The Foundation of Truth

The Foundation for All Truth

Colossians 2:8-15

“See to It that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”

                  The most critical question today is the question of truth—or, to put it even more succinctly, the basis by which we determine what is true. C.S. Lewis wrote, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” How do we determine what is true in a world of conflicting viewpoints, especially when it becomes a matter of eternal consequence?

                  For Paul, truth was not just a philosophical question to be debated.  For him, it was literally a matter of life and death.  Paul lived with the constant threat of death and imprisonment for the message he preached and lived by.  Paul would eventually be executed for these truths (2 Timothy 4:3).  Consequently, when Paul challenges the Christians at Colossae to guard what they believed and who they listened to, it was grounded in a conviction that he was willing to die for.  For Paul, there are ultimately only two sources of truth, and these truths stand in stark contrast to one another.  It is the same sources that we see at the center of the moral conflict that rages in our own country.

                  The first source of truth is the philosophy and views of humanity, who follow the “traditions of men.”  This is, and always has been, the dominant truth in the world.    Today, truth and morality are determined by the vote of the people.  Right and wrong are determined by the consensus of society.  Thus, truth becomes relative and fluid as people and cultures change. However, determining what is true by widespread consensus will ultimately destroy us, for it fails to consider man's sinfulness.  From the beginning, sin has distorted our moral compass.  This is testified by history, marred by war and moral confusion. When people determine right and wrong, wrong becomes right, and right becomes wrong.  We fail to recognize that we are enslaved to sin, and our moral compass is distorted.

                  The second source of truth is Christ. For Paul, Christ is the yardstick by which we measure all truth, knowledge, and morality.  Truth is not found in the corporate opinions of sinful man but in the character and will of a sinless God.  In Christ dwells the fullness of deity.  Christ alone determines what is morally true.  Paul points to three reasons why only Christ can be our source of what is morally right.  First, He is God.  Jesus is not just a good man who came teaching moral and religious truth.  He is God himself comes in the flesh (vs. 9).  Second, as God, He has authority over all creation.  He stands at the pinnacle of authority, and there is no one over Him, no one that He is subject to (vs. 10).  Therefore, He has the right and authority to teach us right and wrong (vs 10).  Last, he is the source of our salvation.  Apart from Christ, we were dead in our transgressions.  We were under the judgment of sin, and sin reigned in us so that we were subject to it (13-15).

                  When searching for right and wrong, when trying to navigate through the conflicting morality we see in our culture today, there is only one source for determining moral truth. This is the person and teaching of Christ.  He is the standard for truth and the basis for truth; therefore, we must bring all things under the umbrella of His Word. So, where do we find his truth?  Christ gives us the answer—it is found in the Bible. Christ affirms that the Old and New Testaments are not the product of man giving us insight about God.  The Bible is the teaching of God, given to us through people under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit so that it is without error.  

In our search for morality today, who do we look to for answers about morality? Are we following people and their ideas, or are we following Christ and submitting to His authority? How we answer that question is indeed a matter of life and death.