Guest editorial: The Christian and God’s truth

A simple yet profound maxim, “All truth is God’s truth,” contributes weight to the wealth of knowledge with which God has graced us. But Christians should keep in mind an equally instructive maxim, “Belief is not equal to truth.” This provocative notion doesn’t receive as much airplay, perhaps because it suggests we’re wrong about some of the things we believe.

Consider this: When one person looks at the biblical data to arrive confidently at a set of beliefs, dogmas, principles, opinions, etc., another may examine the same data only to conclude something believably different.

The “correctness” of our beliefs is subject, then, to degrees of tension, adjustment or outright change. Due to life and circumstance, internal conflict over beliefs is inevitable. Heads, hearts, hands—our thinking, feeling, doing—will be challenged frequently, even bowled over at times, and usually by folks different from us.

Conflict is beneficial  

This “conflictedness” pits what we believe against something partially or wholly at odds with our usual system-heavy comfort zone. Ideas can be mutually exclusive, however, so the Law of Noncontradiction must begin its work. And since it can’t be broken, part of our beliefs may prove false.

So, the question becomes: Will our false beliefs be exposed, and will we replace them with a better set? Tough question, but answering yes benefits all.

At times, we’ll forsake certain beliefs—those earlier considered reliable. Still, we must assume some set of initial beliefs, and the confidence we place in them shouldn’t be thought superior to the data on which they presumably rest.

When someone denies the forcefulness of facts adverse to their long-cherished system of thinking, they tend to ignore, blunt or accommodate the data to their system—typically without basis—rather than adapt their system to the data. “Ain’t gonna change my mind, no matter what!”

Three illustrations

To illustrate, events as significant as history’s beginning, midpoint and end are all subject to the advice offered here, hopefully as an antidote to the prevalent “God won’t let me be wrong!” mentality.

• Creation theories abound, relying on a young or old earth/universe for their respective validity. So, what’s its age?

• From the perspective of salvation, the cross is the centerpiece of all history. So, did Christ die only for the elect or for all people without exception?

• And when the end arrives, will Jesus come back before, in the middle or after the tribulation? Is there a literal 1,000-year millennial reign of Christ to come, or are we living in the millennium now?

For each of these doctrines, the answers are divisive. Somebody certainly is wide of the mark, which proves belief isn’t equal to truth.

Two kinds of data

Christians who interact with unbelievers should begin with data, not theories, systems or their deception-prone hearts. Whether the data is biblical or selected carefully from the world around us, we start with plausible assumptions based on what the data seem to say. Otherwise, the next step—evaluating everything reality throws our way—can’t be taken.

The biblical data? No problem, but meaningful interpretation is demanding. For the Christian, accepting its veracity shouldn’t be an issue. Data external to the Bible? Also subject to interpretive evaluation and given by God for a host of truth-functioning reasons. The deliverances of right reason and the basic reliability of the senses must be acknowledged.

Caution, though. While one Christian approach to God’s nature leads to belief in open theism, an atheistic approach to the origin of the universe yields, also mistakenly, a naturalistic big-bang. Christians, then, can be as patently wrong as unbelievers. How so? Because the degree to which sin hinders the mind’s facility to arrive at truth can be as detrimental to a believer’s ability to interpret Scripture as to an unbeliever’s ability to interpret the natural world. Especially when the whole “I’m so gifted by God” hubris kicks in.

Strong wills, weaker minds  

No one’s asking Christians to suspend judgment about the finality of things. Just be astute and use care, realizing people’s wills generally are stronger than their intellects. Ultimately, they’ll believe whatever they wish. No insult here, just a tried-and-true fact.

Hence, when our beliefs are linked to our work and self-perception, and someone happens to oppose our truth claims, wisdom isn’t always what we’re after. Instead, we seek to vindicate our treasured beliefs, clinging fast to long-standing theories, even if contradicted. Only too human, this hardly furthers everyday wisdom, just as admitting egregious error proves next to impossible for authorities enjoying high visibility. “I wouldn’t be here except that I’m right!”

A word to the wise

But here’s a frightening biblical proviso that comes with the territory. Jesus’ warning is true: “… on the day of judgment, people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matthew 12:36). Then there’s the admonition of James: “… teachers … will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

Truth be told, these words taken together are downright scary. No exceptions to the rule, it seems. Everything we say, feel and do is being stored up for judgment. Possessing Christ’s righteousness is our only hope, yet here we are, many of us, whiling away our lives with little concern for chasing hard after truth.

Bottom line: I, for one, am glad we’ll never get to say, “I told you so!” in heaven. Nevertheless, all truth is God’s truth, and the “truths” we own personally aren’t always 100 percent right. We’ll all be shown wrong at some level, in this life or the next. Guaranteed. And that’s as it should be.

Hal Ostrander is online professor of religion and philosophy at Wayland Baptist University.