"Relativism" is also a theory that the concepts of truth and moral values aren't absolute, but depends upon the person. In other words, people may believe things are wrong for others, but right for themselves. It also means that some people believe no truths or values are valid, hence in belief, they are anarchists. Whereas, Einstein proposed a concept of "no relativity", the theory of "relativism" does just the opposite! Enough of Einstein now! Let's turn to God!
"Truth" is when something is proved to conform to the actual. "What is truth?" is the primary question philosophers and scientists seek to answer. Each time there is an hypothesis the tester must operationalize the test to compare variables. When hypothesis are tested, null correlations are examined. Hypothesis are never proved, but "fail" to be disproved! Scientific studies, then never "prove" anything. They strictly fail to disprove with varying amounts of uncertainity. Science, therefore, requires faith. Rather than faith in a creator God, science requires faith in fate!
The Bible doesn't outright define "truth", but everywhere implies that just because God is God, what he says and does, his plan, is truth!
Psalm 33:4 "For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth."
There is verse after verse correlating God and truth. The most often written verses complement "truth" with "God's mercies"! God has mercy on those who seek truth, and as we can see from Psalm 33:4, whatever God says is truth! Philosophers and scientists look for truth beyond God. Regardless of what they find in their theories and discontinuities, God remains Truth!
Back to Einstein for a second. After all Einstein's research and conclusions, this atheist Jew said (paraphrased) "It had to start with God!" Now, that's the "Truth"!
Many people declare God wrong. Scripture says "the Lord is right"! Not right in some cases or most of the time; but God is always right. That's absolute! That's purity of thought! Absolute is not abstract and it's not a mix. The absolute temperature is when all heat is removed from a substance. It's not a mix of hot and cold! All, not some, of the electrons are at rest. There is no motion. That occurs at negative 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit. That's cold! That's absolutely cold!
Note that "absolute" is "absolute". It's when all heat is removed from a material. It doesn't depend on who's holding the thermometer or to whom the liquid nitrogen belongs. It's just absolute. Relativism would mean that absolute zero cannot be. It would vary depending on something else. Wrong! Any known element is without electron activity at that temperature. It's not relative to anything!
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Remembering that Jesus IS God, this means that God is absolute! His word is unchanging. Remembering from Psalms that God's word is "right" then God's was right yesterday, he's right today and he's right tomorrow! God is not hampered by the space-time continuum. That continuum is created by God. Mr. Einstein discovered what God created, but who gets the credit? Einstein. Go figure!
Some people, referring to God's Word, say "Times have changed. That's no longer true today." That statement is "relativism". In effect the sayer would as well say "God is a liar"! For instance, if homosexuality is an abomination to God when Sodom and Gemorrah was destroyed, it still is disgusting to him. Nothing has changed! Sin is absolute! It's not wrong for the people of old, but right for this enlightened age! That's not scriptural. That's Satan's deception!
I just implied that Satan is a practioner of "relativism". That's right! He doesn't care if you believe in God as long as it's God tempered with relativism. The demons believe in Jesus; they're just rebellious against his majesty! Satan (the devil) is not spoken of very highly in scripture, as his followers are not:
John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
If you don't believe in absolute truth, but propagate relativism, then who's your father? Answer: "the devil". The devil is a liar and his entire goal is to undermine God. He wants you to believe that God's Word is not right. He wants you to believe that truth is not absolute, but changes through the ages. He wants you to believe in the theory of "relativism".
One Christian lady with puffed-up knowledge told me "In biblical times they didn't know that the man with a legion of demons was schizophrenic!" [This statement reeks of relativism because God is omniscent (all-knowing)]. I replied "On the contrary, science today doesn't recognize schizophrenia is demon possession!" (If the symptoms are examined schizophrenia may very well be just that! Otherwise, there may be no connection between the two and the lady was making a false hypothesis). Either way, that's "relativism"!
Our patriarchs by faith obeyed God! It was works, but was credited to them as faith. Today we have Jesus and are called to place our trust in Him. That trust is also faith. We're not saved by the works, but by faith, However, the "works" we do are evidence of our faith!
James 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."
Some would say that "works" no longer matter. As we can see from James (several places even) that works is "proof" of our salvation. This is the operationalization of Christianity. Just as scientists operationalize by the use of data in "proving" their hypothesis, God did the same. (The wise man said "There is nothing new under the sun.") "Works" is how salvation is quantified! Zero works means no salvation. It's absolute! For some "works" is not part of the equation! They accept the "hypothesis" that they're saved (assurance) on faith alone, even short-lived faith, when works is the measurement of faith!
Those who believe that "works" is of no consequence, that's "relativism". They deny truth for their own wrong perception of truth; a relativistic truth.
Relativism is disobedience to God. It's obedience to the devil even though you may not realize it! Satan carries a deadly disease. That disease is eternal death. There is a cure for that disease. It's ABSOLUTELY pure blood. It's the blood of Jesus, uncontaminated by an ABSOLUTELY sinless body.
Where would your hope be if John 3:16 read:
"For God loved some of the world, and he gave, or had taken, one of his possibly many begotten Sons, that a few are allowed to believeth somewhat in him, and may or not perish, but possibly have a little life depending on God's mood."
Quite a different impact, being relativistic! Here's God's ABSOLUTE promise:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Now that's a fact. That's truth. Amen!
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