The Absoluteness of Truth
In doing God’s work there is one basic lesson among many that we must learn, which is, to be absolute to the truth. No truth in the Bible is according to man. Today people are not absolute towards truth because they subjectively relate it to themselves. If truth is associated with man, then he cannot speak truth which he has not personally experienced. Yet truth itself is absolute. It is not subject to man’s experience. On one occasion David had declared that all men are liars. When he said this he had not thought to except himself. To the contrary, before God he reckoned himself to be included in the truth that all men without exception "speak falsehood every one with his neighbor" (Ps. 12.2). God’s servants should not look within themselves, for God’s truth is pure and it transcends them and us. For this reason, we need to set ourselves aside.
How often we bend the word of God to suit our situation. Frequently we force God’s truth to follow us. We connect truth to ourselves, therefore we insert ourselves into truth.
Last year two brothers came to me and asked whether what the responsible brothers had done in a certain matter was right. My answer to them was that because they were not the responsible brothers they considered it wrong, but that if they themselves had been the responsible brothers they would have reckoned it right. This underscores the fact of how men may affect the truth.
Let us see that what we are has nothing to do with God’s truth. If a truth falls under the influence of man, it no longer is truth. Unless truth is absolute in your life, you will neither know how to study God’s word nor how to really know God.
We must not judge truth by people’s relationship with us. If they are on good terms with us, we say their opinion or assumption is truth; if, though, they are not rightly related to us, we proclaim their assertions as false. As soon as truth is touched by human relationship, it turns into something else. Your way will not be straight if truth is not absolute in your life. Truth should never be swayed by the considerations of men. Not because you are my fellow-student or countryman, therefore you are right. Many problems in the world and many diverse teachings are attributed to human reasoning. Truth itself never changes.
What is meant by the absoluteness of truth? Paul’s First Letter to Timothy mentions the pillar of truth (3.15). Why refer to it as the pillar of truth? Because a pillar is something immobile. It can neither be raised nor lowered. It is not like a chair that can be moved about. Unless we are pure in heart, truth will have no affect on us. For truth cannot be entrusted to those who follow their emotion. This is a real test. Men ought to stand on truth’s side even if it be against themselves. Only then can they maintain the truth instead of supporting themselves. He whose self has never been dealt with will never know what truth is. For when he is wrong, he will lower the truth; and when he is right, he will raise the truth.
He is like an elevator, with truth being lifted up or lowered according to his every whim. Only those who have dealings with themselves are able to maintain the truth. Thank the Lord, He is the elevator, and He lifts us up or down.
The main reason for today’s darkness lies in our forcing truth to follow us. If you take truth as sole standard and if you dare proclaim that whatever the Lord says is right, then a new light and new way will come to you. Otherwise, you are the only good Christian in the whole world; everyone else must follow you, and even the truth must follow you. He who tries to be convenient to himself is not of much use in the Lord’s hand. But if a person can say before the Lord, "this is truth and I am wrong," that person has not bent the light and light will lift him higher. Blessed are they who follow the truth. Hopeful are they who judge themselves. Those who fail to follow the truth but tend to pull it down to their standard shall forever be in darkness and light will never shine upon them.
On the one hand we cannot preach what we have not experienced. Yet on the other hand we need to understand that truth is not subject to us. When we are afflicted and condemned by the truth, we receive light. And such is the basis of revelation, the secret of having revelation.
From ancient to modern times, from East to West, whoever has seen the light does not bend God’s word. If I am behind, I must pursue and follow the word of the Lord. I must confess that I have sinned. Then the way will become clearer. The more I walk, the more light I receive. Otherwise, it is all vanity, both in the studying and in the preaching of the truth. Human affection should never affect God’s word.
If a thing is right, we must do it. If it is wrong, we must not do it. Let us see that God’s word is right and we are wrong. I personally may have some problem with you, but it has no effect upon truth. God’s work suffers through human relationships. Truth is not absolute because it is influenced by men. If we sacrifice truth today, what will happen to the next generation? Or to people a hundred years later? They will not be able to see the truth. To be absolute we must pay a very big price. But in so doing, others will be blessed.
I must determine to draw near to the pillar of truth. Indeed, I will not move the pillar two feet; instead, I will move my chair two feet towards the pillar. I can move, but truth’s pillar should never be moved. I can change, but the pillar cannot change. How many change truth because of human relationship, history, or sentiment.
