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Absolutely No Absolutes! By Robert Berendt Are there absolutely no absolutes, or does our faith in God show us that there absolutely are?
ne of my favorite subjects in university years ago was philosophy, although it amazes me that people can get so adamant about things that have no substance or that are ill defined. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. That is a noble endeavor, but in the hands (or minds) of men, it can become dangerous. I recall a discussion that I had with a very good student who became very emotional. He contended that there were no absolutes. Our professor allowed the debate to go on, and this fellow became quite heated. Finally, he stood up and pounded his desktop and shouted, "Can't you see that there are no absolutes?" All the other students had stopped the discussion long before this point. I quietly asked him: "Are you absolutely sure that there are no absolutes?" He saw the point right away and the discussion ended. Here was an absolute that he himself had defined. The clear conclusion must be that there are absolutes. Looking for stability Although we humans have become accustomed to a state of flux, we would like something concrete in our lives, to stabilize and steady us. Confidence can easily be shattered by uncertainties. We need to be bold and confident in order to be strong when we face life's many tests and trials. Confidence grows from small successes until we are more and more certain about our steps.
It is not a sin to feel uneasy and confused. God tells us to ask and to seek--He wants to give confidence to His children. In Philippians 4:13 Paul boldly states: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Paul had every reason to think that Christ would not accept him. He had persecuted the Church. In 1 Corinthians 15:9 Paul refers to himself as the least of the apostles because of his conduct before conversion. But he became convinced--absolutely sure--that God had forgiven him and was using him to serve the very Church he had plagued. The anchor of hope God does not leave His people without an anchor. Hope is our anchor. Hebrews 6:17-19 informs us that God wanted to show the absolute immutability of His counsel, "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil." He wants us to know that we know the truth. That hope is sure and steadfast and it was confirmed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over 500 people witnessed the events of Christ's return to life (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Paul said that Christ had appeared to him as well--though almost a decade after His death. Nobody could convince Paul that there were no absolutes. This hope is not based on flimsy or non-existent evidence. There can be no doubt for a mind open to reason and evidence.
Scripture tells us that God calls many:"So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen" (Matthew 20:16). Few are chosen because few fully respond to God's call. Some excuses parallel what we read in Luke 14:16-24. It seems many of the great and successful of this world have little time to heed God's call. Often it is the poor and needy who are ready to listen and to respond. When we think of absolutes--we can be absolutely sure there are some. God's existence is an absolute. Our death is an absolute. Eternity that lies ahead is an absolute. Since God is an absolute, all of His laws, values and actions are absolute. We can see the snowball building. It starts with a belief that God exists. Without that, we have no starting point, and we cannot please Him nor reach Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Philosophers prefer having no absolutes, because then they believe they have an excuse to be free thinkers.
The most important question you can ask is, "Does God exist--and if so, what does He think of me?" He says He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27) and if we seek we will find and if we knock He will open to us (Luke 11:9). A broken and contrite heart will not be despised (Psalm 51:17). Request our free booklet titled It will give you much to think about. When you do, ask for a subscription to magazine (also free). It's sure to stimulate your thought process and affect your philosophies of life. Copyright 2002 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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Keywords: absolutes moral relativism doubt philosophy
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