Intro:
Over the next three weeks we’re going to look at an issue that most of us don’t think about on a regular basis but that is fast becoming a serious problem in our society. The issue is that of truth in our culture today. What is True, what makes something true, Is truth universal? This word, that was once so easy to define, means many different things to many different people. But, as Christians today there can only be only one definition of Truth, one source of Truth and that is found in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Word that He left us, His Bible.
It is essential that Christians get a grasp of this because Truth today is being watered-down, twisted, and changed into whatever people want it to be.
Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 3:15 that: the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Truth is found in God, and His church is to be the foundation of that Truth for the world to see.
Once, when a stubborn disputer was trying to convince Abe Lincoln that his view of events was the Truth because he was unconvinced that Abraham Lincoln was right about something, Lincoln said, "Well, let’s see, how many legs has a cow?"
"Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly.
"That’s right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow’s tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?"
"Why, five, of course," was the confident reply.
"Now, that’s where you’re wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow’s tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg."
That’s just a silly little story but it’s a great illustration for the mindset of many people today, they’re convinced that just because they call something truth that must be what it is when in reality, calling it something else doesn’t make it true and doesn’t change the lie that it is.
My purpose over the next few weeks is not to convince most of you that Truth exists, most of you would agree with me wholeheartedly on that point. My hope is to open your eyes to some of the thinking that is becoming prevalent in society today in order to equip you to more adequately share and defend your faith by understanding the mindset of some of the people that God will call you to share His Truth with. We talked last week about going into the world to teach and make disciples. Well, when we go into the world, we’re going to find a whole bunch of different thoughts and ideas about Truth and we need to be prepared to confront them and to understand the mindset and thinking behind them. We need to move forward confronting in love, but being convinced of the Truth we know, the Truth that Jesus talks about in John 8:31-32
Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Truth, the truth found in Christ’s teaching alone, can free us from the consequences and condemnation of sin. We must hold to that Truth in a changing world and we must do everything we can to share it with others.
This morning we’re going to look at the new definition of truth that is being taught and lived out in the lives of millions. Next week we’re going to look at where these ideas come from and how we can break free from them and finally, we’ll return to the basics and a Biblical definition of truth and what we need to be living out in our lives and impressing on the lives of our children.
So, today you get the shift, next week we look at the source, and we’ll wrap things up with the solution.
Read Colossians 2:1-8
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
This verse perfectly describes what we see happening in society today. So many people, Christians included, have been taken captive by various philosophies and ideals which make us feel good, make us feel important, even bring about a semblance of unity among mankind in the name of tolerance, but lack the foundation of Biblical Truth that is necessary to bring about real change, real repentance, and real revival that our nation needs. We have shifted over the years from a belief in absolute, unchanging Truth to a mixture of many beliefs that find their truth in the sincerity of those who believe it and can therefore change and adapt to fit anyone’s lifestyle.
So what exactly does this shift involve?
1) The Shift Is:
a. From Exclusive to Inclusive
JN 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
For you and I, that is a foundational verse to our belief system. It is an exclusive claim. I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. NO ONE comes to the father except through ME. What this shift in truth has done, is open the door to many other ways to get to God, many other ways to discover truth.
What was once accepted by us as true, as Exclusive, as Absolute, is not finding the same acceptance in today’s generation that is trained to question everything and to disregard and put aside whatever doesn’t work for them in their lives. In an age of tolerance and under the banner of acceptance and diversity, our young people say they believe the Bible, in fact study after study shows that interest in spiritual things among teenagers is at a level we have not seen in decades, but this interest is not necessarily translating into kids finding the Truth of the Gospel, many are being swayed that everyone’s religion is valid and are forming their beliefs about God from a hodge-podge of religious ideas that are presented as truth.
Pot-Luck Illustration
People pick and choose their truth until they find the ones that work for them, that fit into their lifestyle. One example is the popular belief known as Pluralism – Belief that no single explanation or system of belief can explain reality.
Bottom line, no one religion has the right to claim to be the exclusive way for man to find truth and god, each is equally valid and it’s the search for truth with in a person that validates their belief. If I am sincere in my belief that I am God or if I worship trees, these are true for me and therefore are valid religious experiences.
So, the shift has taken us from Exclusive, to Inclusive. From One Truth and one way to all is true and every way will get you where you want to go.
b. The shift has been subtle.
The shift that has taken place has been slow and steady, Satan has been so subtle that many of us have missed it. Satan has been masterful. If we had arrived where we are today quickly, people would have stood up and taken notice. But that’s not how the shift has taken place.
George Barna likens it to a FROG IN THE KETTLE
We’ve been sitting comfortably for a long time while the temperature has slowly been going up and we need to jump out before its too late. The shift has been subtle.
c. The shift has gone from Absolute to Relative
Truth has morphed from a series of absolutes to a work in progress that depends on the tastes of the artist. This new definition of truth falls under a broad umbrella known as post-modernism. This is a term that is almost impossible to actually define in any definite terms, it is complex, contradictory, and changes often. In simple terms, it is a movement away from objective and absolute beliefs, to subjective truth, which is dependant on the person and society in which it exists.
In other words, gone is Truth that stands for all time and in is truth that changes with the times.
So, what’s true today in American culture may not be true in 10 years as society changes and adapts, creating new truths. Confusing? It is very confusing and we’re only going to scratch the surface today.
Under this umbrella you have many schools of thought including these ideas: Humanism and Relativism.
Humanism – man is the highest authority and beyond man and his material world there is no reality.
So…a natural belief following that philosophy is that man creates his own truth because there is no higher absolute authority.
Relativism – values such as truth and morality are not and cannot be absolute, they are dependant upon the individual and the culture in which they exist.
Basically, if its true for you that makes it true. The easiest way to frustrate a true relativist is to ask them if there are absolute truths, they have to answer no, which is an absolute statement! You could also punch them in the nose, if they complain you just calmly explain that your truth says that punching is OK and they have to accept that! Will they? Of course not! It’s an impossible belief system to live out day to day. And yet people will overlook the obvious inconsistencies because, in the end, this line of thinking allows them to act any way they want and call it acceptable.
What is happening in society today is that we are attempting to remove God from everything and elevate man to his level. Christianity is fine as long as you are open minded that there are other ways that are equally as valid as your experience. As a society we have moved away from truth and base our truth on if something works for us, if it feels right. If it feels right it can’t be wrong. This is what is being taught in our schools and colleges to our kids and in many cases they are buying it! They are being raised in a society where we are as likely to turn to Dr. Phil and Oprah for guidance than to the Word of God.
A professor at a college in Ohio puts it this way:
We want to prepare students on how to think, not tell them what to think. Truth is something you discover in your own mind. There are no facts, no absolutes, no rights or wrongs, it is up to them to come up with their own truth.
It’s even being taught in our grade schools. In an article in the New York times a guidance counselor had this to say about how he interacts with the students. “I may agree or disagree with them on the inside, but I never force my values on them. If I come from the position of what is right or wrong, than I’m not being their counselor.
Truth is becoming a thing of the past and these ideas are being taught to our children. We need to recognize the Shift and hold tighter to that Truth God has given us.
So, that’s the shift that has taken place.
Why is it happening? Why have so many fallen so easily for this new line of thinking?
2) The Reasons:
This new shift in beliefs from absolutes to individual interpretations has been an easy transition for many to make. Satan is a master marketer and when he rolls out a product, he makes it desirable. Relativism is attractive to so many people, including Christians for three reasons.
1) Ideas of Tolerance and Unity are Desirable.
Can’t we all just get along? The ideas of peace and unity, (which, by the way, are Biblical Truths calling for us to be united behind one truth) are desirable. People want the feel good, warm and fuzzy experience of peace and so, if we teach that everyone is right, the conflicts will just disappear. We’ve seen that this surely isn’t the case. But, the idea of unity is attractive and causes many to bend their beliefs to try and reach that ideal.
2) Justifies our Actions
Removes the idea of sin and guilt. We can now justify any action or perversion because we embrace the “to each his own” way of thinking.
Abortion is not bad, the relativist would say that it is simply a choice with no morality involved, it’s like choosing which shirt to wear. We’ve removed an Absolute Truth, that life is sacred, and replaced it with a relative one, if a pregnancy doesn’t fit your lifestyle then end it.
Pornography, pornography is not evil, it doesn’t destroy families, it’s simply an expression of the human form and only becomes an issue when intolerant people make it one.
Do you see what I’m getting at? Relativism can be used to justify sin and ease consciences. What Paul predicts in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 is happening.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Many no longer turn to God for Truth because it means they may have to make changes in their life when sin is exposed by the light of Truth, instead, we turn to others who will validate our choices and assure us that we’re OK.
Finally,
3) Removes Accountability to a Fixed Standard
There is no longer a God who dispenses Truth, no longer a bar to aim for and to hold ourselves accountable to. Since Truth is found in us, we set the bar wherever we want it and can move it up and down as we see fit in order to fit our choices at the time. When truth is found in us, it’s hard to be wrong and when we set the bar, we’re always going to clear it. Relativism sets up a fantasy world where you no longer have to face being wrong or failing because reality is what you make it.
We’ve seen what the shift looks like, we’ve seen why so many have bought into it, but is it really a big deal? What are some of the results of this new line of thinking?
3) The Results:
a. Decline in Morality.
When you take away truth, things begin to fall apart.
Morality has taken a huge hit in the last few decades and when morality is reduced to personal tastes, instead of absolutes, people exchange the moral question, “What is Good?” for the pleasure question, “What feels good?” And in answering that question, they adjust their morals to rationalize their actions and choices.
When you read a newspaper or turn on the evening news, its hard not to get a little depressed or disgusted with the regularity of sin today. Drugs, murder, you name it and chances are you’ll read about it happening sooner rather than later. Addressing the behavior doesn’t seem to be clearing up the problem, because at the root of the decay of morals in America is a problem of what we believe.
The things we read about in the newspaper, these behaviors arise from the values a person holds, what’s important to them, and these values are formed by our beliefs.
Kids today face and fall to temptations that were unheard of for earlier generations. In his book, Beyond beliefs to Convictions, Josh McDowell says this:
“And while we need to fear what our kids are tempted to do, we need to be more concerned with what our kids are being led to believe.”
As a parent, or as a grandparent, we need to be concerned about the temptations our children face, we need to guard and protect, but we also know that we can’t shelter our kids forever, so we cannot overlook the underlying belief system that our child is developing.
Matthew 18:34
34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks
What we hold to on the inside, our values, formed by our beliefs will overflow into our daily lives and affect the things we do and say. When we understand that, if you’re a parent it can help you in the raising of your child, but as a Christian it can help us to understand a little better where those that God has called us to reach are coming from.
So, the behaviors we see from people are only the tip of the iceberg and what needs to be addressed is the underlying belief system that they are holding to, the very foundation of who they are. What we choose to believe and what we accept as truth will make all the difference in who we become.
With this decline in morality has come:
b. Weakening of our Foundations
Josh McDowell tells of a time he went with a friend to view a property he was thinking of buying…
House Illustration
Many people today have cracked and decaying foundations and it doesn’t matter what the rest of the house looks like, without a strong foundation, the house will fall.
David says in Psalm 11:3
If the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do.
Unless we have a solid foundation of unchanging beliefs in this ever-changing world, there is no hope for us and what this shift in Truth has done is weaken our foundations by watering down the Truth and producing a much different looking Christianity than what Christ calls us to.
So, this new look at truth is attractive, but what effect is it really having? What is this thinking doing to the religious beliefs of our teens? Barna did a study on our church kids across the nation. These are kids from Bible believing evangelical churches.
80% believe God created the universe
84% believe that God is personally involved in our lives
63% believe that Muslim, Buddhist, Christians and Jews pray to the same God just using different names.
87% believe that Jesus was a real person
78% believe He was born of a virgin
46% believe He sinned
51% believed He died but never really rose from the dead.
65% believe there really is no way to tell which religion is true.
Kids are hearing what their parents are teaching and they’re listening but they are also buying into what society is teaching and they are working in elements of that as well. Ultimately, what their missing is the exclusive claims of Christianity, they’re taking a little from here and a little from there with the belief that it all leads to the same place in the end!
70% say there is no absolute truth!
They say that what they believe is true because it works for them but they will not try to impose that on others. Satan is blinding people. I want to make sure that you catch this morning that this is not simply happening to someone else’s kids, it’s effecting our kids. And if we are raising up a generation of Christians that says it believes but is unwilling to share with others because they believe that those peoples beliefs are just as valid, then Satan has scored a major victory. Christianity and relativism cannot mix because God says there is only one way, He says to go and preach and to teach and to baptize. Why would He call us to this if any way of thinking was just as valid as belief in Christ. You cannot say you believe the Bible is the Word of God and in the same breathe allow for other roads to God and ignore the commands to share His love with others no matter what society says is appropriate or inappropriate.
We need to understand that the Truth of the gospel is one that leaves no room for any other way to know God than through Jesus Christ, that’s what motivates us to answer the call of God’s Great Commission to go.
The Truth is that Scripture is true regardless of if I believe it or not. Because it is the word of God and the standard of absolute truth for all men. If a society that has created their own rules, this world we live in, wants to call that thinking judgmental, bigoted, and narrow-minded, let them, it doesn’t change the Truth. And this Truth needs to be a part of our Christianity and has to be taught to our kids and to those who don’t already know. For us to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ as anything other than the absolute truth, for all men, for all times, in all cultures, and in every situation is to rob it of its life-giving power, to water it down, and to present a lie!
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There are many thoughts and philosophies that are screaming for acceptance as truth but as Colossians 2:8 warns us, hold everything to the light of Scripture, to the one absolute Truth and you won’t be lead astray. Build your foundation on the beliefs found in scripture, teach them to your children, share them with the lost, so that we can stand strong regardless of what comes our way.
The shift has been subtle, the reasons people are buying into it are many, the results are disastrous. Next week we will continue this series by looking at the source of this new definition of truth and how we can break free from its lies.
