To listen to Nancy’s response recorded live on Moody Radio click here.
Truth is either absolute or relative. In the “absolute,” we see pure, unlimited, uncompromised, and unchanging ideas; Truth is reality. However, the person who believes in relative truth might understand a portion of the absolute truth, but only as it matches their opinion, personal experience, and feelings. Relative truth is not static but fluid.
Jesus is the truth all the time. God’s Word is truth, and our God by nature is universal truth that we, who believe, can embrace with confidence.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
God makes it very clear that He alone determines what is true. When God says something is good, then it is universally good. When God says something is evil, then it is universally evil. He does not weigh in on human opinion on what is good or evil. God gives us choices to obey or not to obey. When we violate what God says, we sin, and there are consequences to sin.
In the beginning of human history, God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with a tree of good and evil in the middle of it. God instructed them not to eat from that tree. They could eat from any tree but that one. Why? God clarified from the beginning that He alone would decide what is right (good) and wrong (evil)? That is why the Bible, God’s Word, is our source for moral and immoral decisions. Those who choose to live lives in obedience to God will desire to lead lives that reflect God’s nature. When the culture is godless and supports immorality, the standard of truth of God can get lost, and confusion begins to overtake confidence in God.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)
David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, writes about the cultural shift from a biblical morality to a cultural morality that he calls digital Babylon. He calls it that because it is comparative in size and power to the ancient empire that took God’s people into captivity. The Roman army was armed with weapons. The weapons that we use on ourselves are screens. Computers, phones, television, and movies give children and adults data, good and bad, in many different areas. “Screens have become the standard through which we evaluate what is true and false, what is real or not. Babylon’s values of power, pleasure, and prestige are ushered right into our hearts, minds, and souls through their all-encompassing presence and our openness to believe whatever we see, hear, or read without a filter of truth.
This generation believes in amorality, meaning that there is no absolute truth, and each person can decide what is true for themselves. The fact is, we all inherently know right from wrong because we were created in the image of God. We have this weird sin-tendency to disregard it, especially when it conflicts with our desires for pleasure or personal gain.
Without boundaries and laws, a culture cannot survive. That is why, from the very beginning, God made it very clear that He alone will decide what is right and wrong, and He expects us to live by His law, not for salvation, but because we love Him and want to obey Him.
In case we might think that God is vague in his opinion of what is right and wrong, read Exodus 20:1-10. “You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image. 3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 5. Honor your father and your mother. 6. You shall not murder. 7. You shall not commit adultery. 8. You shall not steal. 9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 10. You shall not covet”.
The commandments were given to the Jews as a reminder that God expects them to see God as holy because no human could ever keep all the commandments. The penalty for this is death, and that is why Jesus died on the cross for all human sin and then gave us His righteousness so we can have an eternal relationship with our holy God.
Every day God gives us choices. We can live in obedience to God and His truth or, we can do our own thing. One choice leads to life, and the other to death. Choose life!