Uncertainty Is Not a Virtue
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”
2 Timothy 1:12–14
In our society, it seems that one of the worst offenses a person can commit in public is to state with certainty that something is actually right or actually wrong—all the time, in every case, and for every person. That goes against the grain of our “tolerant” culture, which insists that any belief or idea, no matter how much it contradicts reality, must be accepted. Against that current, Christians are called to stand firm in defense of the truth. While we should not be unpleasant or rude in our demeanor, we should be clarion clear in declaring, “thus saith the Lord.”
No one knows everything, but it is possible for us to know with confidence what God has said in His Word. And our commitment to the truth must be firm no matter what others may do. A. W. Tozer said, “Moral power has always accompanied definite beliefs. Great saints have always been dogmatic. We need a return to a gentle dogmatism that smiles while it stands stubborn and firm on the Word of God that lives and abides forever.”
The less the world believes in absolute truth, the more important it is for us to take an unwavering stand for what God has said. There are those who tell us that to have influence we must not state truth with certainty. They are wrong. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8).
2 Timothy 1:12–14
In our society, it seems that one of the worst offenses a person can commit in public is to state with certainty that something is actually right or actually wrong—all the time, in every case, and for every person. That goes against the grain of our “tolerant” culture, which insists that any belief or idea, no matter how much it contradicts reality, must be accepted. Against that current, Christians are called to stand firm in defense of the truth. While we should not be unpleasant or rude in our demeanor, we should be clarion clear in declaring, “thus saith the Lord.”
No one knows everything, but it is possible for us to know with confidence what God has said in His Word. And our commitment to the truth must be firm no matter what others may do. A. W. Tozer said, “Moral power has always accompanied definite beliefs. Great saints have always been dogmatic. We need a return to a gentle dogmatism that smiles while it stands stubborn and firm on the Word of God that lives and abides forever.”
The less the world believes in absolute truth, the more important it is for us to take an unwavering stand for what God has said. There are those who tell us that to have influence we must not state truth with certainty. They are wrong. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8).
Today’s Growth Principle:
The message of absolute truth may not be popular but it is still right—and still important.
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