CT03-BA02 | Participation Is Both Voluntary and Involuntary
Minute of Transparency:
How can we be so gullible?
Why are people so misguided?
Intro: So last week we dove into the First Basic Assumption. We introduced the concept of the controversy - how it started, shifted venues, and how it is now a constant on our planet - this battle between two superpowers over each of us.
We talked about our freedom to choose in the controversy, how the Earth is a stage that the universe is watching, and the our participation in the controversy is a privilege.
Today, we dive a bit deeper into that concept. And how exactly we participate in the controversy.
Today’s Basic Assumption: Participation Is Both Voluntary and Involuntary
Absolute Truth vs. Relativism
Essential Truth
The Totality of Judgment
The Eternal Election
// 1. ABSOLUTE TRUTH VS. RELATIVISM
The concept of Absolute Truth is very important to both CT and TH as we’ll see.
A few episodes ago we talked about the TH mission statement, values statements and statements of belief.
And one of the values was TRUTH.
"A willingness to put in the effort to find essential truth"
But in order to find what we referred to as “Essential Truth,” we have to understand what Absolute Truth is...
If you were to do a quick Google search to define Absolute Truth, you would find articles with descriptions similar to this - found on Wikipedia: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_truth
Absolute truth is something that is true at all times and in all places
It is something that is always true no matter what the circumstances
It is a fact that cannot be changed. For example, there are no round squares. There are also no square circles. The angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees. These are all true by definition
Absolute truths are discovered and not not invented
They exist in all cultures
But simply defining it doesn’t mean it exists right? In fact, this is where people diverge, and the debate starts:
The first question is typically, "Does Absolute Truth exist?"
And if people agree that it does - it moves into the second questions which is, “How much of the truth out there is actually Absolute Truth, and how much should be viewed as Relative Truth?"
So let’s shift focus and look at Relative Truth (or what is referred to as relativism)
In essence, it is the belief that there is no Absolute Truth. Back to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativism
Truth is said to exist in different forms based on the people group or culture it exists in
Views are relative to differences in perception and consideration
Our perceptions are always relative to our frame of reference so absolute truth cannot exist
So then, truth is ever changing, or relative...
A simple example in this country: There are people who believe there is nothing wrong with gambling - and others who believe it is morally wrong to gamble
Why the difference?
Different perspectives because the two people are from different cultures, or have difference perspectives on gambling, maybe differing religious beliefs
But the truth is still truth to both of them
Another term used to describe this concept is “Situational Ethics” - the idea that the “ethical” thing to do is relative - in other words, it may be different based on the situation you’re in:
Stealing is a simple example: In most situation you might agree that stealing is wrong. But if your family was without money, and they would starve without food - you could steal food and it wouldn’t be wrong at that point right?
Obviously we could go around in circles discussing these ideas. But even if we did - we wouldn’t land the plane and sooner than evolutionists and creationists do when they argue.
And here is why: Because what people are really arguing about in debates like these has less to do with the topic they’re debating, and more to do with the bigger question: Does God exist?
In the creation vs. evolution debate:
The creationist suggests there is a God in the universe who created us
The evolutionist says, no - there is no God - and we can explain our existence without Him
In the absolute truth vs. relative truth debate:
A person who believes in God, or a Higher Power, is more likely to believe in absolute truth
A person who doesn’t is less likely to believe that there are absolutes - and would tend to believe in relativism
So again, no point in getting caught up in this debate.
If the real debate is whether or not God exists - Controversy Theory will go out on a limb and answer that one for you. Yes. God exists.
Because of this, CT suggests there are Absolute Truths - truths that we can’t ignore if we intend to Transcend Human.
These absolutes typically show up in the following two categories:
Absolute Truth (Scientific)
Scientific truths that most people would agree are absolute
An obvious example is gravity
Most agree that the concept of gravity is absolute - if you jump off a cliff, you are going to fall - because of gravity
Now extreme relativists will push back and say, “Well, gravity appears to be absolute right now - but only because we don’t understand it. If we figured out how it works and could manipulate it - it would no longer be absolute."
But let’s move on...
Absolute Truth (Spiritual, or moral)
This is really where the debate exists
Due to the spiritual nature, these are the things people typically argue about:
The existence of God and angels
The existence of Satan, demons, evil
The existence of the controversy
The existence of sin
The existence of heaven and hell
A belief that certain behaviors are always wrong - things like slavery or human trafficking
The belief that all people have intrinsic, and equal value (all races, genders, ages, etc.)
Obviously, if you believe in God (and the Bible) you will most likely tend to believe there are absolute truths in some or all of these areas
// 2. ESSENTIAL TRUTH
But I want to shift focus a bit and go down a rabbit hole that will probably get me into trouble…
Yes, CT believes that Absolute Truth exists, but it suggests that the more important question might be this: What is Essential Truth?
The idea here is that out of 100 absolute truths, there may be 10-20 that are essential to me, or to you:
Essential to our current existence
Essential in helping us Transcend Human
Essential in exercising our freedom of choice in the controversy
Essential in allowing us to help hurting people around us
Now just because these are considered essential, doesn’t mean we throw out all of the other truths…
It just means we make sure we’re on board with the essential ones first - then wrestle with the others as we grow.
Essential Truth is somewhat similar to relative truth in that I can’t tell you what yours should be.
If you and I were to sit down and compare lists they would probably be different. And that’s ok because we’re all in different places spiritually.
For example:
Some people just starting out need to focus on basic concepts. In fact they may not even believe in God
For these people - they will probably need to focus on the essential truths related to God, Satan, the controversy, the sin virus, the Bible, our role in the controversy, etc.
Others may already have those essential truths under their belts. But may find themselves overwhelmed by something like an addiction:
For these people, what is essential to them at the moment might look completely different than the first group
They may focus on truths like this:
Everyone is created equal
Everyone has intrinsic value
God created us, and He doesn’t make mistakes
Our choices, habits and character are important in the grand scheme of things
However, we’re never too far gone for God to rescue and save us
// 3. THE TOTALITY OF JUDGMENT
The final section in this episode is going to discuss how we participate in the controversy.
But first, it’s important to understand the stakes that exist in the controversy:
Prior to the Sin Virus, humans existed in complete harmony with God
They lived on the Earth God created for them
They were able to walk and talk with God
And this existence was supposed to be permanent. Happily ever after if you will...
But the Sin Virus brought with it a new reality
There was now separation between God and humans
And the concept of living forever ended
The Sin Virus came with an expiration date that was applied to everything it touched - from the physical Earth, to the animals to us
We will all die at some point
This brings us to the concepts of Judgment and Totality:
Judgment is something we should all understand
In this country we have a judicial system, and the Judge is at the top
When you do something wrong, you go to court
You may experience a trial and may have jurors involved
But at the end the Judge passes judgment on you for the crime you committed
Similarly in life, we are born infected with the Sin Virus, and throughout our lifetime we think and behave in ways that reinforce the fact that sin is inside us
And the Bible is very clear about the fact that the judgment for our sinful nature was set the minute we were infected with the Sin Virus. Ultimately, it leads to death, which is to be eternally separated from God
This is why the Bible says things like:
“All have sinned and fallen short…”
“The wages of sin is death.”
Next we have the idea of Totality:
Not rocket science
The word “totality” suggests total, all inclusive, forever, permanent, no going back, etc.
And this is HUGE when it comes to understanding the impact of death
IMPORTANT: Death is a forever thing!
It is the inevitable result of the Sin Virus. And it means being forever separated from Our Creator
Pretty sobering when we understand:
Death is coming for each of us
There is no immediate cure for the Sin Virus
Life is short - averaging right around 75 years
And for those who are taken early - they get even less time to live!
Once death happens - there are no second chances
Luckily, God created a way out!
He created an antidote for the Sin Virus
This is why our choice in the controversy is so important. It has eternal consequences
We’ll go into more detail on this in the Sixth Basic Assumption...
// 4. THE ETERNAL ELECTION
So this is where we find ourselves:
Last week we explained that our participation in the controversy is a privilege.
But today we go a bit deeper - and find that our participation is both voluntary and involuntary:
Participation Is Involuntary:
We live on a planet infected with the Sin Virus
When we’re born, we automatically get the virus
On this planet, we are automatically placed in the middle of a cosmic battle
The opposing forces are battling for our allegiance - asking us to choose them in the controversy
A crazy thing to understand about this: Even if you were the last person on the face of the planet - they would still be fighting over you!
Because of these realities, we find ourselves “involuntarily” participating in the controversy
Participation Is Voluntary:
However, we aren’t pawns in a global game of Chess
We were given a powerful tool called freedom of choice - just as Lucifer had in Heaven
And because we have this tool - we can “voluntarily” participate in the controversy
The Election Analogy:
A good way to illustrate this is through the lens of an Eternal Election:
So let’s pretend that the battle between God and Satan for our allegiance is an election
Both of them are running for the highest office in the land
And both of them are asking for our vote, and both have a platform they’re running on:
In our political elections, platforms for both parties focus on the same issues, but offer slightly different takes on them
But in the Eternal Election, the platforms couldn’t get more different:
Satan’s Platform: Manipulation, smoke and mirrors, lies, making the Sin Virus look amazing, coercion, strong-arming, threatening, shaming, etc.
God’s Platform: On the other hand… is much different and includes a focus on love, the freedom of choice and offering a solution to the Sin Virus
We’ll talk a bit more about these platforms in future episodes...
Another element in this illustration is that Satan is the Incumbent - the one already holding the office - the one currently in power
In our political system, the Incumbent typically wins the election
Why is this?
Well, we tend to get comfortable with the way things are in life
And on some level, we’re afraid of change - even if it’s change for the better
Now the reason Satan is the Incumbent is because we “elected” him to rule the Earth back in the Garden of Eden
At the first ever voting booth - The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Prior to this God was in office and ruled the entire universe
But when we voted at the tree, we chose to put Satan in power, and everything changed
Because he was elected on Earth, he became the ruler of Earth
And is now the Incumbent in the Eternal Election taking place
Now this is where the illustration breaks down a bit:
Obviously in a normal election someone wins and someone loses (In the presidential elections, this happens every 4 years)
But in the battle between God and Satan, there is voting going on constantly, and it doesn’t go in cycles - it will remain open until the end of time:
The election results will only truly be known when this world comes to an end
However, each and every day, people are voting - and their votes are being recorded in heaven
Unlike an election in our political system where when your candidate loses, you simply try to get them elected the next time around
In the Eternal Election, your vote actually determines your future
It is a life and death vote
In our elections it’s easy to say, “My one vote doesn’t count…”
But in the Eternal Election, your vote is the most important decision you can make in your life!
Because of this CT suggests the following: Vote now! Don’t put it off. Sooner is better than later!
Now I can hear people saying, “Why? If the voting booth stay open until the end of time, why should I vote now? I mean, I just want to live my life the way I want to live it - and at some point I’ll figure all of this controversy stuff out..."
And that may be true - if we were guaranteed tomorrow. But are we?
Are you 100% sure you aren’t going to be in a car accident next month?
Are you 100% sure you won’t get COVID-19 and that if you do, you’re healthy enough to fight it off?
Just two examples that should make it clear - we don’t control our lives the way we think we do
We referred to this as the Safety & Security Trap back in Episode 008
Life is fragile - and we don’t get to determine the length of our days
Because of this - sooner is truly better than later
Casting your vote now records it in heaven - and nobody can take that away from you
A final caveat about this illustration... More of a Spoiler Alert than anything else:
The election illustration breaks down even more when you get to the end of time
We find it isn’t really a true election where the person with the most votes wins
Satan would love for us to believe this, because it feeds right into one of his weapons: peer pressure
If he can convince us that “Everyone else is doing it” It makes it much harder for us to choose against him
Peer pressure works because it places a level of fear in your heart - fear that you will stand out - fear that you’ll be viewed as strange - and ultimately fear that choosing against the majority might mean you’re making the wrong decision
But at the end of the day - the election results have already been promised
The Bible makes it clear - God wins
But should this surprise us?
Why wouldn’t He win? He is God, and He is eternal
Satan is a created being who rebelled against God
He was removed from Heaven when he rebelled
And in the end he’ll be removed from his position on Earth
So the important part of the Eternal Election illustration is NOT who will win in the end
The important piece is that we each get to vote during the election - and that this vote is the most important thing we can do in life
Land the plane: This week, ask yourself the following questions:
Where do you stand on truth? Are there absolutes? Or is everything still relative to you?
What do you consider “Essential Truth” right now in your life? Do you need to update your list? Add a few things?
Do you understand the totality of judgment? And that without an antidote to the Sin Virus - death is the end?
And have you made your decision in the Eternal Election? Have you cast your vote?
If you want to cast your Eternal Vote - but you’re unsure how - reach out to us at info@transcendhuman.com and request our free download called: My Choice In the Controversy
We’d love to get that out to you.
Again, if you’ve finding this content valuable - please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It’s the best way to help us get found in the podcast library. Along with you posting about us on social media.
Thanks again for joining us and choosing to walk through this series with us. I’m having fun! Hope you are too.
Next week we dive into The Third Basic Assumption: The Big 3 Questions
Until then - keep Transcending Human!