No, “OAUUK” is not a typo. It’s an acronym for five characteristics of God’s truth that we need to teach and impress upon our children and students.
“O”—Objective Truth is determined by a source outside of us and is independent of us: God. God alone is the source of all truth. Therefore, truth is not measured or determined by our personal thoughts, feelings, or desires. Something is not true simply because we want it to be true (Isaiah 45:18-19).
“A” —Absolute Because God is the source of all truth, and because His authority is fixed and immovable, truth is fixed and immovable. Truth does not bend to suit our own personal preferences.
“U” —Universal Because God is God over all His created universe and everything in it, truth applies to all people everywhere—young and old, rich and poor, men and women, different ethnicities, etc. (1 Timothy 2:3-5).
“U” —Unchanging Because God is unchanging in all His perfections, His truth will never change over time or with new discoveries by man. His truth can always be depended upon (Psalm 33:11).
“K” —Knowable God has communicated the most essential truths to man. He has done this most clearly through His Word, the Bible. God’s Word is truth! (John 17:17). The most essential truths made known in the Bible regard who God is, what He is like, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Why are these five characteristics so important to teach and impress upon our children and students? Here are a just few reasons. (There are so many more!):- God’s truth is authoritative over our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not—truth will have the final say. Every single person is accountable to God and His truth (Hebrews 4:12-13).
- We live in a world in which sinful man is actively opposing God’s truth. Truth opposition has catastrophic consequences (Romans 1:18; 2:8). Sinful man seeks to redefine truth as being subjective, relative, individual, changeable, and uncertain. As Christian parents and teachers, we need to diligently proclaim and explain the truth to our children and students so that they might be discerning (Romans 12:2).
- Knowing, loving, and embracing the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done is necessary for salvation (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:3-5).
- Submitting to and walking in the truth is Christ’s pattern for His people—for our sanctification and joy (John 8:31; Colossians 2:6-8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
- Knowing and embracing the authority and trustworthiness of the Bible provides our children with an unshakable confidence no matter what situation or opposition they may face in life (Ephesians 6:10-20).
(Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
