The Myth of Objectivity

I have an almost a knee-jerk reaction of assessing the GENUINE assumptions of those who profess to be objective. Though the rhetoric of “let’s look at things objectively” from those who oppose faith in Christ sounds attractive, there are definitely certain philosophical a’priori assumptions implicit within the objections that opponents of faith in Christ raise.

Peter, writing beneath the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, counters the perspectives of those who would mockingly deny faith in Christ by encouraging first century believers to continue to hold to their faith rather than be moved away from their time-tested and historically validated faith. Given the persecution and social ostracism that early Christians faced, Peter’s counsel was timely as well as needed. Not only was Peter’s Holy Spirit inspired exhortation timely, it is also timeless for every generation of Christians. Even though the kinds of opposition and social ostracism may vary, every generation of believers continues to find great solace from Peter’s writings.

The basic mistake made by those who oppose faith is to assume that God is as limited as they are if in fact God even exists. The objections to faith by adherents of both atheism and agnosticism are replete with philosophical assumptions about God as well as creation itself. These philosophical presuppositions are also characterized by fallacious assumptions about time and eternity.

Early believers were taunted by those whose immoral lifestyles mirrored the inevitable confusion of the aberrant philosophical assumptions that were implicit in the sneering mockery from non-believers that early Christians experienced.

In contrast to the assumptions that drove the opposition to faith in Jesus Christ, Peter reaffirms the faith statements of the Old Testament prophets and Jesus himself through the teaching of the New Testament Apostles that creation itself had a beginning as well as being an expression of the will of the eternal God as creator. Peter further asserts in 2 Peter 3:9 that the Creator God is actively involved and at work in history according to His eternal counsel and infinite wisdom that is beyond the capacity of finite creatures to comprehensively understand, thus creating the need for faith as the foundational assumption to even begin to fathom the mysteries that humans wonder about.

In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter continues to echo the faith statement that just as creation had a beginning, it will also come to an cataclysmic end in accordance to the plan and purpose of its Creator God. In this verse, Peter assures the first century believers (and all subsequent believers of every generation) that there is an appointed time in history for this cataclysmic end of creation, thus assuring them (and all believers) that what appears to be a delay in the end of creation is in fact an expression of mercy.

In verse 11, rather than satiating a desire to understand the timing and particulars of the upcoming certain-to-happen change as determined by God Himself, Peter issues a call to the first century believers to concentrate on conducting themselves in holiness and godly character.

Instead of spending time trying to assess how close or how far away the end of the age may be, the Holy Spirit through the inspired Word written by the Apostle Peter calls every generation to the same concentration upon holy and godly conduct as its witness to call unbelievers who have been deceived by erroneous assumptions about time, creation and the nature of God to acceptance of and commitment to Jesus Christ. The differences between the faith assumptions and loving actions of believers will underscore the correlation between what is professed and what is actually possessed by believers, thus pointing the way for unbelievers who are loved by the eternal God with the same passion that He has for all of His creation.

May we hear AND heed the counsel of this Holy Spirit inspired Apostle! May the certainty of the promised end of creation as it is now both call us away from spurious speculation and motivate us to both godliness and sharing the Gospel with unbelievers!!