CHRISTIANITY AND TRUTH: Commitment to the truth

EXPLORING CHRISTIANITY - TRUTH

THE BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?

EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?

GOD - MAN
Is Jesus really God?

RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?

SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?

TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.

SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.

FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?

GUIDANCE
How does God guide?

REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.

BORN AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?

SAVING FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven

ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?

TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?

MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.

THE CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the new millennium.

PURPOSE
How can I find a great purpose for living?

IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of God.

SELF-ESTEEM
How can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.

LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.

THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.

Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.

Commitment to the truth

"There is only one reason to be a Christian - because it is true"

Becoming a Christian, in the sense of entering into a personal relationship with the living Christ, is but the beginning of a journey. It can be a painful process as we learn to open up our lives more and more to the light of his truth. However, the rewards are incalculable, both for ourselves and others who may also begin the journey as a result of our decision. Jesus said that if we obeyed him, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). You will find that as God transforms you from within, then your understanding of truth will grow. Character and spiritual understanding are inextricably linked in the Bible. John says, "When we love others, we know that we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God" (1 John 3:19).

One of the great advantages of being a Christian is that you don't have to avoid truth, wherever it may be found. There is no need to explain things away. It fits all the evidence - evidence that comes to us from science regarding the structure of the universe;* evidence from the nature of human beings, their capacity for both great good and great evil; evidence from history, particularly that relating to the remarkable life, teaching and influence of Jesus Christ; evidence from the lives of millions who have claimed to have met this Christ and whose lives have been transformed as a result. Francis Schaeffer, one of the leading Christian thinkers of the past generation, was fond of emphasising that there is only one reason to be a Christian - because it is true.

If you have come to the point where you are prepared to begin such a journey, you may find it helpful to pray a prayer something like this:

Jesus, I am willing to open my life to you. Show me the truth about myself - the best and the worst.

I accept that you died for my sins because of your great love for me and I thank you for that.

I am sorry for my sin, I repent of it, and I now accept your forgiveness.

Come into my life and begin the process of moulding me into all you planned that I should be.

Give me the courage and strength to live worthily of your love and to follow this truth wherever it leads.

Amen.

If you should make this commitment, then start reading through the New Testament, asking God to reveal more of himself and his plans for you. Also, find other Christians with whom you feel comfortable and who can be an encouragement. We grow in our faith more when we do it with others on the same journey. May God grant you that certainty that only comes from knowing him who is Truth.

Some books I have found helpful in exploring the whole issue of truth in today's postmodern world:

Moving Between the Times
by Brian Carrell (The Deepsight Trust, PO Box 87-362, Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand, 1998).

The Universe Next Door
by James W. Sire (Second Edition, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, 1988).

The Death of Truth
by Dennis McCallum - General Editor - and others (Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438, 1996).

The New Absolutes
by William D. Watkins (Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438, 1996).

The Good, the Bad and the Misled
by Mark Roques with Jim Tickner (Monarch Publications, Broadway House, The Broadway, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1HQ, 1994).

*I have dealt with this in some detail in The Complementary Nature of Science and Christianity.