“That may be true for you, but it isn’t true for me.”

Few phrases capture the modern struggle over truth more clearly.

Sometimes the statement makes perfect sense.

You may prefer black coffee.

Someone else prefers cream and sugar.

You may love country music.

Someone else cannot stand it.

Those are matters of preference.

But what happens when we move from preference to reality?

Christianity teaches that truth is not created by individuals or cultures. Truth describes reality as it actually is, and ultimate truth is grounded in the character and revelation of God.

First, What Do We Mean by “Truth”?

If I say:

“There is snow on the mountain,”

that statement is not true because I feel strongly about it.

It is true if there really is snow on the mountain.

What Is Absolute Truth?

For example:

If a historical event happened, it happened.

If two plus two equals four, our disagreement does not change the answer.

If a person has been harmed, our preference cannot make the event unhappen.

Absolute truth does not mean we always know the truth perfectly. It means reality is not created by our opinion about it.

What Is Relative Truth?

The phrase “relative truth” can mean several different things.

Some things really are relative to the person or situation involved.

Christianity does not deny any of this.

The real disagreement begins when someone argues:

all truth is relative.

“All Truth Is Relative” Has a Problem

Consider the statement:

“There is no absolute truth.”

We can ask:

Is that statement absolutely true?

If yes, then at least one absolute truth exists.

If no, then we are not required to accept it.

But Christians Should Not Confuse Absolute Truth With Absolute Certainty

This distinction is extremely important.

Christians believe truth exists.

That does not mean Christians understand everything perfectly.

We are finite.

We misunderstand things.

We can misread Scripture.

We can remember incorrectly.

We can be influenced by culture, pride, fear, politics, habit, or tradition.

Believing in objective truth should make Christians serious about truth, not arrogant about their own interpretation.

For Christianity, Truth Ultimately Begins With God

Christianity does not treat truth as an independent rule standing above God.

Truth is rooted in who God is.

“God is not human, that he should lie.”

Numbers 23:19

“It is impossible for God to lie.”

Hebrews 6:18

God is truthful because falsehood is contrary to His character.

Jesus Makes an Extraordinary Claim About Truth

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”

John 14:6

Jesus does not merely say:

“I teach some truths.”

He ties truth to Himself.

That is one reason Christianity cannot simply say all religious claims are equally true.

Christianity is built around particular claims about reality: who God is, who Jesus is, what happened at the cross, and whether Jesus rose from the dead.

Can Contradictory Religious Claims All Be True?

Consider several claims:

These claims cannot all be true in the same sense at the same time.

That does not mean every religion is entirely false.

Different traditions may contain:

Is Claiming Truth Intolerant?

Not necessarily.

Tolerance originally assumes disagreement.

You do not tolerate something you already agree with.

Real tolerance says:

“I believe you are mistaken, but I will still treat you with dignity and respect.”

Christian conviction should never become an excuse for cruelty.

“Speaking the truth in love.”

Ephesians 4:15

What About “My Truth”?

This phrase can mean something useful.

Sometimes someone means:

“This is honestly how I experienced it.”

Personal testimony matters.

Two people can experience the same event differently.

But experience and truth are not identical.

“My experience is real” is not the same claim as “my interpretation must therefore be objectively true.”

Feelings Matter — But Feelings Are Not Infallible

Christianity does not teach that feelings are unimportant.

Jesus experienced:

Our emotions communicate something important.

But they can also mislead us.

Fear can make a safe situation feel dangerous.

Anger can make an unfair judgment feel obviously correct.

Desire can make something harmful feel good.

Can Culture Determine Truth?

Cultures strongly shape how people think.

What seems obvious in one century may seem strange in another.

This should make us humble.

But cultural influence does not prove there is no objective truth.

Cultures can be wrong.

History gives us painful examples.

Slavery has been culturally accepted.

Racism has been culturally defended.

Women and minorities have been denied basic dignity by socially accepted systems.

If culture creates morality and truth, then we lose any standard by which we can say an entire culture is morally mistaken.

The Idea of Moral Progress Assumes a Standard

We often say society has progressed.

But progress requires a direction.

If there is no standard beyond culture, we may be able to say:

“Our culture has changed.”

But can we say:

“Our culture has become better”?

Better according to what standard?

Christianity Says Some Moral Truths Are Objective

Jesus grounds morality in love of God and love of neighbor.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37–39

Christianity therefore says some things remain wrong even when:

Why?

Because morality is ultimately grounded in the character of God.

Is Something Good Just Because God Commands It?

This is an ancient question.

If God simply invents morality, couldn’t He declare cruelty good?

Historic Christian theology generally answers:

Goodness is rooted in God’s own character.

God does not arbitrarily invent goodness.

Nor does He obey a moral law above Himself.

God is good.

“The Lord is good.”

Psalm 100:5

Christian morality is grounded not in arbitrary commands, but in the character of the God who is holy, just, faithful, loving, and true.

Objective Truth Does Not Mean Every Situation Has an Identical Answer

This is another place where Christians can oversimplify.

Objective moral principles still have to be applied wisely.

For example:

Scripture teaches care for others.

But exactly what care requires may differ from situation to situation.

Scripture teaches truthfulness.

But wisdom is still needed regarding what, when, and how to speak.

Does Believing in Truth Mean Every Bible Interpretation Is Obvious?

No.

The Bible contains:

Christians can agree that Scripture is true while disagreeing about the best interpretation of difficult passages.

Does Disagreement Mean There Is No Truth?

Imagine several witnesses disagreeing about a traffic accident.

One says the blue car entered first.

Another thinks the red car did.

Their disagreement does not mean the accident had no objective sequence.

It means the witnesses may have incomplete or inaccurate knowledge.

Disagreement tells us something about human knowledge. It does not necessarily tell us that objective truth does not exist.

Relativism Has Pointed Out Something Christians Should Hear

Christian apologetics should not simply dismiss every criticism associated with relativism or postmodern thought.

There are legitimate warnings.

Christians have sometimes used “the truth” as a weapon while failing to examine their own pride.

The abuse of truth does not mean truth does not exist. It means people capable of self-deception must handle truth humbly.

Pilate Asked the Question Too

During Jesus’ trial, Pilate asks:

“What is truth?”

John 18:38

The irony is hard to miss.

Pilate asks about truth while Jesus is standing directly in front of him.

Just before this, Jesus says:

“The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.”

John 18:37

The Resurrection Is a Truth Claim

Christianity rises or falls on claims about reality.

Paul does not say:

“The resurrection is spiritually true if it inspires you.”

He says something much more concrete.

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.”

1 Corinthians 15:17

Either Jesus rose from the dead or He did not.

Christianity does not survive by simply saying:

“It is true for us.”

The Christian Gospel is making a public claim about what actually happened.

Truth Without Love Becomes Harsh

Christians can believe correct things and still represent them badly.

Paul writes:

“If I… can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge… but do not have love, I am nothing.”

1 Corinthians 13:2

Knowing truth is not permission to become arrogant.

Jesus combines extraordinary conviction with extraordinary compassion.

But Love Without Truth Can Become Empty

Suppose a doctor discovers a dangerous illness.

It would not be loving to say:

“I don’t want to upset you, so I won’t tell you.”

Love sometimes requires saying something difficult because reality matters.

Christianity says genuine love does not invent reality to spare us discomfort. It seeks our good within reality as it truly is.

Jesus Holds Grace and Truth Together

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us… full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

Grace without truth can become sentimentality.

Truth without grace can become cruelty.

Jesus brings both.

Can Human Beings Actually Know Truth?

Christianity says:

Yes — truly, but not exhaustively.

We are not God.

We never possess infinite knowledge.

But limited knowledge can still be genuine knowledge.

A child may not understand everything about the ocean.

But the child can truthfully know:

“That is the ocean.”

What Role Does Scripture Play?

Christianity claims that God has not left us entirely dependent on our own speculation.

“Your word is truth.”

John 17:17

Scripture becomes a standard by which Christian claims are tested.

That does not remove the need for interpretation.

It means Christianity believes truth is received rather than simply invented.

What About Scientific Truth?

Christianity should have no fear of genuine discovery.

If God is the Creator of reality, then learning how creation actually works should not ultimately threaten truth about God.

Christians can make bad scientific claims.

Scientists can make bad philosophical claims.

Neither changes what is actually true.

Truth cannot finally contradict truth. When apparent conflicts arise, our interpretation of Scripture, nature, or both may require deeper examination.

Why Is Relativism Attractive?

Because absolute truth can feel threatening.

If truth exists independently of me, then I may be wrong.

My desires may not define reality.

My culture may need correction.

My beliefs may need revision.

That can feel uncomfortable.

Relativism can appear to offer freedom:

“Nobody can tell me what is true for me.”

But that freedom carries a cost.

If truth becomes purely personal, then justice, human dignity, morality, and even meaningful disagreement become harder to ground.

The Christian View Is Challenging in Both Directions

How Should Christians Seek Truth?

The Christian goal is not simply to win arguments.

It is to become people who love what is true.

“Test everything; hold fast to what is good.”

1 Thessalonians 5:21

A Truth Heart Audit

Absolute vs. Relative Truth — In Plain Talk