FINDING TRUTH IN A WORLD GONE MAD (Truth #1)
Times have changed. It used to be all we, as believers, faced in the way of attacks from the world were differences over immorality, abortion and evolution. Recently, a plethora of new challenges to our faith have exploded on the scene. We now face the woke culture, cancel culture, critical race theory, Black lives matter, LGBTQ+, gender identity and gender change issues, racism, radical Islam, vaccination controversies and much more.
Most Christians don’t really understand all these new challenges to our faith. If we don’t comprehend them, how can we accurately evaluate them and defend our faith against them? How can we train our children and other Christians how to respond to them?
In this series of blogs, I’ll give you some tools so you can better understand what is happening around us and compare it to God’s truth. I’m no expert on these things, but I believe I have some useful insights to share. Feel free to challenge me if you disagree or correct me if I am in error.
We need to start by finding a basic plumb line for truth. Where do we find truth? From the news outlets, politicians, actors or our co-workers? There is little truth to be found there. Even Christians don’t agree in many of these areas.
The only place to find truth is in God’s word. We must accept that as our final, absolute authority. In order for that to happen we must be firmly convinced that God exists and that He revealed truth in the Bible. If you don’t know how to defend these truths, email me at jerry@schmoyer.net and I’ll send you my articles on How we know God exists, the Bible is true, and Jesus is God and the only way of salvation. Or you can read or download them at https://www.christiantrainingonline.org/our-ministries/india/articles/
God is our standard giver; the Bible is our given standard and Jesus is our standard for a perfectly lived out life. The first tool we need in order to evaluate and understand all that is happening today is that truth is absolute. It is not relative.
Those who reject the Bible as their absolute turn to man himself as the final authority. Instead of the Bible, they base truth on their own mind and rational thinking. Thus, they believe man is good and there is no sin or Satan. They have no hope beyond this existence. Life is just to be lived for the pleasure one can get now. This is diametrically opposed to the absolute truth of the Bible.
Civilizations in the past that have been founded on God’s absolutes have flourished and prospered. Look at Rome, Europe, and the United States. Where God’s truth has been rejected, civilizations remain in darkness, evil and poor living conditions. Africa, India and Asia are examples.
It used to be generally accepted that truth was absolute. It was defined and didn’t change. That belief was called modernism. The time we live in now is called postmodernism. Truth is relative, determined by the people, and there is no absolute. If someone says they are a male in a female body, then that is truth. There’s no questioning their truth. Doctors and hospitals are forced to act on the statement of the person and change their body to align with their current feelings.
As we turn further from God’s word, we are turning further from His absolutes. Gay and lesbian relationships are more acceptable today than even a few years ago. Almost 70% of the people today approve of sex between unmarried adults. In 2006, 50% of the people said it was very important that couples with children legally marry. Now under 30% say that. Truth is changing, and it is moving further and further from God’s truth in the Bible.
Truth has become relative. Today, truth is discovered by man, not created by God. 60% of USA professing born-again Christians under the age of 40 say salvation can be received through Jesus, Buddha or Muhammad. They base that on what they feel is right, not on God’s word. What they feel takes precedence over what the Word of God says. They believe the Bible may have reflected the beliefs of people in its day, but not today.
If a pregnant woman feels abortion is okay, she can abort her baby with no consequences. But if she decides to keep her baby, believing it is a life, and the baby is killed in utero by an act of violence, that crime is considered murder. There is no absolute, it depends on what the woman thinks.
Suppose we applied that logic to cheating or stealing or killing? If there is no absolute, there is chaos. What would it be like sitting down to a game of Monopoly where each person made up their own rules? They could change their rules whenever they wanted. What kind of a game would that be? That is how a man makes moral decisions today.
Relativism says there is no such thing as absolute sin. If we go against a personal choice, that is wrong. But there are no absolutes to sin against it. Yet we know that absolutes are absolutely necessary. What would happen to our country, our freedom or our values if there were no absolutes? What would relationships be like if there was no honesty or truth between people?
Judges 17:6 says, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” That’s the way life is lived today. But Jesus says there is truth. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32.
Are you firmly convinced that God exists? Are you absolutely sure the Bible is his Word? If so, does that show in your values, motives, priorities and goals in life?
Can you explain your beliefs in God and the Bible to others?
What difference does it make if truth is absolute or relative?
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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