Have you ever considered that for every counterfeit, there has to be a real? For example, the fact that counterfeit money exists means that real money has to exist. Otherwise, there could be no counterfeit money.
The same is true in the philosophical realm. The fact that lies exist means that truth has to exist. Otherwise, there would be no lies.
The critical question for us becomes, then, how do we tell the difference between the truth and the lie? And why is knowing the difference so important?
Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing the difference between truth and falsehood has everything to do with our freedom. If the truth makes us free, then the lie makes us slaves.
But how do we know what is true and what is false? Again, Jesus tells us how. "Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17). Jesus is saying that the Word of God, the Holy Bible, is Truth. So, if we want to learn how to recognize what is true, we can go to the Holy Bible. Everything written therein is Truth.
As we go about our daily lives, we will face situations where we need to know if what we are hearing is a lie or the truth. All we have to do is measure what we hear by the standard of the Word of God. If what we hear agrees with the Word of God, then it is true. If what we hear contradicts the Word of God, then it is false.
I like to tell a little story to illustrate this concept. When my husband hangs a picture for me, he asks me if the picture is straight. I may tell him that the picture is tilted to the right. My husband may think the picture is tilted to the left.
Since we are not sure who is right, we go get the level. The level is an instrument that measures whether something is straight or not. The level does not lie. It tells us the truth about the position of the picture.
The Bible is the level for determining whether a philosophy or a concept is true or false. The next time you are not sure whether what you are hearing or reading is true or false, get out your Bible and measure what you have heard or read by the level of the Word of God. His level will always keep you from deception and, in so doing, keep you free.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Are You Thinking Straight?
Emotional problems result from believing lies. Since we were designed to function according to truth, any deviation from truth will cause us to malfunction, whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually.
So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com). But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?
For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.
What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.
In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you". Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.
The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately. This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.
Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it. But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.
Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth. When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.
We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.
God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.
So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com). But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?
For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.
What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.
In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you". Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.
The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately. This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.
Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it. But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.
Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth. When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.
We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.
God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible. If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.
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