Tuesday, July 17, 2007

correct me if i'm wrong!

truth is absolute. but is it to an unbeliever? is truth relative to an individual who has not experienced The Truth...Jesus Christ. i have often had conversations with individuals who believe that truth is not absolute, instead it's relative to what each person thinks. as christians we know and should agree that God's Word is truth and thus absolute to us. however, my question is whether to an unsaved person it's absolute? the unsaved are blinded. they are dead in their sins and trespasses. they do not know to do right, but rather do what is right in their own eyes. Christ even said while on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." does this then mean that truly to an unsaved person truth is relative? we can argue all day with them by using semantics to prove to them that they are "absolutely sure" that there are no absolutes. thus they contradict themselves in their relativism, but never win the soul for Christ. is right and wrong relative to an unbeliever while absolute to a believer?
granted, i'm trying to look at it from both the unsaved individual's and the saved individual's perspective. correct my thinking on this?

1 comment:

Sam said...

John, I believe you have made some excellent points in your expressed dilemma. Certainly, the unredeemed mind is blind to the truth of God's Word (2 Corinthians 4:4). Without a foundation to base thought, one is left to himself, finding truth in whatever he deems best. Also, you cannot win a person to Christ through semantics and logic. The gospel is a mystery unless the Holy Spirit illumines the mind.

Consider a the condition of a man born blind. This man travels to the Grand Canyon and sits on the edge while the sun rises early on a spring morning. He does not see the sun rise, but did it rise? (I understand this illustration has weak points, bear with me). The truth of the matter is the sun rises whether we see it or not. I for one am not a morning person so I have only seen the sun rise 20 or less times. The sun still rose! Blindness may keep us from seeing truth, or understanding truth, but blindness doesn't negate truth.

The unredeemed mind is blind to the truth of God's Word. But that blindness doesn't make relativism correct. God's truth is still THE truth whether we see it or not. That is why God is just and holy in condemning sin. That is why He is merciful and gracious to open our eyes to His truth according to His perfect will.

I would recommend God is the Gospel by John Piper to you. He wades through 2 Corinthians 4 and would help your understanding. Certainly, feel free to respond back.