Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
9 6 2024
The Root of Deception is not an Intellectual problem but a Moral one. Part 1
In researching this week, I pressed into balancing the objective and subjective aspects of Christian faith and discovered it can indeed be a deep and nuanced discussion. Let’s break down these research concepts and how they relate to scripture:
Objective Truth of the Gospel
Objective truth refers to the factual, historical, and doctrinal aspects of Christianity that are consistent and unchanging. These include the core elements of the gospel message:
- Historical Events: The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- Doctrinal Truths: Beliefs such as the Trinity, the atonement, and salvation by grace through faith.
- Scriptural Authority: The Bible as the inspired, authoritative word of God.
Scripturally, the objective truth of the gospel is supported by passages such as:
- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: Paul reminds us of the gospel he preached, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus according to the Scriptures.
- Eye witnesses -Paul identified people who saw the resurrected Christ during the 40 days before His ascension. Even Jesus’ enemies and disbelieving friends were eyewitnesses.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17: Affirms that all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
- Numerous reliable texts: There are many documents, manuscripts and fragments of the Bible, Old and New Testament, in addition to secular sources that speak of Christ’s resurrection.
- Female relatives and followers of Jesus were convinced He was dead. They purchased spices and fragrant oils after the end of the holy day. These they prepared on the day before the weekly Sabbath and planned to add them to the myrrh and aloes used by Joseph and Nicodemus (John 19:39).
- Saints were raised from the dead to physical life at the time of Jesus’ death. When He was resurrected a few days later, these saints traveled into Jerusalem (Matthew 27:51-53)
- More than 500 brethren saw Christ in Galilee, most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 15:6 some 30 years later.
- Undeniable evidence
Subjective Experience of the Holy Spirit
Subjective truth refers to personal experiences and the inner work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. This can include:
- Personal Assurance: The Spirit’s witness to our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
- Transformation: The personal, transformative experience of sanctification and growth in Christian character (Galatians 5:22-23).
- Guidance and Comfort: The Holy Spirit’s role in guiding, comforting, and teaching believers (John 14:26; Acts 1:8).
Balancing the Two
To balance these aspects scripturally, consider the following:
- Scriptural Foundation: Ensure that subjective experiences align with the objective truths found in Scripture. Experiences should be tested against the Bible, which is the ultimate authority.
- 1 John 4:1: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
- The Role of Tradition: Church history and the consensus of biblical interpretation provide a helpful check on subjective experiences. Early church creeds and confessions help preserve the objective truths of Christianity.
- Dynamic Relationship: The subjective work of the Holy Spirit can help illuminate and apply the objective truths of Scripture in personal, transformative ways.
- Ephesians 1:17-18: Paul prays for believers to have a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so they may know the hope to which they have been called.
From Subjective to Objective
Historically, the subjective experiences of early Christians were eventually codified into objective doctrine:
- Early Christian Experience: The early church had personal, transformative encounters with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Their experiences shaped their understanding of Christian doctrine.
- Formation of Doctrine: Through councils and creeds (e.g., the Nicene Creed), the church formalized these experiences into systematic doctrine. This helped to safeguard the church against heresies and preserve the core truths of the faith.
- Scripture as Objective Truth: The canon of the New Testament was established based on apostolic authority and widespread acceptance among early Christians. These writings reflected the objective truth of the gospel as experienced and affirmed by the early church.
Someone asked; What would happen if there was no objective truth? Some say that society would be rendered inoperative. There would be no true community where there is no common core of basic values. Everyone would simply do their own thing and chaos would result. We see that happening today. People are living as through there is none. Most don’t know the objective truth of God or ignore it. They have this desire for personal sovereignty. Without God’s objective truth, each of us will determine for ourselves what is true in their own eyes. We become the master of our own world, not limited by objective reality. Men now declare they are now women. People who are now trans. I was born in the wrong body. Romans 1:28 speak directly to this; “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive”,
In summary, while the objective truth of the gospel provides a stable foundation, the subjective experience of the Holy Spirit enriches and personalizes this truth.
Both aspects are integral to a holistic Christian faith, with the subjective always being tested by the objective truths of Scripture. Over time, the subjective experiences of the early church
became formalized into the objective truths that we now hold as biblical doctrine.
When we speak of faith we need to realize that in the New Testament,
faith is both objective and subjective;
the objective faith refers to the subject of our believing,
while the subjective faith has to do with our action of believing.
Thank God I do Lauren Daigle
