It matters where you get "your truth"

This past Saturday’s unseasonably warm weather provided the perfect opportunity to get out in Phoenixville and hand out tracts with my buddy, Kurt. We walked around town for about two hours and got out about 175 tracts in all.

I love the Living Waters Halloween tracts we used because they feature William Henry Harrison. To me, William Henry Harrison was the best president in American history. He only served as president for about a month before dying, so he didn’t stick around long enough to do any damage.

Our most elaborate conversation of the day came with a guy named Ron who was sitting on a corner with a hand written sign that said the world’s problem with physical violence was caused by its lack of spiritual consciousness. I told him the world’s actual problem was sin. He countered that the problem was people not self-realizing themselves.

I asked him where he got his ideas. He said Kierkegaard. I asked him why Kierkegaard got to be the arbiter of universal truth, and he said because Kierkegaard resonated with him.

That’s all well and good, but anything can resonate with anyone at any time. Kierkegaard was just a man, just like me and Ron. I suggested he look for truth from a higher authority — one who is the same today, yesterday, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

I went on to ask him if he knew what the gospel was. He said something to the effect of Jesus teaching us the way to self-realization. Two things about this. First, it is gobbledygook. Second, it is flat out wrong. The gospel is the good news that Jesus lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death on the cross, rose from the grave three days later, and is now offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life to anyone who repents and believes in him.

Unfortunately Ron had some very circular ideas that led to some very circular conversations. It was hard to break him out of those circles. I had to make my peace with the fact that I had managed to get out the gospel, and now it was up to him and God.

Don’t let the world cloud your vision of the message of the cross. It is really as simple as stated above.

And don’t get your ultimate truth from dead philosophers and their vain philosophies (Col. 2:8), either. On this Reformation Eve, I hope you will remember that the world’s salvation in general and your salvation in particular come by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone, to the Glory of God Alone, according to Scripture Alone.

-JDM-