You will remember we have been using the Truth Finding Method to answer the question “Who or what created truth? Does God exist?”
The Truth Finding Method has 3 steps, they are:
- There must be objective evidence.
- There must be action. The definition for “real faith” is objective evidence in ACTION.
- It must work. Truth is borne out, only if it WORKS.
In formula form the Truth Finding Method looks like this:
Objective Evidence + Real Faith = Truth
STEP 1 was discussed in the following articles:
Finding Objective Evidence
- Transcendent Truth
- Is God Trying to Find Man?
- How Does God Transfer His Unlimited Nature to Man?
STEP 2 & 3 will be discussed in this article.
STEP 2: Creating Action. God’s METHOD for giving us a new nature.
As we have seen, when it comes to transcendent truth, the ACTION must come from the transcendent. The infinite must FIND (action) the finite.
That’s the difference between how truth is DISCOVERED in the physical world and how truth is REVEALED in the transcendent.
With physical truth, MAN PERFORMS THE ACTION. In the case of an airplane, man discovers the facts, but he also builds the airplane!
But with Transcendent Truth, GOD PERFORMS THE ACTION.
The work of God, is initiated through belief. What are you believing? You are believing in the LOGICAL EVIDENCE (observations #1-3 discussed in previous newsletters) that we uncovered. That God must find you. That it is HIS action to perform. Your BELIEF just gives Him permission to perform it in your life.
You initiate this action by speaking directly to God. You simply ASK Him to find you. This is God’s METHOD of transferring His unlimited nature to you. One example of what you might say is:
“God, based on the objective evidence I’ve uncovered I believe you exist and want to help me. You are concerned about my fallen nature and want to give me a new one. But the action is yours. I can’t find you, you must find me. So give me a new nature and make it work in my life. In Jesus name.”
“Will you feel anything.” In all honesty, maybe you will or maybe you won’t.
The most important thing you have to consider is, “DOES IT WORK?” The proof is in the pudding. This is Step 3 in the Truth Finding Method.
STEP 3: It must work. You know something is true if it WORKS.
When we consider whether this experience works or not we have to remember the PURPOSE of God’s ACTION towards us. It is to give us a theocentric (God centered) nature. When we cooperate with the purpose of this nature, the experience works. When we don’t, it doesn’t.
Consider two people interfacing with God. Of these two responses, which one do you think WORKS?
Response #1
Response #2
The first response works because it CORRESPONDS with God’s action (theocentric nature) towards him. This person makes God the center of his life.
The second response doesn’t work because it isn’t God centered, it’s man centered. It doesn’t cooperate with God’s action towards him. This person just wants to use God to get something for himself.
But why does God give us a theocentric nature. Why does God want to be the center of our lives? That’s what I’ll discuss in my next article— stay tuned.
