Question #1
What are the chances that I am right about everything? – Nihl.
This, for most of us is almost an automatic answer. The opposite would be so ridiculous and arrogant that we don’t even consider it. We only ever answer that question in the affirmative as a joke. “Yes, if everyone would just listen to me and do what I say then the world would be a better place.” Knowing full well that no, the world would be a disorganized mess just like my life. In fact, I think as we mature and make progress in sanctification and our lives do become more organized and principled, we even say this in jest less and less. In no small part because we begin to understand just how wrong we have been on issues in the past. We know with absolutely any self-awareness at all, that we are not right about everything.
Question #2
What’s the chance I’m correct when I decide between two things? – Fifty-fifty.
This is a big challenge for us. When we ask ourselves if we’re always right, we say no. Nobody is that full of themselves. And that’s actually the right answer. But something strange happens when we’re questioned about a specific issue. We start to feel like we’re probably right. I’d say it’s less than fifty-fifty. We’re not talking about things we don’t have an opinion on. We’re talking about topics where we already made up our minds in some way. We already have a starting point that someone needs to change. They have to overcome not just the facts or reasons that made us decide, but also the strong belief we already have that how we came to the conclusion is flawed. Being wrong is one thing, but being wrong in the way we make decisions is more serious. It’s like this: If I can be wrong about one thing, then I might be wrong about everything. If the way we make choices is flawed, then we have to question everything when we realize we’re wrong. But living like that is hard, so we use a few ways to defend ourselves. It’s easier to do one of two things:
Wrong Solution #1
I dunno.
We learn early on (well, most of us do – I’m a bit slow at it) that we can avoid defending our beliefs by not having any strong opinions. It’s easier to not decide on something than to find out we’re wrong or can’t prove our point. So, we kind of stay uncertain. Saying “I don’t know” seems smart. Nowadays, many people use phrases like “well, I think…” or “in my opinion…” a lot when they talk. Even in important talks, people might say “didn’t I hear…” or “I could be wrong but…”. These phrases are safer because they’re not stating facts you know or believe. I’ve noticed that even when we say facts, we often mention where we heard them from. It’s like a way to protect ourselves. If the fact turns out to be wrong, we can blame the news article or the book or the person who told us. When someone asks a direct question, we usually say “I don’t know.” I hear people say it a lot, and I do it too. It’s almost automatic, even if we actually do know and talk a lot about it. Some people can talk a ton about what they know and still end by saying “…but yeah, I don’t really know for sure” or “others might see it differently.” Saying what you really know can seem like bragging or being too proud. Today, being certain can seem impolite and proud. If you say you know something, people might think you’re hard to talk to. If you actually claim to know anything, then you are unapproachable.
I also want to talk about another related issue. It’s about how the meaning of the word “belief” has changed and the degradation of its definition. Many times, when we say “well, I believe…”, we’re just sharing a spiritual opinion. We think of ‘belief’ as totally different from knowing. But in history and tradition, saying “I believe…” is actually stronger than saying “I know…”. In the Bible, there are two main ideas, but they’re not completely separate. Knowing and knowledge are connected to understanding and wisdom (Prov 2:6, Col 1:9), and believing is tied to trust and faith (James 2:18). But, faith isn’t separate from knowing (Heb 11:1). Faith doesn’t begin where knowledge ends. That’s a change in how the modern culture sees it. In contrast, the Bible teaches that faith comes from knowledge, and faith gets stronger as we understand and become wiser (Rm 10:17).
Wrong Solution #2
Entrenchment.
Once we decide on a certain choice between two things, we often don’t question our decision. When we come across new facts, we usually try to fit them into what we already think, or we try to ignore the new information. This has affected many parts of our lives. We can make up stories to explain to ourselves how we’re still right even when facts don’t agree. We look for information that backs up our beliefs and listen to people who agree with us. We put ourselves in an echo chamber. We talk to those who agree with us to make ourselves feel more sure about what we think. Instead of trying to understand things better by learning everything we can, we only pay attention to ideas that make us feel good. This can lead to believing things that are obviously wrong, like the rise of QAnon, flat-earth believers, vaccine conspiracy followers, and those who deny election results. Even in our conservative Christian communities, we see people getting stuck in certain ideas about salvation, the end of the world, and studying ancient writings. We like hearing things that make us feel right instead of hearing different opinions. In the past, people used to come to their beliefs and grow in them differently, which changed how they thought about things. We might think that people have always been the same, but that’s not true. Our thinking has changed. When we read letters from just a hundred years ago, we can see clear statements of facts without people worrying so much about being wrong. They didn’t talk about their own opinions as much. But now, in our conversations, we use “I” a lot and focus on personal views. You can try this simple test: pay attention to how many times someone starts sentences with “I” or “I was like” in a casual chat. Getting stuck in our own beliefs isn’t brave; it’s being scared. It’s like hiding in a place where everyone agrees with you and only hearing what you want. Being brave means stating something and checking if it’s true even if it’s hard. It’s looking at our beliefs honestly and admitting when we’re wrong. I worry that we’re forgetting how to really think about our beliefs and be humble about them. Do we read the Bible looking for parts that challenge us, or do we read to find things that back up what we already think?
The Satanic Perspective – The Cult of Self
This is a direct result of the current international religion of humanism. The philosophy of public schools all over the world is humanism. Please read their beliefs in their own words for yourself. The three humanistic manifestos are freely available online. It is an attempt at a moral ethic for atheists. With a distinct focus on individualism. A focus on the importance of the individual perspective as a direct result of the importance of individuals:
My viewpoint is valid
My experience is my truth
No one can deny my truth
Everyone’s story is equal in value
We are responsible for our own truth
Not approving of my story is offensive
My identity cannot be defined by any outside perspective
Authenticity is uniqueness
The Absolute Conclusion – The Divine Prerogative
Truth is something that doesn’t change based on what we think or how we see it. It doesn’t matter what I wish the truth was – what truly matters is the real truth and how well I understand it. We need to remember that our viewpoint can always get better and change as we learn more about the truth. The real problem is deciding what we consider as truth. What should influence our beliefs? We should shift our thinking to let go of the pride in always being right. We should realize that our way of seeing things doesn’t need protection. Instead, we should let ourselves change by “renewing our mind, so we can understand what is good and perfect according to God’s will” (Romans 12:2). We can stick to the solid base of God’s truth when we talk, but we should also be open to getting corrected – all the time. We shouldn’t give up on truth. We should never compromise on Truth.
We are to live in submission. We are not granted to follow our own theories ideas justifications or perspectives. We are called and created to submit our distinctives to a greater source. Jesus has put it this way in his word:
As LORD, Jesus has authority to:
Override my perspective (2 Peter 1:20)
Correct my personal values (Col 3:12)
Redefine my identity (Gal 2:20)
Tell me what to think (Phil 4:8)
Judge what I think (Heb 4:12)
The attitude of submission should apply to our thinking. This state of humility and meekness ought to be the normal Christian life. It will and should be a marked difference to the world. It should reflect in our character and shape how we talk, learn and interact.
We should consistently strive to deny our truth for the sake of The Truth.
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