Searching for Truth
In our searching for Truth, we must have the courage to ask questions even when our questions are disturbing to ourselves and others. We do not question the sincerity of those whose views we examine, but many of those views are in error.
It is our desire to call into question then what good men believe and teach as Truth. Our searching for Truth requires us to ask the question, “What do the Scriptures say and what do the Scriptures mean when they say it?” Some key verses that we want to read to lay a foundation for our study are Proverbs 14:12, John 14:6, Jeremiah 29:13, 32:39-40.
One important thing to realize is this, the chief function of prophecy was not to predict the future, but to bear testimony of the validity of Jesus as mankind’s Messiah and to call the redeemed in Christ into harmony with the New Covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When searching for Truth, there is a sense of wanting to know which develops a sense that is only satisfied by knowing Scriptural facts. Remember, the faith that cannot be tested by Scripture is the faith that cannot be trusted. Self-confidence born of personal study is very rewarding.
When we insert the key of past fulfillment, looking to the past for the answers to our questions instead of looking to the future, a divine understanding of Scripture illuminates the story of redemption.
The blessing that comes to those who accept the concept of fulfilment is the accompanying hunger and desire for a better and deeper understanding of God’s Word.
We believe that only when a person understands the completeness of the Apostolic doctrine of eschatology1 can a believer truly appreciate the story of redemption in the Bible.
noun: eschatology the part of theology concerned with death, judgement, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind. "Christian hope is concerned with eschatology, or the science of last things"
We are built on a sure foundation. Ephesians 2:20 This foundation of God standeth sure. 2 Timothy 2:19 The Church today stands in a different place than the first century Church.
We today stand on this side of fulfilment with the privilege of proclaiming a complete realized salvation message. The early Church could only proclaim the imminence of the coming salvation though they eagerly anticipated it.
The Apostles held firmly to the knowledge of the imminent future that Jesus set before them. They were fully conscious of their own time as that of the “last days” knowing the “powers” of the “Age to come” were being witnessed and experienced in advance of the “end times”. Their message was not about some far distant last generation of mankind, but the last generation of Israel’s earthly commonwealth.
It is far better to proclaim a fulfilled and completed salvation than to preach a Gospel of uncertainty and delay and fearful watching. There are many Church people today who are disenchanted with all the frenzied prophetic speculation and repeated failures of latter-day prognosticators.
The Bible requires us to study to show ourselves approved. 2 Timothy 2:15 The object of our having Bible study is to find Bible answers to questions that involve the things that we have been taught and the things that are being taught.
Next to politics, religion is the one area where people will yield very little ground. The idea that we could be wrong or even called into question is extremely unsettling for most people. We must admit that our views on theology are what they are simply because that’s what we have always been taught.
From our earliest days, we were surrounded by those who believed like us. Since we all believed alike, we all validated one another. There was absolutely no reason for us to ever question whether what we believed was true or not. We become what we are taught to be. It affects the way we live, our lifestyle, and our service in the Kingdom of God. 3 Teachers and preachers are the guard rails along life’s highway. We can only follow them as they follow God. The following Scriptures illustrate this point. Romans 10:14-15,17, John 3:34, Proverbs 18:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Conclusion
When searching for the Truth, we must reject all doctrines which appeal to any one person or to any authority other than the Scriptures. Any doctrine that is based on private revelations or that apply false meanings to the inspired Word of God must also be rejected no matter who has taught them or is teaching them. Galatians 1:8-9
Most often when people become confused, it is because a tradition seeks to alter the original meaning of Scripture. Remember, when ideologies seek to alter the original meaning of Scriptures, confusion always occurs.
