One of my favorite subjects in university years ago was philosophy, although it amazes me that people can get so adamant about things that have no substance or that are ill defined. Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. That is a noble endeavor, but in the hands (or minds) of men, it can become dangerous.

I recall a discussion that I had with a very good student who became very emotional. He contended that there were no absolutes. Our professor allowed the debate to go on, and this fellow became quite heated. Finally, he stood up and pounded his desktop and shouted, "Can't you see that there are no absolutes?" All the other students had stopped the discussion long before this point. I quietly asked him: "Are you absolutely sure that there are no absolutes?" He saw the point right away and the discussion ended. Here was an absolute that he himself had defined. The clear conclusion must be that there are absolutes.

Looking for stability

Although we humans have become accustomed to a state of flux, we would like something concrete in our lives, to stabilize and steady us. Confidence can easily be shattered by uncertainties. We need to be bold and confident in order to be strong when we face life's many tests and trials. Confidence grows from small successes until we are more and more certain about our steps.

I recall my first few days in high school in a new town. Our small busload of students arrived, and I was one of three students from our town in grade ten. We were the new kids on the block, and we were not sure we were going to like it here. As we met some active and nice students and got involved in hockey, table tennis and anything else that was happening, we began to feel more accepted. The doubts began to fly away and be replaced with confidence. Almost all of us go through this pattern as we mature. Later in life we will learn to control our doubts and fears. However, even adults are sometimes driven to an unsteady state by events that life brings. A grave illness, sudden loss of a friend or family member or job loss can cause great upheavals. We need an anchor.Jesus' disciples had doubts and uncertainties until they saw the resurrected Christ. It took some effort and time until their doubts vanished and they became confident and bold. They all fled from Gethsemane. Peter denied Jesus three times. Luke 24:4-5 and 11-12 are verses that show the uncertainty in those who loved Jesus: "And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead?' ...And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened."

It is not a sin to feel uneasy and confused. God tells us to ask and to seek--He wants to give confidence to His children. In Philippians 4:13 Paul boldly states: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Paul had every reason to think that Christ would not accept him. He had persecuted the Church. In 1 Corinthians 15:9 Paul refers to himself as the least of the apostles because of his conduct before conversion. But he became convinced--absolutely sure--that God had forgiven him and was using him to serve the very Church he had plagued.

The anchor of hope

God does not leave His people without an anchor. Hope is our anchor. Hebrews 6:17-19 informs us that God wanted to show the absolute immutability of His counsel, "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil." He wants us to know that we know the truth. That hope is sure and steadfast and it was confirmed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over 500 people witnessed the events of Christ's return to life (1 Corinthians 15:1-11). Paul said that Christ had appeared to him as well--though almost a decade after His death. Nobody could convince Paul that there were no absolutes. This hope is not based on flimsy or non-existent evidence. There can be no doubt for a mind open to reason and evidence. Our minds are physical and we cannot grasp spiritual truths of and by ourselves (1 Corinthians 2:11-14). God supplies His Holy Spirit to enable our minds to become spiritually oriented. That in itself is a miracle. The Holy Spirit guides and leads us into the truth. Humans are spiritually blind without that direct help from God. That is one of the reasons that we use subjects like philosophy to try to prove there are no absolutes, because if that were true, then there would be no God. Satan would like us to believe that. We cannot search God out with human reasoning. We have to wait until He calls us (John 6:44).

Scripture tells us that God calls many:"So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen" (Matthew 20:16). Few are chosen because few fully respond to God's call. Some excuses parallel what we read in Luke 14:16-24. It seems many of the great and successful of this world have little time to heed God's call. Often it is the poor and needy who are ready to listen and to respond.

When we think of absolutes--we can be absolutely sure there are some. God's existence is an absolute. Our death is an absolute. Eternity that lies ahead is an absolute. Since God is an absolute, all of His laws, values and actions are absolute. We can see the snowball building. It starts with a belief that God exists. Without that, we have no starting point, and we cannot please Him nor reach Him. "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Philosophers prefer having no absolutes, because then they believe they have an excuse to be free thinkers. Romans 1:19 tells us that God has shown mankind a lot of proof about His existence, "because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them." There is evidence everywhere for those who wish to see. It is our problem, as humans, that we refuse to see. We develop ideas and theories of our own and even though they are totally wrong, we will bet our lives on those ideas--and lose. A famous American once said, "Give me liberty or give me death." Brave words, just as long as our definition of liberty is right. God knows our minds, and in His wisdom, He has prevented humans from having access to a deeper understanding. God has allowed a veil of blindness to come upon people on this earth.

The most important question you can ask is, "Does God exist--and if so, what does He think of me?" He says He is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27) and if we seek we will find and if we knock He will open to us (Luke 11:9). A broken and contrite heart will not be despised (Psalm 51:17).