Monday, February 1, 2010

Proclaiming truth in a postmodern world

Truth is not subjective. The great thing about truth is that is either true or it isn't. If my version of the truth and yours differ, than there are three options; my version is correct, your version is correct, or both versions are wrong. The one impossibility is that both versions are true. Unfortunately, we have been treated to a steady diet of teachers telling us that your truth may work for you, however that truth may not work for someone else and both are valid.

This type of thinking is prevalent especially when talking about spirituality and belief systems. There are several versions of the "all roads lead to Heaven" type of teaching being circulated and there is a large mass of people looking to have their ears filled with what they want to hear. Spirituality has been relegated to the realm of objectiveness where truth doesn't matter as long as you have sincere faith in your beliefs. Therein lies the problem.



In John 14:6, Jesus tells us, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me." This poses a dilemma to those who would deny absolute truth exists. Jesus is professing exclusivity, He says that in order to get to the Father, you must go through Him. Either this is true or it isn't, there is no middle ground.

The concept of absolute truth comes into play when studying Biblical truths. As human beings, we have a tendency to look at sin with some relativism. We all know that stealing is wrong. However, when the stealing is done to feed one's family, we may overlook it. Motive doesn't change the underlying act. If stealing is wrong, it is always wrong regardless of circumstances. We can show compassion and forgiveness, we can even allow the transgression to go unpunished, but it doesn't change the fact that something was stolen and stealing is wrong.

From here, we enter into the realm of moral relativism. The seventh commandment tells us, "You shall not commit adultery." The common definition of adultery at the time is much as it is today. Deuteronomy describes it as "lying with a woman married to an husband." Applying hermeneutics to the passage would imply that any sex outside of the covenant bond of marriage is adultery. Jesus takes this a step further in the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus tells us, "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus did not look to remove the Old Testament law, he strengthened it by applying a more stringent standard.

We in society have now gone in the other direction. There was a time when a couple would not have lived together outside of the covenant bond of marriage. It would not have been tolerated in society. In a post modern society where truth is subjective, we now overlook Biblical truth in order to be more "tolerant." We have put Biblical truth aside in order to accommodate everyone elses definition of right and wrong. We have gone so far to satisfy our own desires and not offend anyone, that we have even redefined the meaning of marriage.

No matter what we as human beings do, the truth of God's word doesn't change. As a society, we may choose to ignore Biblical truths but it doesn't change the truth. It simply makes us disobedient. Those who choose to ignore history are destined to repeat it. We see how God reacted the last time a society decided to live by its own rules and ignore God. He laid Sodom and Gomorrah to waste.

Our society is forgetting the truths it was founded on. We are moving further and further away from God's word in order to satisfy our own lusts. This will not turn out good. If we as a nation don't repent of what we have become, God may decide He is tired of waiting.

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