What do we know for sure? In this age of contemporary uncertainty it is difficult to know what is true, because what was considered true yesterday may not be considered true today. In a time when we are surrounded by uncertainty, is it possible that we feel threatened by someone who speaks with certainty?
If someone were to come up to you and say, "I have the truth and I want to share it with you," you might tend to think of that person as being arrogant because we usually feel more comfortable with people who say, "Well, it could be this, or it could be that." Or, "I believe this, but I realize you might believe something else; and you’re entitled to your belief just as I’m entitled to mine."
In this day and age, it is sometimes difficult to know what is true, isn't it? But surely, there are some things we can count on, some things we can know for sure. Just what do we know for sure? First of all, the Bible never speaks with timidity. The Bible never says. "It could be this," or "It could be that." In His Word, God speaks with certainty. There is no middle ground in the Bible. No multiple choices. The Bible speaks with absolute certainty and says, "This is the way it is."
When Jesus started preaching He said, "There is a way back to God, there is a source of truth where you can be absolutely confident, and there is a life where you can have love and joy and peace, for I am the Way and the Truth and the Life." The Bible says, "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father over all." That’s certainty. Do you hear it ring from the pages of the Scripture? There is no uncertainty there. Yet, we look at our world and find contemporary uncertainty with many voices clamoring for our attention.
There is the voice of doubt that says, "If there is a God, how could He permit all these things that happen in our world? It seems to me that God’s people ought to have preferential treatment. God’s people ought to have a better lot in life than anyone else." Yet, some of God’s people suddenly find themselves afflicted with cancer, disease, poverty, and loss of their jobs. So those who speak words of doubt say, "If there really is a God, then surely He would not permit this to take place." So they conclude that there is no God.
In addition, there are also the voices of knowledge. We have databases that are full of information. All you have to do is just push the right buttons to get all the information you want. But you go through the maze of all of that knowledge and ask, "What is the truth? And there is no answer.
There is also the uncertain voice of religion. The Bible says the church is to be the pillar and support of truth. But, go to some churches and you’ll hear uncertain sounds. Some preachers deny the very basics of our faith - the virgin birth, the resurrection, whether Jesus Christ is really God’s Son and whether He did die on the cross for our sins. And at the same time you see other preachers using religion to rip people off.
Too many people prefer religious leaders who say, "I don’t want to lay a guilt trip on you. Just do it your own way, as long as you’re sincere. This is what I feel, but you may have different feelings. So you do your own thing. It is all up to you." God wants us to know that there are some things for sure, and that’s the reason His Word speaks with such confidence. Uncertainty leads to destruction, but certainty leads to confidence and courage.
Go back and study the martyrs who died for the Christian faith. Why did they die? Because they believed with all their heart and soul, and mind and strength, that the message was true. There was no faltering there. They were ready to stand up for God and even face death rather than deny Him. That is what John says in 1 John 4:15-19. He says that if we rely on the love of God then fear is gone. We will no longer be afraid. We will be confident.
Here is something more we can know for sure. If you have the Son, you have eternal life. If you don’t have the Son, you don’t have life. It is "either/or." There is no multiple choice here, and you must decide. Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? Do you have the promise of everlasting life? Or is Jesus not your Savior? Are you just wandering through life with no real purpose or meaning? Does your life consist of just a bunch of uncertainties, with no direction or purpose? What do you know for sure? Is there anything worth knowing for sure?
I am convinced that there is. I’m also certain that God wants you to know what is true, and He wants you to follow the truth. "I’m the way and the truth and the life," says Jesus. Do you want to live? Then come to Jesus. This you can build your life on!
Scripture: Philippians 4:8-9; John 8:32; Hebrews 13:18; Colossians 3:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; James 2:1; Matthew 5:7; James 2:12-13; Isaiah 5:21
Prayer: O Lord, we come to you in this special prayer for truth today, desiring to come into your way of peace. You have told us, O Lord, that when we know the truth, then we will be free. You, O Lord, are the truth. You are freedom. You are love. As we come to know You, we come to know peace. May you be with us as we seek the truth, as we seek love, as we seek peace, as we seek to turn from darkness to light. Amen
May your day be blessed!
Kathy
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