How can we know what is true?

by Ritch Sandford  |  June 24, 2014

In recent years, it seems as though the entire concept of “absolute truth” has become more and more ambiguous. In fact, many people disregard the entire idea of “absolute truth” while stating that nothing can be absolute. How can something be absolutely true regardless of external influences? In other words…many people are beginning to think that nothing is absolute in the purest sense of that word. While definitions may change, as well as viewpoints and opinions, this has no bearing on what is actually true. For the sake of this article, let’s define truth as “ultimate reality”.

How can we determine what is ultimately true? A person may believe that the moon is 

To honestly and purely seek truth, a person must first reject and even dismiss all presuppositions. And in recognizing that presuppositions may cloud our view of reality, all truth-seeking must begin with an acknowledgment: “I might be wrong”. This humble statement is one that many people are never willing to consider…and for many reasons. And the greatest of these may be that if a person admits that his viewpoint may be incorrect in one matter…he would be forced to conclude that he may be wrong in others. This possibility is far too scary for most people to concede.

Ultimate reality is not dependent upon knowledge, desire, or even faith. Just because I think something is true, want something to be true or believe something is true…does not make it true!

At one time the greatest minds in the world were utterly convinced that the earth was flat…but their knowledge was limited! The man who just learned from his doctor that he has cancer may not Want it to be true, but His desire does not change the prognosis. The terrorists who carried out the 9-11 attacks on the u.s. Did so out of belief, a conviction so sincere that they were willing to die for it…but their beliefs could not justify their actions.But God has given us a supernatural standard of truth. An Ultimate authority that testifies to ultimate reality. His word. John 17:17, the word of God is truth.

The bible contains every last bit of Gods Word. It is trustworthy, our final authority, and Gods complete revelation. The Bible teaches us, Jeremiah 17:9, proverbs 28:26. This is truth…not dependent upon our finite minds, deceitful hearts, or wavering beliefs…but defined by our unshakable standard of truth…our ultimate authority: God.

What matters is not what we think to be true about God…but what God declares to be true of Himself.

How many gods does God say there are?

In God’s written testimony (the Bible), He reveals Himself to us. Through the prophet Isaiah, God says, “Before me no God was formed, nor shall there be any after me”[g], “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god”[h], and “Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any”[i]. Here God clearly and definitively states that He is the one and only God.   Despite the clarity with which God asserts His unique claim to deity there are a few common criticisms of this text:

Common Criticism 1: “These verses are only claiming that there are no other gods for us.”

This explanation fails to take in account all of God’s words in these passages. He declares that He does not know of any other gods[i]. From the LDS perspective, Heavenly Father should know of other gods because He became God by worshiping the god before Him. From the Traditional Christian perspective, God is omniscient (all-knowing). This means that there is no knowledge that God does not maintain. Therefore, if God says that He knows of no other gods…they do not exist. In either worldview, then, this criticism is invalid.

Common Criticism 2: “In context, these verses are only talking about false gods, or idols.”

This criticism falls short because it relies upon shifting definitions that, when appropriately substituted, make God’s statements inaccurate. In other words, if you were to replace the word “god” in the verses with “idol” they would not be true. We know that there were false gods/idols being worshiped at the time in history that Isaiah recorded these words. So for God to say that “before me no [idol] was formed, nor shall there be any [idol] after me”, would be an incorrect statement. People had been forming idols long before God had chosen His people (Israel), and still form and worship idols today. Furthermore, God specifically acknowledges the presence of “carved idols” amongst His people in other passages in Isaiah[j]. So God’s statements in the above referenced verses are not restricted to idols…but to legitimate deities. Additionally, If what God meant to say was, “I am the only God of this planet”, this would have been an opportune time for Him to clear up the whole misunderstanding by acknowledging other gods, and redirecting our worship to Him rather than them.

Common Criticism 3: “There are many parts of the Bible that are missing or have been changed. Perhaps this is one of those parts.”

This is a common catch-all response that fails to actually deal with the issue at hand. I am well aware that some people cling to this critique of any passage in the Bible that disagrees with their beliefs, and also know that I am powerless to change anyone’s mind on this subject. But I would ask the reader to consider two important points: 1) The above stated passages are all from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Since the discovery of the Great Isaiah Scroll in 1947, which dates back to approximately 125 BC[k], we can be certain that these verses have not been changed, nor any others removed from the book of Isaiah since well before the time of Christ. 2) Additionally, what would be the advantage of the Christian/Political leaders in changing this verse? Whenever you encounter a verse with which you disagree and conclude that someone must have changed its original meaning, ask yourself why. Why would a corrupt leader want people to believe that there is only one God if there were, in fact, many? What gain would it be for that leader? In an age when political leaders commonly claimed divinity for themselves…why would they reject that whole notion, diminishing their own position?

Here’s The Point…

The Bible teaches that there only ever has been and ever will be one creator God. That creator God loves you, the reader, more than you could possibly know. Whenever we diminish the true limitless nature of God…or try to share His glory with another god (or even person, idea, religion, etc…) we fail to recognize who He actually is. Without knowing Him, we cannot “Love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart with all [our] soul and with all [our] mind”[l] which Jesus calls “the great and first commandment”[m]. Our highest priority is to love God. The one and only God.