Here are my notes for the final part of the Is It Relative? series.  As always, you will be able to listen and download the notes as a pdf after I preach them on Sunday (11/13/11).

Is It Relative? Living morally in an Amoral World.

Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Relative Truth and morality (right & wrong)?

• If everyone is true... then there isn't any real truth...
• Not applicable in the material world – Natural law operates with absolutes.
• Not consistent with “real life”
  • If a child takes a cookie when told to not take a cookie... did the cookie really exist?
  • Moral Relativity would say, that the child must decide for himself if it's time for a cookie
• Not reflective of God's nature

The problem with the idea of Relativity is that it is almost right

• There are many things that are dependent upon culture, language and circumstances
• God relates to each one individually, in this way there is an aspect of “relativity” that is true.
• But it is a corruption of this truth to say that because some things are relative, that there is no objective truth. The statement “all things are relative” is taken as objective, absolute – and therefore negates itself.
• It is more correct to say, because some things are “dependent” all things are “dependent” as all things are dependent upon God – and God is not vague, ambiguous, or indifferent.

Jesus is the truth – Do you believe Jesus when He says, “I am THE truth.”

• Truth is not relative, it is relational – in the sense that being true is defined by your relationship with the person Jesus Christ.
• John 8:31-32 NKJV Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
  • “abide” = dwell, remain, to live in.
  • Experiential truth, Biblical truth is never merely academic or intellectual, it is experiential
• John 3:3 NKJV Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

What about Romans 14:14-23 “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (15) Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. (16) Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; (17) for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (18) For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. (19) Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (20) Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. (21) It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. (22) Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. (23) But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

• Specifically addressing two things – food and observing of religious holidays
  • Conflict of Judaism (Ritual law) and Paganism (eating meat offered to idols) with Christian freedom
  • Goal – unity and love, NOT abusing personal freedom!!!

1 Corinthians 6:9-13 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (12) All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (13) Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

• Christian freedom does not allow what is clearly forbidden here and elsewhere
• Anything, even if it is not forbidden, is a trap – if we are “brought under the power of any” -- the question is = who is in control
• Is this something Jesus would do?
• Which fruit of the Holy Spirit does this express?
• How will this affect those around me, will it lead to greater holiness?

Isaiah 5:20-21 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (21) Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Future Judgment:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. (14) For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Matthew 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. (32) All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

These are my notes for the second segment of the Is It Relative? series.  You can hear the podcast by clicking on the link in the side panel to the right.  You can download these notes from this LINK.

Is It Relative? Living morally in an Amoral World.

Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

• Joh 18:38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" …

What is truth? Four common views of “truth”: Philosophical, Logical, Moral and Religious

1. Philosophical (ontological) truth:
   1. Accurate and adequate idea of existence as ultimate reality
      • This is the “truth” Pilate was referring to
      • This use is never the primary intent in Scripture – as it is presupposed
      • Philosophical truth is dependent upon the philosophical theory one ascribes to – Relativism being one theory.
      • Deconstructionist influence over the past century...
        • Attempt to remove every cultural influence in order to get to truth
        • In the end dismantle everything to the point of disorder – nothing means anything if you pick it completely apart
      • Rather, our cultural “grid” enables us to grasp what exists beyond our culture
        • This happens every day, it is an essential aspect of human life
        • Bridging the gap between perspectives, is one of our strengths and is something that we need to use to understand one another and the whole of truth – not something that gets in the way
   2. Blind men and the elephant
      • One sees a tree trunk, one a wall, one a snake, one a fan...
      • Philosophers are keen to say, Jesus saw one aspect, Buddha another, Muhammad another – all seeing in part
      • This sound good, until you realize that it assumes that these wise men that shifted entire cultures were not as wise as we are?
      • They didn't consider this idea of relative truth? Really? They were too simple to understand something we can explain to a child?
      • And we are so arrogant to dismiss their claims?
      • Relativism is an arrogant response, that demeans others – even though the intention is the opposite.
2. Logical Truth – Something is true if the concept corresponds with the facts.
   1. Logical truths are truths which are considered to be necessarily true. This is to say that they are considered to be such that they could not be untrue and no situation could arise which would cause us to reject a logical truth.
   2. That wall is white. Law of non-contradiction – something cannot be true and untrue at the same time.
   3. This use of “truth” is also not the primary sense in Scripture
3. Moral Truth - the primary sense that the word “truth” is used in Scripture
   1. It includes:
      • The correspondence of expression with inner conception - “I believed and therefore I spoke;” “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
      • Correspondence of thought & intention, of concrete reality with ideal type.
      • Something is true inwardly AND outwardly – something is true when it aligns to external reality and internal motive and intention.
      • Is about being whole, complete, consistent and fulfilled in our identity and purpose - inwardly in relation to ourselves (heart, soul and spirit), and outwardly in relation to others and ultimately to God.
4. Religious Truth – A modern term, “no sound basis in reason & none at all in the Bible”
   1. All truth is ultimately religious and only superficially can one think of something as a religious truth independent of logical, moral and philosophical truth.

Three Ideas about Biblical truth –

1. Truth is revelation. It is not something separate, self-contained, a standard by which we judge everything including God.
   1. God is not “subject” to truth in this sense. If so truth would be greater than God. Truth is true because it finds it's meaning & definition in the person of God.
   2. “In the Bible, the known will of God is final for man as a standard of truth, not as arbitrary, but as expressive of God's nature. God's nature is all-comprehensive of fact and goodness, and so is, all and in all, the source, support and objective of all concrete being. The will of God thus reveals, persuades to and achieves the ideals and ends of complete existence. The term “truth” is sometimes, therefore, nearly equivalent to the revealed will of God.” ISBE
   3. People who are their own Gods can think this applies to them, hence “my truth vs. your truth” or Relativism. That error is part of believing the lie that the serpent fooled Eve with... “you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
2. Truth is personalized in Jesus Christ. He truly expresses God, presents the true ideal of man, in Himself summarizes the harmony of existence and becomes the agent for unifying the disordered world. Hence, He is the Truth, the true expression of God,
   1. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   2. John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
3. Truth is experienced. It is primarily something to be realized and done, rather than something to be learned or known. Truth is God's nature finding expression in His creation. Truth in a Biblical sense is not primarily an intellectual affair, to be learned, but essentially a voluntary willful experience and duty to be done for the glory of God in the realization of the complete truth or nature of God.
   1. Not a series of propositions, to be accepted and contended for, but in the subjective way of experience, in a series of ideals to be realized and propagated.
   2. If anyone wishes to do God's will, he shall be able to decide the truth of religious teaching, and the Son who is true will give the freedom of truth
      • John 7:17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
      • John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Real Life

1. This is not circular reasoning because, God is true because truth = God.
   1. God is an absolute – truth is that which accurately and adequately represent God
   2. “My idea of God” is not truth – but I can actually know God, as can anyone
   3. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse”
2. Truth as a person, and not a list of propositions is more “real.”
   1. This is how people actually live (it better corresponds to reality)
   2. This is why love triumphs over reason – not that reason is unnecessary, it just isn't enough. People will do far more for love then they will for any good reason

Why this matters

1. If we understand truth in regards to the person of God, that God's person-hood is what is the basis for understanding truth, reality, existence.
2. Then we can see that the person-hood of each individual is what gives them value, regardless of any and every other aspect of their existence. The fact that they are means they have value and purpose and meaning.
3. Relativism attempts to give value by saying everyone's claim to truth is equal, but in the end that means that by definition if everyone is true; then no one is true, because there is no objective true. But if truth is the person of God, and God has invested Himself into each human giving them the opportunity to know and interact and experience Him – then each life has meaning – relevance, purpose – TRUTH.
4. God is a FATHER (Tell a story... what kind of father would you prefer?)
   1. Each of His children have meaning and purpose, He is invested into every one
   2. Relativism says, you are all gods, do whatever you think is right
   3. Jesus says, Matthew 5:48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
   4. Matthew 5:48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. [Lev. 19:2, 18.]
   5. Relativism is the ultimate express of “orphan thinking.”
   6. John 14:18-21 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Next week we'll focus on how behavior – living morally in an amoral world, flows from our understanding of truth.