds long-term effects difficult to visualize and ridicule the idea of eternal judgment.
Faith in God can look at eternity. As the Bible says, it is “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Faith believes God without seeing because sight has nothing to do with it. Faith is based on who God is and He stands firm as its foundation. Because God does not lie, we can believe what He says about the effects of lying and other wrongs.
In contrast, Jesus speaks of the fallen angel, Satan, as “a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Ultimately, lying is also wrong because of its source. Truth, and the reality of its nature, is good and right because of its source. It is grounded in the absolute and flawless character of God.
Monday, September 19, 2016
“I know so” faith .......... Parables 486
September 26, 1995
My brother tells a story on himself about tearing apart cupboards during renovations and finding some money. It was paper, marked and dated prior to the American Revolution. He thought he was rich.
Of course he took the bill to a reputable coin dealer. Since it was so old, it must be worth a considerable amount. Can you imagine his chagrin when the dealer told him it was not real — it had been made by a cereal company during a promotional campaign!
His story reminded me of another I heard years ago about a man who belonged to a well-known religious group with headquarters in Utah. His daughter told how he had committed his life to the teachings of this group but on his death bed he said, “Now I will find out if what I believed is really true.”
My brother’s story was funny; the second story made me weep. An uncertain hope for increased wealth based on counterfeit money is far less serious than an uncertain hope for forgiveness of sin and eternal life based on teaching that may or may not be true.
Granted, life is full of uncertainties. Who can predict what will happen tomorrow? Who knows for sure which teams will win the game or who will win the next election? Who knows if anyone will be sick or healthy or how long they will live? On the other hand, the Bible says we can be absolutely sure of what will happen to us after we die.
In the Bible, faith is described as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith that merely wonders if something is true, is by definition not faith at all. It is simply wishful thinking, an “I hope so” belief rather than an “I know so” faith.
The reason true faith gives certainty is very similar to the reason my brother knew his find was worthless. Someone reliable and who had accurate knowledge told him. Furthermore, based on the coin dealers credibility, he choose to believe his words.
Biblical faith stands on the same ground. God reveals truth to godly, credible people. We are given the choice whether we will believe or reject it. When we choose to believe, “the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are the children of God.” Deep in our hearts and minds, we know that what He says through Scripture is true.
This is not the same as making up something and telling ourselves it is true. Just as the coin dealer was important regarding what my brother believed about his money, so revelation from God is vital regarding what we believe about Him and eternal life.
His revelation has two sides, one is objective, the other subjective. God revealed Himself to the prophets of Israel, then through the person of Jesus Christ. His truth continues to be revealed through the written record of those disclosures in the Bible. This is objective revelation in that it can be examined, even tested to some extent. It shows us Christ is the Savior.
Subjective revelation is what the Spirit of God does in our hearts. People can read the Bible, pray and perform religious ritual, but only when the Spirit touches and opens the inner person, do they realize that “Jesus is my Savior.”
Revelation makes us dependent on Him. On our own, we distort and wrestle with the message of the Bible. With Him, it becomes clearer. We can believe it because we are absolutely sure of what it says. The Apostle John said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.”
Scripture promises a certainty so that anyone who believes in God’s Word has assurance throughout their life. No one has to wait until they die to know the truth.
My brother tells a story on himself about tearing apart cupboards during renovations and finding some money. It was paper, marked and dated prior to the American Revolution. He thought he was rich.
Of course he took the bill to a reputable coin dealer. Since it was so old, it must be worth a considerable amount. Can you imagine his chagrin when the dealer told him it was not real — it had been made by a cereal company during a promotional campaign!
His story reminded me of another I heard years ago about a man who belonged to a well-known religious group with headquarters in Utah. His daughter told how he had committed his life to the teachings of this group but on his death bed he said, “Now I will find out if what I believed is really true.”
My brother’s story was funny; the second story made me weep. An uncertain hope for increased wealth based on counterfeit money is far less serious than an uncertain hope for forgiveness of sin and eternal life based on teaching that may or may not be true.
Granted, life is full of uncertainties. Who can predict what will happen tomorrow? Who knows for sure which teams will win the game or who will win the next election? Who knows if anyone will be sick or healthy or how long they will live? On the other hand, the Bible says we can be absolutely sure of what will happen to us after we die.
In the Bible, faith is described as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith that merely wonders if something is true, is by definition not faith at all. It is simply wishful thinking, an “I hope so” belief rather than an “I know so” faith.
The reason true faith gives certainty is very similar to the reason my brother knew his find was worthless. Someone reliable and who had accurate knowledge told him. Furthermore, based on the coin dealers credibility, he choose to believe his words.
Biblical faith stands on the same ground. God reveals truth to godly, credible people. We are given the choice whether we will believe or reject it. When we choose to believe, “the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit that we are the children of God.” Deep in our hearts and minds, we know that what He says through Scripture is true.
This is not the same as making up something and telling ourselves it is true. Just as the coin dealer was important regarding what my brother believed about his money, so revelation from God is vital regarding what we believe about Him and eternal life.
His revelation has two sides, one is objective, the other subjective. God revealed Himself to the prophets of Israel, then through the person of Jesus Christ. His truth continues to be revealed through the written record of those disclosures in the Bible. This is objective revelation in that it can be examined, even tested to some extent. It shows us Christ is the Savior.
Subjective revelation is what the Spirit of God does in our hearts. People can read the Bible, pray and perform religious ritual, but only when the Spirit touches and opens the inner person, do they realize that “Jesus is my Savior.”
Revelation makes us dependent on Him. On our own, we distort and wrestle with the message of the Bible. With Him, it becomes clearer. We can believe it because we are absolutely sure of what it says. The Apostle John said, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.”
Scripture promises a certainty so that anyone who believes in God’s Word has assurance throughout their life. No one has to wait until they die to know the truth.
Friday, December 12, 2014
God: Beyond my Imagination ................. Parables 208
(March 14, 1990)
“If believing in God makes you feel good, then for you there is a God. But I don’t feel the need for religion. For me there is no God.”
This is relative thinking. What is real for you is real for you and what is real for me is real for me, no absolutes. But what is the Biblical response to relative thinking?
The Christian to whom this was said answered: “I am talking about a God who exists apart from me and apart from you. I am talking about a God who exists whether we believe in Him or not. If God does not exist objectively, according to true truth, then all my prayers, all my devotion, all my religious fervor cannot bring Him into existence... I have the power to imagine things that are not really there, but I cannot ultimately create such things out of nothing. By the same token, if such a God does in fact exist, then all of your unbelief does not have the power to destroy Him. The God of whom I am speaking does not pass in and out of existence at our whims.” (From One Holy Passion by R. C. Sproul)
The idea that man created God is not a new one. In fact, the creation of gods is one of our oldest activities. Every culture, every tribe and peoples of the world have gods of various sorts. Some are carved images, some are imaginative manlike creatures. Others are grotesque shapes with supposed powers. Yet out of all what man may call “god”, the God of the Bible stands utterly and wholly apart.
No one could imagine a Being like He. For one thing, we in our imperfection can’t relate to His perfect holiness. We cannot understand One who is all powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, holy, a hater of sin, just and yet merciful. Our gods, if we imagine them at all, are extensions of ourselves; but He is totally separate. We may resemble Him (we were made in His image) but He is not like us.
Hebrews 11:6 says that God, who is spirit (without a physical body), is pleased when we believe He exists. He even reveals Himself so we can believe... “The heavens declare the glory of God... there is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”
Creation gives us no reason not to acknowledge God. The awe felt when we (as well as pagan jungle savages) look at the stars or the colors on the wings of a butterfly or the variety of plants and trees is an awe that ought to be called worship and given to the One who spoke all these into existence. But the intellectual evolutionist attempts to explain away the awe. He claims all this was only chance, that none of these things are anything more than cosmic accidents.
However, God’s revelation of Himself in nature is not His only disclosure. He also appeared in a body, a perfect man, who changes lives and changed history, who cannot be explained away with pat theories and scientific jargon. This man, God in human flesh, burst into our creation, then proved His identity by healing diseases, commanding the wind and the sea, walking on water, turning some of it to wine, dumbfounding the wise and transforming the simple. Then He died and rose from the dead. His tomb is empty.
What can the relative thinker or the evolutionist say about the historic Jesus? All the world’s theories do not affect Who He is and what He did. He also is a visible rebuke to any of our imagined gods.
Furthermore, the relativist thought Christians make up “God” because He makes them “feel good.” Not so. There are many times His holiness makes me feel awful. I’d never invent a god who convicts me so deeply of my sin and unworthiness. Nor would I invent one upon Whom I am utterly dependent. I’m too independent to do that. Besides, the person of Jesus Christ is beyond even the most radical imagination.
Reject Him, or say YES and put faith in Him, but never dismiss God as revealed in His Son as a mere religious whim. None of us are that creative.
“If believing in God makes you feel good, then for you there is a God. But I don’t feel the need for religion. For me there is no God.”
This is relative thinking. What is real for you is real for you and what is real for me is real for me, no absolutes. But what is the Biblical response to relative thinking?
The Christian to whom this was said answered: “I am talking about a God who exists apart from me and apart from you. I am talking about a God who exists whether we believe in Him or not. If God does not exist objectively, according to true truth, then all my prayers, all my devotion, all my religious fervor cannot bring Him into existence... I have the power to imagine things that are not really there, but I cannot ultimately create such things out of nothing. By the same token, if such a God does in fact exist, then all of your unbelief does not have the power to destroy Him. The God of whom I am speaking does not pass in and out of existence at our whims.” (From One Holy Passion by R. C. Sproul)
The idea that man created God is not a new one. In fact, the creation of gods is one of our oldest activities. Every culture, every tribe and peoples of the world have gods of various sorts. Some are carved images, some are imaginative manlike creatures. Others are grotesque shapes with supposed powers. Yet out of all what man may call “god”, the God of the Bible stands utterly and wholly apart.
No one could imagine a Being like He. For one thing, we in our imperfection can’t relate to His perfect holiness. We cannot understand One who is all powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, holy, a hater of sin, just and yet merciful. Our gods, if we imagine them at all, are extensions of ourselves; but He is totally separate. We may resemble Him (we were made in His image) but He is not like us.
Hebrews 11:6 says that God, who is spirit (without a physical body), is pleased when we believe He exists. He even reveals Himself so we can believe... “The heavens declare the glory of God... there is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”
Creation gives us no reason not to acknowledge God. The awe felt when we (as well as pagan jungle savages) look at the stars or the colors on the wings of a butterfly or the variety of plants and trees is an awe that ought to be called worship and given to the One who spoke all these into existence. But the intellectual evolutionist attempts to explain away the awe. He claims all this was only chance, that none of these things are anything more than cosmic accidents.
However, God’s revelation of Himself in nature is not His only disclosure. He also appeared in a body, a perfect man, who changes lives and changed history, who cannot be explained away with pat theories and scientific jargon. This man, God in human flesh, burst into our creation, then proved His identity by healing diseases, commanding the wind and the sea, walking on water, turning some of it to wine, dumbfounding the wise and transforming the simple. Then He died and rose from the dead. His tomb is empty.
What can the relative thinker or the evolutionist say about the historic Jesus? All the world’s theories do not affect Who He is and what He did. He also is a visible rebuke to any of our imagined gods.
Furthermore, the relativist thought Christians make up “God” because He makes them “feel good.” Not so. There are many times His holiness makes me feel awful. I’d never invent a god who convicts me so deeply of my sin and unworthiness. Nor would I invent one upon Whom I am utterly dependent. I’m too independent to do that. Besides, the person of Jesus Christ is beyond even the most radical imagination.
Reject Him, or say YES and put faith in Him, but never dismiss God as revealed in His Son as a mere religious whim. None of us are that creative.
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