Series: Defending Your Faith – Thinking
The Truth That Does Not Change
A Confused World and an Unchanging God
We live in a time when many people do not believe truth is fixed. If you tell someone you believe something is true, they may say, “That may be true for you, but it’s not true for me.” That kind of thinking is common in our day. It treats truth as something each person makes up for himself rather than something God has established. But Scripture teaches otherwise. The Lord is the God of truth, and His Word does not change: The entirety of your word is truth, each of your righteous judgments endures forever (Psalm 119:160). Truth is not one thing for one person and something else for another. What is true is true for all people, in all places, at all times.
Why Relative Truth Cannot Stand
First: Relativism Defeats Itself
The idea of relative truth falls apart the moment it is spoken. If someone says, “All truth is relative,” he is making a truth claim that he expects everyone else to accept. But if all truth is relative, then that statement must also be relative. It cannot be binding on anyone else. In other words, relativism undercuts its own foundation. It cannot stand. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and false worldviews often collapse under the weight of their own contradictions.
Second: Opposites Cannot Both Be True
Relativism also fails because it tries to make room for contradictions. Some say it can be true for one person that God exists and true for another that He does not exist. But both cannot be true at the same time and in the same way. God either exists or He does not. Scripture leaves no uncertainty here: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). The fool says in his heart, “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1), but his denial does not change reality. Truth is not decided by opinion. It is determined by what is real, and ultimately by the God who is there.
Third: Without Absolute Truth, We Cannot Really Know Anything
Relativism makes knowledge impossible. To know something is to move from error or ignorance into truth. But if there is no fixed truth to know, then knowledge loses its meaning. Teaching, learning, correction, wisdom, and understanding all depend on the reality of truth. The Bible repeatedly calls us to know the truth, believe the truth, and walk in the truth. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7); Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32); I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth (3 John 4). If truth is always shifting from person to person, then no one can truly know anything with certainty. But God has spoken, and because He has spoken, we can know.
Answering Common Objections
There are two common objections that need a simple answer. First, some say, “No one can know absolute truth completely.” But that confuses two different things. We do not need exhaustive knowledge in order to have true knowledge. Only God knows all things perfectly (Isaiah 46:9-10). Yet in His grace He has truly revealed Himself in creation, conscience, Scripture, and supremely in His Son. We may not know everything, but we can know what God has made known.
Second, some say that believing in absolute truth is narrow, bigoted, or closed-minded. But that objection also makes an absolute claim. It says one view of truth is better than another. So, the critic is doing the very thing he condemns. More importantly, Christians do not hold to truth because we want to win arguments or appear superior. We hold to truth because God has spoken. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). To speak the truth in love is not arrogance; it is obedience (Ephesians 4:15).
Christ Is the Truth, and We Must Stand Firm
Relativism may be popular, but it has no lasting foundation. It lacks biblical integrity, logical coherence, and moral strength. As Christians, we must recognize it, reject it, and answer it with conviction and grace. We live in a culture that is confused about truth, but the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Above all, we must remember that truth is not merely an idea to defend. Truth is ultimately bound up in the person of Jesus Christ, who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). If Christ is the truth, then to reject Him is to remain in darkness, and to receive Him is to come into the light.
A Closing Appeal
So let us not bend to the spirit of the age. Let us humble ourselves before the Word of God, believe what He has said, and speak His truth without apology. And if you have never trusted in Christ, this is a call to come to Him now. Turn from sin, repent, and believe the gospel. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the truth and to save you by His grace. For those who know Christ, stand firm in sound doctrine, walk in the truth, and hold forth the word of life in a dark and wandering world (Philippians 2:16). Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).
Copyright © 2006–2026 by Miguel J. Gonzalez Th.D.
Dr. Miguel J. Gonzalez is the Founder and President of Reasons for Faith International Ministries. He served as a pastor for ten years in Charlotte, NC and has taught in churches and conferences throughout the United States. He currently hosts the Time in the Word and Truth To Live By podcasts and writes at KnowingChristianity.blogspot.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved
