The Puzzle Solved: Finding Truth in a World of Opinion

There is no shortage of religions or beliefs in the world. With the growth of media and the Internet, we can turn on our devices and be immediately surrounded by thousands of voices, often saying very different things about what’s right or wrong, good or bad.

These voices all have an answer or opinion for what a “good” person is. A “good” person won’t do this, or will do that. A “good” person will say this but not say that, or will stand for this but not stand for that.

Ultimately, these voices are communicating the deepest desire we have as humans – to be right, to be good, and to somehow secure our place of peace and happiness in the afterlife (if there is indeed an afterlife).

But how do we make sense of all these voices? Can they all somehow be true? How do we know? If only one can be right, how can we know for sure which one that is?

To truly know what is right and good, the first thing we should recognize is that human knowledge and understanding is limited, and humans’ minds and moral compasses have been corrupted by the effects of sin.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We can easily deceive ourselves – convince ourselves that something is good when it’s not. Or we can be easily deceived by others. Sin constantly deceives us to do things its way. Bottom line: we can’t be trusted to guide our own lives in the way they should go.

God created the world, including humans, and set their purpose, function, and order into operation, calling it all “good” and “very good”. It was only when Adam and Eve decided to go against His perfect order that sin began to infect the physical creation and to leak into the minds and hearts of men and women.

Ever since, humans have struggled to think clearly and rightly. Whatever remains of God’s goodness in us is often confused with what the sin-corrupted, rebellious side of us believes is “good”. How could we ever really rely on ourselves or other faulty, unreliable humans to show us the true and right way to a perfect eternity, reunited with God?

We can’t. But Jesus Christ can show us the way. It’s why He came.

Hear the apostle Paul’s testimony:

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:15-17).

God knew we were lost without Him. So He came as a human to meet us where we are and give us a way to be set free from sin. He didn’t wait for us to somehow clean ourselves up first – He knew that we couldn’t.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

When we recognize the sin in our life and turn away from it and towards Christ, we receive forgiveness and are born again (John 3:3-8) and made new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

God, our Creator, can alone tell us how we can be in Heaven with Him when we die. He established the world with a specific order. He alone is “right” and “good”. He stands outside of space and time, and is pure knowledge, wisdom, and holiness – unaffected by sin. And in his incomparable grace, He has told us the exact details for the way to eternal life.

The way He has spoken is through Jesus Christ, the Word – or exact revelation – of God (John 1:14; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3). His is the only voice that matters, because He alone is the way, the truth, and the life – and no one comes to God apart from Him (John 14:6).

If we listen to all of the human voices around us, trying to tell us what’s right and how to prepare for eternity, we will be confused and frustrated, and maybe even filled with fear and condemnation. But Jesus Christ has shown us the truth: God loves you and wants to save you and has made a way for you to be saved.

When you take that first step of faith toward Christ, you are also given a new spirit – the Spirit of God fills you and helps you to understand the truth that much more. You will be able to understand God’s character, His ways, and hope for the future as never before. The apostle Paul called this a “mystery” that has been revealed through Jesus Christ for those who put their faith and trust in Him:

^“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

He said the truth is not in the words of human wisdom, but in the words taught by the Spirit.

The mystery of salvation has been revealed to you. The puzzle has been solved! And the solution is simple faith and trust in Jesus Christ, who died to take the necessary punishment that our sin deserved, and who rose to life again to defeat the power of death. In Him, we have freedom from the condemnation and power of sin, and the hope of eternal life in Heaven when we die.