Certainty and the Church

We believe that there is truth that matters, so being certain of that truth seems like it would be a good thing. People who celebrate uncertainty are sometimes people who want to use uncertainty as a license to live as they please. Even the most convincing or persuasive presentation of the truth about right and wrong can be dismissed by simply saying, "Well, you can never be certain that you are right and I am wrong, so I am justified in ignoring your perspective." In this context, it feels like uncertainty goes hand in hand with a desire to avoid inconvenient truth. As believers, we should be submitting to the truth, not looking to avoid it. We care about truth, so we value certainty.

There are churches that have a reputation for certainty and attract people who are looking for certainty. These churches are committed to following the Bible and have strong convictions about what the Bible teaches. But given what I wrote about in last week's blog, I have noticed that sometimes they are not as Biblical as they think they are. To present and maintain certainty about Biblical truth, they need to gloss over some passages and ignore the ambiguity that exists in how passages could be interpreted.

These churches have a reputation for standing for the truth but may also be known for being stumbling blocks for church unity. Their need for certainty causes them to divide from other believers, who are equally committed to the authority of Scripture, over issues that are not as clearly presented in the Bible as they want them to be. A quest for certainty can be a hindrance to church unity.

I think our quest for certainty becomes problematic when it mixes with our flesh. "I want to be right", can be an expression of a love for the truth and a healthy commitment to pursuing the truth. It can, and should, be held with humility about our current grasp of the truth that makes us open-minded and eager to interact with people who see things differently than we do. "I want to be right" can be an expression of our ego and held with a measure of arrogance in which our current grasp of the truth needs to be vindicated. This makes us close minded and we view people who see things differently as a threat to our certainty.

Perhaps this is why God has provided a Scripture that frustrates our desire for certainty. He knows how our quest for certainty can be corrupted by fleshly desires. Scripture that is not easily grasped should lead to humility and the need to learn from others.

Occasionally when I am wrestling with a topic, I will randomly come across something that speaks to that topic. I pay attention to these things because it may not be random at all. It may be God helping me toward truth. This week I heard the following quote from an author on a podcast in which the topic of certainty suddenly came up in the conversation. This was not a Christian podcast, and I do not know if the author is a Christian or not. But when she speaks about conscience, I was thinking about the voice of the Lord. I will close this week with this quote.

I will close this week with this quote: We should mistrust ourselves most when we are certain. And we should question ourselves most when we receive a rush of adrenaline by doing or saying something. Many people mistake that rush of adrenaline for the voice of conscience. I got a rush from saying that. I'm right. In my worldview, conscience speaks in a very small and inconvenient voice and it is normally saying to you. 'Think again. Look more deeply. Consider this.'"