There is so much confusion about "What is Truth" mainly because of 4 different things.
1.People try to take one or two Bible verses to support their theories, instead of comparing all they can find about any given subject and allowing each verse to have it's proper weight. They start out wanting a thing to be so, and then find a few Bible verses to try to justify their beliefs.
But the Bible says 1Cor:2:13: "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual."
2. People who want to sin or want to do a certain "bad act" will try to use the Bible to justify their position instead of determining that WHATEVER the Bible says, they will be willing to accept it, no matter if it cuts across their own inclinations. And so, again... they will try to grab at whatever Bible verses seem to support their theory. This is done many times for instance, when people want to justify their idea that "all we have to do is believe". They will ignore every Bible verse that tells them otherwise and/or try to wiggle their way around it somehow.
3.People just accept whatever their religious leaders tell them instead of searching the Bible for themselves.
4. People will take Bible verses that are just as plain as they can be, and decide that because they dont LIKE what the Bible verse says, that they will just ignore the verses. Or they will try to pretend the verses have some sort of a "mysterious" meaning that only the elite may understand. Let me give an example:
So many Christians today make the "Mark of the Beast" and its meaning out to be some really mysterious thing that we need some Bible Scholar to explain to us. But let me show you something. Just simply read this and take it for what it says:
Revelation 14:
6: And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8: And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9: And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10: The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
NOW... notice at the end of this warning about the Mark of the Beast it plainly and simply TELLS YOU who are God's people in this whole scenario... "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (verse 12).
After the warning against the worship of the beast and his image the prophecy declares: "Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Since those who keep God's commandments are thus placed in contrast with those that worship the beast and his image and receive his mark, it follows that the keeping of God's law, on the one hand, and its violation, on the other, will make the distinction between the worshipers of God and the worshipers of the beast. And so obviously, those who do receive the Mark of the Beast will have no regard for the commandments of God, while at the same time, God's people do observe them.
Reader, do you see that if we will just allow the Bible to explain itself, it then becomes easy to understand what it means? Instead of imagining all sorts of theories about what it means, we need to let God reveal the truth to us by comparing scripture with scripture. So many Christians have made conjectures about what the Mark of the Beast is such as having to do with computer chips and bar codes, when the Bible doesn’t say that at all. If God is going to give us a final serious warning message He is not going to leave us to guess at what it means.
But do you know why some pretend they dont know what the Mark of the Beast is? because they dont WANT to keep the commandments. And this is why there are so many denominations. Being that the natural heart is evil, people can come up with all kinds of pretty fancy and elaborate ways to skirt around issues.
Human theories and speculations will never lead to an understanding to God's word. Those who suppose that they understand philosophy think that their explanations are necessary to unlock the treasures of knowledge and to prevent heresies from coming into the church. But it is these explanations that have brought in false theories and heresies. Men have made desperate efforts to explain what they thought to be intricate scriptures; but too often their efforts have only darkened that which they tried to make clear.
The priests and Pharisees thought they were doing great things as teachers by putting their own interpretation upon the word of God, but Christ said of them, "Ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God." Mark 12:24. He charged them with the guilt of "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Mark 7:7. Though they were the teachers of the oracles of God, though they were supposed to understand His word, they were not doers of the word. Satan had blinded their eyes that they should not see its true import.
This is the work of many in our day. Many churches are guilty of this sin. There is danger, great danger, that the supposed wise men of today will repeat the experience of the Jewish teachers. They falsely interpret the divine oracles, and souls are brought into perplexity and shrouded in darkness because of their misconception of divine truth.
The Scriptures need not be read by the dim light of tradition or human speculation. As well might we try to give light to the sun with a torch as to explain the Scriptures by human tradition or imagination. God's holy word needs not the torchlight glimmer of earth to make its glories distinguishable. It is light in itself--the glory of God revealed, and beside it every other light is dim.
But there must be earnest study and close investigation. Sharp, clear perceptions of truth will never be the reward of indolence. No earthy blessing can be obtained without earnest, patient, persevering effort. If men attain success in business, they must have a will to do and a faith to look for results. And we cannot expect to gain spiritual knowledge without earnest toil. Those who desire to find the treasures of truth must dig for them as the miner digs for the treasure hidden in the earth. No halfhearted, indifferent work will avail. It is essential for old and young, not only to read God's word, but to study it with wholehearted earnestness, praying and searching for truth as for hidden treasure. Those who do this will be rewarded, for Christ will quicken the understanding.
Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Scriptures. Understanding means obedience to God's commandments. The Scriptures are not to be adapted to meet the prejudice and jealousy of men. They can be understood only by those who are humbly seeking for a knowledge of the truth that they may obey it.
Do you ask, What shall I do to be saved? You must lay your preconceived opinions, your hereditary and cultivated ideas, at the door of investigation. If you search the Scriptures to vindicate your own opinions, you will never reach the truth. Search in order to learn what the Lord says. If conviction comes as you search, if you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the truth, do not misinterpret the truth in order to suit your own belief, but accept the light given. Open mind and heart that you may behold wondrous things out of God's word.
Faith in Christ as the world's Redeemer calls for an acknowledgment of the enlightened intellect controlled by a heart that can discern and appreciate the heavenly treasure. This faith is inseparable from repentance and transformation of character. To have faith means to find and accept the gospel treasure, with all the obligations which it imposes.
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. He may conjecture and imagine, but without the eye of faith he cannot see the treasure. Christ gave His life to secure for us this inestimable treasure; but without regeneration through faith in His blood there is no remission of sins. And without being born again you will not be able to "see" what is in God's Word.
