certainty

I read yet another postmodern innovator re-imagining truth today. This one plays on emotions with the question, "Is hope more powerful than certainty? The Apostle Paul says it leads to love. What does certainty lead to?" The questioner creates a false analogy. Hope is excellent and so is certainty. They not only are not opposites but in fact build on one another.

Certainty leads to faith, trust, strength, etc. (Joshua 23.13-14; Dan 3.17; Mk 5.28; Rom 8.38-39). It is useful to giving true answers (Proverbs 22.21) and to keep us from sin (Ephesians 5.5). The problem with this postmodern, as with many, is he divorces his logic from Christian truth. Certainty in a fallen mind is evil - but so is all else - even hope. Certainty from the Christian perspective "does not arise from the credulity of the believer, but is based on the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God" (Zondervan Dictionary of Bible Themes).

Certainty gave Job strength and even hope (Job 19.25), it fights fear (Psa 27.3), and it is good (Lk 1.3-4). Certainty keeps us pressing forward in similar fashion that one would attribute to hope (Phil 3.8). Certainly is the basis of our faith (1 Jn 5.18-20).

Ironically, this postmodern missed the point that it is because of certainty that we have hope. But again, it is a certainty based on God's character (Heb 6.8, Num 23:19-20; Deu 7:9-10; 32:3-4; 2 Sam 7:28; Psa 18:30-31; Isa 26:4), something the typical postmodern doesn't attempt to understand and even boast that God is not knowable. Certainty is at least in part why Christ came as a servant (Rom 15.8), again, His being a servant is yet another point often misrepresented by the postmodern.

Certainty, as the postmodern presumes, is not something to be ashamed of (2 Tim 1.12). It is given by the Spirit (1 Cor 1.21-22; Rom 4:16; 8:31-39; Phil 1:6; Heb 6:18-19; 1Jn 4:13) for assurance of salvation. And again, contrary to the postmodern way of thinking, it is gained through obedience (1 Jn 2:3-6; Mt 7:24-27; Lk 6:46-49).

We are even to have confidence and certainty in prayer (1 Jn 5:14-15; Mt 7:7-11; Lk 11:9-13; Mt 18:19-20; 21:21-22; Mk 11:22-24; Jn 14:13-14).

In fact, about the only thing I can think of that we are not to have certainty of is the timing of Christ's return (Mk 13:32-37; Ac 1:6-7; 1Th 5:1-2).

Then there are these wise words from Francis Bacon, "If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." But note that Bacon isn't against certainty, only the start point or basis of that certainty. To remain in uncertainty is not what Bacon is suggesting, his point is quite the opposite. Start there but end in certainty.