Truth Matters
Scripture attests that God's word is true (Psa. 18:30, 25:5, 86:11 119:160; John 17:17; Eph. 1:13). Knowing truth matters. This is the whole goal of our "Q&A" series. God desires that we will know the truth because the truth will set us free (John 8:32). Scripture attests to a holy God who's word is true and therefore, there are specific truths regarding salvation and our eternal destiny. Many people in the world today deny that exclusive truth exists, rather, there are many truths which people can believe. If they are not willing to go that far, some will say that we are saved by Jesus Christ but that we don't necessarily have to proclaim his name. We might call it something else, but in the end it's really Jesus even if we have a different name for him.* Does Scripture back this up? Undoubtedly the answer is no.
Scripture is very specific about the truth claims of Christ in order to be saved (Matt. 16:13-19; John 14:6; Acts 4:10; Rom. 10:8-9). Jesus explicitly says that he will build his church upon the confession that he is the Christ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:17-18). Scripture is also specific about the exclusivity of God's holiness above all else. There is none besides him (Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:2; Psa 86:10; Isa. 37:16, 45:6). Again, Scripture is specific about judgment God's place as judge (Psalm 7:11; 50:6; 96:13; Acts 10:42; Rom. 2:2, 6-8; 2 Th. 1:5-6; 2 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 12:23; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 14:7). This denies that man has a final authority in matters of salvation.
Faith Matters
Certainly we can not know all the wonderful things of God within our finite existence. The Psalmist declares this when he says, "Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?" (Psalms 106:2 ESV). God declares, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isa. 55:8). Though we have been given knowledge of what is true according to Scripture, there is still a need for faith in appropriating those for our lives. Faith is the gift of God which ensures salvation through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). Faith is also something which needs to be continually renewed and encouraged (Psa. 51:12; 1 Th. 5:14). Paul constantly speaks through his letters about encouragement and refreshment.
There are some hard truths in Scripture and the purpose of the body of Christ is to encourage one another in times of weakness and despair. Scripture constantly reminds us of our need for God's salvation and our inability to accomplish it on our own, therefore we trust by faith in the work of Christ to accomplish this. We have faith that despite turmoil and anguish, God still cares and will be the strength of his people in times of suffering. Faith matters, but the content of that faith equally matters.
Content Matters
Faith, while a rich and precious word, can also be a quite empty word as well. "Just have faith," one might say. But faith in what? Faith is just as an ambiguous word as any unless it contains the correct content. For the Christian, faith is believing that Scripture is the inspired word of God, that we are in desperate need of salvation from sin, and that Jesus Christ is who he says he is. More could be said, but when a Christian says that he or she has faith, the content must include these things. We believe that to have faith in Christ is to recognize that it's only through his life and death that our sins are forgiveness. Jesus, in John 5, gives us a clear picture of correct content regarding himself. We also recognize that Scripture is God's word and shows his works and plans in the past, now and in the future. We believe that apart from God we are sinful and will perish in our sins. This is what it means to have faith; this is not merely head knowledge, but true heart longings.
The Final Matter
There is one main truth found in Scripture, namely, that God is holy and we must believe in him now through Christ if we are to be saved. There is no room for ambiguity. This does not mean we need to know every theological proposition in order to be saved, but there is an absolute truth proclaimed in Scripture which we must affirm. Truth matters, and believing the right things matters. Until we understand the judgment of God, we will never understand our need for Jesus Christ. This is what makes the Gospel so offensive, and why people are apt to change its message. We must be people of truth, proclaiming the correct content of faith, yet ultimately affirming the need for faith. May we not be people who seek to dilute the message of the gospel for the sake of popularity or winning more people to our cause, but may we be faithful to the word implanted in our hearts that God would be glorified and draw people unto himself not by our words, but solely by his. Take care and have a great week in the Lord!
- Coleman
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