Articles
Truth-Owning vs. Truth-Seeking
In a recent online conversation about working through difficult religious issues, a friend shared this thought (paraphrased): “life is more about seeking truth than arriving at or owning truth.” Maybe you can relate to this sentiment, as I can. Yet, there is truth (and error) on both sides of this fence.
The Bible clearly affirms we should pursue truth at all costs and that this is a lifelong journey, never reaching its completion until Jesus’ coming (Matt. 6:33; 2 Pet. 3:18). Scripture is equally emphatic that we must decide on, remain unmoved from, and defend certain inalienable truths (1 Cor. 15:58; Eph. 4:14-16). We must seek truth while firmly standing upon truth. How do we do both? This is the challenge we wrestle with anytime we are seeking to make faith our own; maybe a few thoughts will be helpful.
Let’s drive a stake deep into the ground. God is knowable and accessible to all (Acts 17:27). Likewise, His truth is universal and absolute. Otherwise, our search is meaningless, the very epitome of “vanity of vanities!” With this, I believe, my friend would heartily agree.
Some truths are more foundational than others. For example, Paul affirms that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is “of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3-5). This is the fundamental truth upon which all of Christian doctrine, morals, and practices are built—like our own spiritual death and resurrection in baptism (Rom. 6) and our future bodily resurrection in judgment (1 Cor. 15).
This distinction is helpful. Once we have become convinced of a central truth, then we can seek understanding in how it applies to the other matters of serving God. If we picture truth as a fully-built house, much of the growing process boils down to understanding how the frame is built upon the foundation. We seek truth while we apply what we do know to what we don’t know and need to learn.
One danger here is that we will be “always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). In other words, we must arrive at truth sometime. The search for God’s kingdom is not fruitless (Matt. 13:45-46). On the other hand, we must caution against the proud, self-righteous attitude of the Pharisees (Matt. 23). We do not “own” truth in the sense that it originates from us or that we exercise authority over it. Rather, we conform to its authority! Are you willing to listen to others, re-evaluate yourself, admit when you’re wrong, and adapt to truth?
God is not sending us—for His own amusement—on a vain quest to chase something that we can never find. Instead, he is drawing us nearer to Him as we seek His righteousness. And those who truly seek will surely find.
