I actually have seen this in effect. We were talking with some young adults one time, and one of them professed to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Someone produced a scenario giving the person a friend who is a devout Muslim. He asked her if she believed the Muslim friend would go to heaven, based upon her belief of Jesus being the only way to heaven. She had no doubt that her Muslim friend would go to heaven. Why though, someone asked? Because, to her, Jesus was the only way to heaven, but to her Muslim friend, Jesus was not the only way to heaven. Are you confused yet?
What these people don't understand, is that everything seems to be ok with this way of thinking until your truth is sacrificed because of someone else's truth. Let's take the example of Islam. Radical Islamists believe that anyone who does not 'submit' to Islam should be killed. So, if my truth says that I don't want to be a Muslim, yet my encounter with a Muslim who believes I should be killed, whose truth wins? Should I be killed for the sake of the Muslim's truth, or should my truth prevail against his? Either way, one of us has to sacrifice our truth, and if that is the case, which one should be sacrificed?
Would you be willing to hang onto your right to believe that all truth is relevant and lose your truth to someone else's truth for the sake of their truth, or, is there an outside standard of truth that everyone is supposed to conform to whether they want to or not?
The Bible has a lot to say about 'truth'. In fact, Jesus said that He is the way, the 'truth' and the life, and that no person will come to God unless it is through Him. Was Jesus speaking the truth, or is it just truth for those who want to believe it? The Bible also says that every knee will bow at Jesus, whether they had believed in Him or not while on earth. Everyone, according to the Bible, will face God either in a terrible Judgment, or they will be welcomed into heaven, depending upon whether they responded to God's call to repentance and faith during their lifetimes. All of those who do not repent and turn to God will be thrown in the Lake of Fire. I wonder if those who are in the Lake of Fire will be saying, 'This can't be true!'
I find it amazing that most of the people I encounter who believe in this doctrine of truth being relative, are on the college campuses, or, are college age students. What is ironic too, is that so many school shootings happen on college campuses. Why would we be surprised though, for if it is taught that every person has their own truth, and that truth is relative to what the person wants, then it would seem normal that people will come in with guns and shoot someone they don't like or are angry at. Their truth tells them that they need to do that. The Bible says that 'every man does what is right in his own eyes'. Hitler did what was right in his eyes. Every school shooting is done by someone who is doing what is right in his or her own eyes. And if their truth violates yours, that's too bad. You lose if you are the one who gets shot. It seems like this teaching is biting back those who promoted it in the first place.
God is bigger than man's opinions or thoughts. If we think God's truth is not relevant to us, we are going to be mighty surprised one day. Every belief system will come to an end, but God's word will never come to an end. God's word does not apply to some, and not others. It applies to all, regardless of whatever the belief system is. Either Jesus will be a person's Advocate, or, He will be their Adversary. He will be an Adversary to those who reject Him. He will be an Advocate of those who forsake their sins and selfishness and turn to Him.
John 3:36 ESV
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
1 John 5:12 ESV
"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
John 14:6 ESV
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 8:31, 32 ESV
"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
1 Timothy 2:5 ESV
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. "
John 16:13 ESV
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 ESV
"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
So you see, when it all boils down to what people define truth as, it means (to them) preferences. It comes down to what we prefer, what we want. It is basically saying that there isn't any higher authority than that person's authority. It disregards God and what He says. It is basically everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. It's just that simple.
There is only one truth, and it comes from God. Everything else is just a counterfeit. Everything else comes from the Enemy of our souls. Who will you believe?
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