“He that would seriously set upon the search of truth ought in the first place to prepare his mind with a love of it. For he that loves it not will not take much pains to get it; nor be much concerned when he misses it.” John Locke (An EssayConcerning Human Understanding: Book 4: Chapter 19)
Why are certain scriptures appear so straight-forward are yet commonly misunderstood? For example, a verse very familiar to us, Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” It’s a simple equation: believe + baptism = salvation. No belief (and therefore, no baptism) = no salvation. Yet how many times have you run into someone who does not believe baptism is essential?Another example is in one of the great themes of Hebrews of remaining faithful. Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” Hebrews 4:1, “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.” Also, Hebrews 6:12, “that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” It is clear to me that we must remain faithful in order to receive God’s promises. Yet it is a common belief that once you are saved you cannot lose that salvation.
Why is it that someone can profess a love for truth, read a passage in the Bible and then either dismiss it completely or ascribe a different meaning to it? Granted, all passages must be understood in context of the large themes, but some things are so straight forward it seems almost difficult to misunderstand. Yet it is quite a common feat.
Is there a fundamental desire to disbelieve the truth? I don’t think so. After all, no one likes being wrong. Is the problem that there is no interest in truth? While apathy might be prevalent, that’s not the underlying cause. The problem at its root is a lack of an honest and open heart. You see, it is less emotionally distressing to go through life believing what your parents, peers and mentors teach you than it is to run the risk of losing those close to you by disagreeing with convention and preaching truth. But if one has an open and honest heart, God’s truths matter more than opinions of friends and family. Luke 8:15, “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” 1 John 2:5-6 “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
Do we really have an interest in truth? Do we sit down to read the Bible in order to prove what we already believe, or do we read with an open and honest heart? If we all read with open and honest hearts, there would be no disagreement on the fundamentals of salvation, about acceptable worship, or how to live daily. We must be careful that we do not gather only the truths that we find to be attractive. That is why it is crucial to first and foremost, have a love for God. In truly doing so, we will have a love for His truths.
So I must ask myself, do I have a love for truth? And the corollary to that is, am I saying these things to prove what I already believe? Am I simply seeking to condemn others and using the love for truth as a guise to do so? Results are critical but so is motivation. It is my responsibility to train myself to be up to the psychological challenge of questioning my own beliefs in the search for truth.
Credit: Based on an article in Common SenseChristian, Friday, October 21, 2011
