Many people today are imprisoned by unbelief, confused on what is true, and troubled with no peace. Political discourse has devolved into echo chambers where truth is filtered through partisan media. This divisiveness corrodes relationships as accusations of “lies” become weapons of contempt rather than invitations to understanding. My reflection offers a profound exploration of truth, belief, and spiritual understanding, drawing heavily on biblical scripture and personal experience.
War on truth is a spiritual warfare.
The current societal landscape is a battleground of beliefs, where people are often trapped in constructed worldviews that resist alternative perspectives. Isaiah 5:20 powerfully addresses this challenge: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” This scripture critiques the moral relativism that blurs essential ethical distinctions in our culture.
My journey in four decades from a nominal Christian turned atheist/agnostic to what I call a “relational Christian” revealed a deeply personal transformation as born again of the Holy Spirit. My initial approach to sharing my newfound faith was counterproductive – my passion and zeal, while genuine, came across as arrogant and alienating. I lost friends and family members who looked at my transformation as temporary. I learned firsthand that being a messenger of God’s truth inevitably creates tension.
When I accepted God’s call, He equipped me for the journey ahead. To deepen my understanding, God led me to Western Seminary in Los Gatos in 2006, where I began with crucial lessons in evangelism, apologetics, and studies of the Old Testament major prophets. By having the Holy Spirit as my teacher and guide in reading the Bible, my hunger to know God’s word was insatiable. My religion turned to an intimate relationship with God which removed all my intellectual pride. “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight (1 Corinthians 3:18-19).” I even joined a bible study tour of the Holy Land with my siblings. There, the Bible became alive and more relatable. Today, my goal is spiritual maturity of being Christlike. Although I am work in progress, only now can my life be a testimonial of the bible that unbelievers may never read.
What is the truth and reality?
Enoch Wan, Director of Western Seminary, defines truth and reality as the relational realism paradigm. “Epistemologically, it is the systematic understanding that God is the absolute Truth and the Perfect Knowledge, and only in relationship with Him is there the possibility of human knowledge and understanding of truth and reality.”1 Wan suggests that this term is applicable to Christian, evangelical, trinitarian point of view.2
A humble and intimate relationship with God is the secret of my knowledge of truth and reality.
Truth is absolute as defined by God. The Christian apologetics focus on four fundamental truths: Reliability of the bible, Uniqueness of Jesus, Reality of Resurrection, and Salvation. Once these truths are explained to unbelievers and nominal Christians, God’s truth is revealed. Christianity is a relationship
between God and others, it is a lifestyle, and it is transformational. Once my life became grounded in unshakable faith and deep love for God’s word, the truth truly set me free, as promised in John 8:32.
- Enoch Wan, “Relational Transformational Leadership: An Asian Christian Perspective” Asian Missions Advance (forthcoming issue @ http://www.asiamissions.net/asian-missions-advances/). ↩︎
- Enoch Wan, “Narrative Framework for Relational Transformational Change,”
(ewan@westernseminary.edu; www.enochwan.com) EMS National Conference, Sept. 17-18, 202 ↩︎
