The Essential Nature of Authentic Truth

I recently read a message board post written by an individual who declared himself to be an atheist. When challenged about his belief system, he insisted that he did not believe anything. When pressed about his view of life, he asserted that he has a reasonable expectation that certain things will happen because they have always (in his perception) happened that way before. He sums it up by stating:

“Maybe” encompasses almost everything we think we know.

99.99% certainty something is true still allows for the possibility that it is false.

99.99% certainty something is false still allows for the possibility that it is true.

There is still a huge difference between something that is almost certainly true and something that is almost certainly false. That’s why I value probability. To assert 100% certainty is usually overstating things.

Still, it does not matter how he chooses to state it – his opinion reflects his belief, which has two emphases:  1) Absolute truth does not exist, and 2) Whatever truth does exist must be validated by his opinion. Ultimately, his statement that he has no system of belief is… a declaration of his belief.

His position is not unique, nor is it a recent development among the masses of humanity that populate our planet. It has been so since man fell into sin in the Garden of Eden.

“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6)

In today’s society, we state it a little differently. We brazenly insist that it is only “our truth” that is legitimate. A very dear elderly saint recently reposted the following statement on Facebook.

            Your truth will not sound good to every ear,

            Your truth won’t fit well in every heart,

            Your truth won’t taste sweet on every tongue,

            But it is still your truth,

            And no one can take that away from you.

To be fair, I am certain that the elderly saint who posted this on her wall assumed that “your truth” referred to the Biblical truth that the writer was embracing.

Does “no one” include the sovereign God of eternity? Does He have no authority to define truth?

Proverbs 24:12 addresses the problem with that philosophy; “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Ultimately, it matters not what we choose to adopt as “our” truth. Just because we declare it to be true does not make it so. Our truth is usually dictated by our wisdom or opinion. We insist that truth be constrained by “fairness” rather than “justice,” our perceived “rights” rather than “righteousness,” and authenticated by our “opinion” rather than any absolute standard.

The reality is that authentic truth exists exclusive of modification or explanation. It does not bow to man’s opinion or definition. If truth is determined by man or dictated by man, it ceases to be truth.

In essence, there is only one truth. It is, by nature, “absolute,” meaning it is unqualified and undiminished. It is, by origin, “authentic.” It was established by God and has no equal. And it is “essential.” Without it, civilized society is replaced by anarchy, and peace gives way to fear.