Tag: authority

The Bible’s Enduring Authority and Our Perennial Questions

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life, Why I Believe1 Comment

Picture the scene. A seasoned fisherman has labored all night, but he and his team have come up empty. Out of the blue, an itinerant rabbi tells this blue-collar worker that he will catch some fish if he lets down his nets one more time. The fisherman, named Simon, doubted this rabbi knows what He is talking about. After all, Simon is the experienced, no-nonsense fisherman. But the man is a rabbi, so it’s probably best to comply out of respect, even if it’s a pointless exercise.

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5, ESV)

Then, the impossible happened. They caught so many fish that the nets began to break. Simon quickly realized his boat simply couldn’t handle this much weight. He called his partners over to help him out. It was the greatest fishing story of Simon’s life.

In that moment, Simon recognized that he was in the presence of pure holiness.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8, ESV)

Self-assurance was replaced by awe. Reluctant compliance was replaced by humble trust. After this, Peter left everything to follow Jesus. How could he turn Jesus down now? And Peter would continue to learn just how much he didn’t know.

“The Word of Our God Endures Forever”

If you study the Bible long enough, you will always have questions. Sometimes a passage just doesn’t seem to make sense. We may even wonder aloud, “Why would God do it that way?” Sometimes our cultural distance from the events in the Bible make it hard for us to grasp what was really going on. At other times, we understand the context well enough, but God’s plan or design for human life just seems weird or confusing—maybe even flawed.

Sometimes, people invoke the ancient cultural situation of the Bible’s human authors when they want to relativize Scripture’s teaching on things like generosity, self-control, and sexual ethics. “That was then,” people often say. “But things are different now. This is the 21st century after all.”

The fallacy of that argument is that when God speaks clearly on a matter, He speaks for all times.

“The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.” (Psalm 119:160, BSB)

Unlike your smartphone, the Bible never needs updates.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, NIV)[1]

The Bible is the only flawless thing on earth.[2] When God speaks, He doesn’t stutter or fumble for words. God gave Scripture through men for our encouragement and edification.[3] While their historical and cultural situation matters, God is not limited by human cultures to say what He wants to say. Without the Bible, we are spiritually lost, like a submarine without a navigation system.

The French intellectual Voltaire is reputed to have quipped, “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.” The ironic twist of Providence is that Voltaire’s own house in Geneva, Switzerland, later became a storehouse for Bibles by the Evangelical Society of Geneva (pictured above).[4] Those who try to mock the Bible end up making a mockery of themselves.

The Apostle Paul clearly believed the whole Bible was still relevant and authoritative when he wrote:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)

He said that to Timothy, even though much of the Scripture available at that time (the Old Testament) was written some 1,400 years earlier and in a different culture.

“Come Let Us Reason Together”

It’s never a good idea to think you know better than God. At the same time, God is not opposed to questions. The psalms and prophets are filled with God’s people asking Him why certain things must be so. God even welcomes our frustrated pleas for understanding and our laments over why the world is in the sordid mess that it is.

“Come let us reason together,” God invites us (Isaiah 1:18). Questions are good; they indicate thoughtfulness and engagement with what God has said. But questions should always be tinged with humility. Those who want to sit in judgment on God’s Word are following the plan of the serpent, who asked, “Did God really say?”[5]

We need to remember that God is infinitely holy and majestic. We are finite human beings with a three-pound brain who have only been around for about two seconds compared to the eternal God. To assume we know better than God is the height of arrogance. We should admit that we know almost nothing next to our all-knowing God.

Whenever I come across a passage that confuses me or seems to paint God in a negative light, I should start with the assumption that I am missing something significant.

For instance, many people might ask, “How could God kill everyone on earth in the Genesis flood? That seems so extreme!” or “How can God command Joshua to utterly destroy those Canaanites?”

But God is holy, and His ways are perfectly just. What people often forget is that, as our Creator, He is in a category all by Himself.

“The Beginning of Knowledge”

As we grow in our understanding of God’s holiness, we begin to see things with a better perspective. When people say, “I would never do it that way!” I would agree and add, “That’s because you and I are not God. He alone is the holy and good Ruler of all.”

As the Lord and King of this world, God has every right to judge sinful people who rebel against Him and blaspheme His Name. The real question the Bible pushes us to ask is not “How can God judge?” but “How can God be so incredibly merciful to those who persist in atrocious deeds against their fellow man and moral rebellion against His perfect will?” Solomon reminds us:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)

Notice what this verse says. We can’t even begin to have a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and the world we inhabit until we develop a right fear of the Lord. Jesus reminded us that while we often fear corrupt men, we should be fearing the incorruptible God who can send people to an eternity in hell.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28, ESV)

When we lack a healthy fear of God as the all-powerful Judge that He is, we begin to think that we get to put God in the dock and accuse Him of wrong. And those who slander God tend to slander their fellow man who has been made in His image.

The Lord says:

“These things you have done, and I have been silent;
    you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
Mark this, then, you who forget God,
    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!” (Psalm 50:21-22, ESV)

When we have a low view of God, we will misinterpret His actions. If we want to honor God and be blessed by Him, we should consider that God blesses those who revere His Word.

“But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2, ESV)

Every time we open the Bible, we should ask God for a humble attitude that is ready to learn and an open heart ready to be transformed more and more into His likeness.

Once we recognize where we have arrogantly flouted God’s Word (we all have), we need to come back to Him in humble repentance, falling on our knees as Simon Peter did before the Lord Jesus (Luke 5:8). When we do that, we get to experience His forgiving mercy and grace.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV)

I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!

[1] Also see Psalm 111:7-8; 119:89.

[2] Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 12:6; 18:30; 2 Samuel 22:31.

[3] 2 Peter 1:21.

[4] https://bellatorchristi.com/2019/03/18/voltaires-prediction-home-and-the-bible-society-truth-or-myth/

[5] Genesis 3:1

God, Government, and the King of Kings

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life2 Comments

Politics can be a tough subject to broach. Many of us know what it’s like to sit down for a nice family Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner when out of the blue, good ol’ Uncle Albert decides to bring up politics. And what happens? Suddenly, it’s no longer a quaint family meal with pleasant small talk. Instead, a current of emotions sweeps through the room. Blood pressures rise. Voices get a little louder. Tensions grow. Grandma makes sure the carving knife is safely out of reach.

And why is that? What is it about politics that makes the blood boil?

Well, in part, it’s because politics – especially lately – has become an identity marker. It’s a discussion about who you are as a person: what you believe, what you cherish, and, of course, what you utterly, absolutely oppose.

Clearly, we’re living in a very politically divisive time, but Christians must have a distinct approach to the subject, shining the light of grace and truth.

So, in the midst of the election fever that is sweeping America right now, I believe it’s important to see four biblical truths for the Christian to consider during this election season.

1. God, Not Government, Is Our Ultimate Authority.

This is evident in God’s display of power over the Pharaoh of Egypt. Pharaoh thought of his authority as ultimate, and God disabused him of this fallacy. When Pharaoh refused to obey Yahweh’s command to release His people from their enslavement, God brought the hammer of judgment. He did this by striking Egypt with ten devastating plagues, which demonstrated Yahweh’s supremacy over Pharaoh and all the Egyptian gods.

At the same time, He tells Pharaoh that God is the One who put this tyrant in authority. God says, “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16, ESV). Pharaoh was put in power by God, but for his hard heart and rebellion, he was also judged by God. What does this tell us?

All political leaders, kings, queens, and governing officials, are ultimately accountable to God. That’s why the prophet Nathan can confront his king about his adultery with Bathsheba. He points his finger right at David and says, “You are the man who has done this!” Similarly, John the Baptist had the courage to call out King Herod for his adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife. What gave these prophetic voices such incredible audacity? They knew that, ultimately, all earthly authorities must answer to the highest authority of Heaven.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had a highly celebrated political career or you’re a relatively unknown janitor at the courthouse. One day, you will have to answer to the Judge of all mankind, who searches your heart and mind. Nobody is “hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Only the blood shed by Jesus can cover the sin that would otherwise leave us condemned in God’s heavenly courtroom.

2. Government Is a Fundamentally Good Institution Established by God.

This, for some, is the hardest principle to reckon with. When we think of government, we often think of all the ways it’s used to oppress others or the way it’s so imbued with political rivalries and petty attacks. But government, as an institution, is a good thing. Think, for example, how terrible life would be if there were no governments and instead the world was run by pure anarchy. No authority to answer to, no police, no law, no courts in the land. Everyone does whatever they want to others.

The book of Judges, after recording all the chaos and mayhem that happens when Israel is without a leader, repeats this famous line: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25, ESV). No government means no laws. And no laws means lawless behavior would rule the day.

Government is a good thing. It’s been established by God for our good – even if it is a good thing that can often be abused. But according to the Bible, no one ends up in office without God’s say so.

Romans 13:1 says something pretty incredible: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” This doesn’t mean God endorses everything that authorities do. The point is that God is the One who ultimately put them in power.

So while those holding an authoritative office or position may misuse or abuse their authority, authority itself is a God-ordained good. Anarchy and rebellion are not inherently good. In fact, they make a mockery of the very authoritative structure that God has ordained for our benefit.

At the end of King David’s life, he shared this word from the Lord about the beauty of godly authority:

“The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth” (2 Samuel 23:3-4).

3. Don’t Put All Your Trust in Elected Leaders.

As Christians, we are called to respect the office of our governmental leaders, but not to give these leaders our ultimate allegiance.

In 1 Samuel 8, we see this foolish tendency to put our trust in human leaders rather than God. The nation of Israel looked around at all the nations that surrounded them and saw they all had kings. And, of course, like the kid who sees all the other kids with a toy, they want what these other nations have. So they go to the prophet Samuel, who has become the de facto leader of Israel and plead for a king.

Samuel tries to talk them out of it and says, “You know, a king will rule you with an iron fist. I’m not so sure you really want a king. He’ll take your sons and make them soldiers and your daughters and make them servants of the state. And He’ll tax you like you wouldn’t believe!” But they ignore his warnings.

God tells Samuel: “Okay, Samuel, give the people the king they are asking for. But understand something. They haven’t rejected you, Samuel; they’ve rejected Me from being King over them.”

It’s very easy to fall into this trap today. We can be so focused on our earthly welfare and earthly dreams that we can put more stock in a politician than in God Himself. But God says, “You can’t have it both ways. When you put all your trust in your leaders, you’re rejecting Me.”

Of course, this doesn’t mean we can’t support and advocate for certain candidates. But it reminds us to check our spirit and ask, Am I giving a mere man or woman the allegiance that only God deserves? Am I looking for security in this person or God?

Isaiah tells us that God alone should be exalted, and that the pride of man will eventually be brought low. He writes, “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” (Isaiah 2:22, NIV). God says, “Stop for just one minute with all the political frenzy going on and realize something. These guys running for office? They are mere men and women. The only reason any of them are alive is because I put breath in their lungs. So don’t give them your hearts. Find your security in Me.”

4. Make the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdoms of this World, Your Ultimate Priority.

In his book Political Gospel, Patrick Schreiner reminds us that since our gospel is a message about a King and a kingdom, there is inescapably a political dimension to the gospel: “The gospel message is a world-forming, public, and political reality. Jesus calls people to a new way of life, a new society, a new community.”[1]

Remember, ultimately we are not headed for an eternal democracy. It’s a great system right now. But in the end, we are headed for an absolute monarchy. Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world (having its origin in the world), but He never denied being a King or bringing a kingdom (see my post “What is the Kingdom of God?”). In that kingdom, all those who have placed their trust in King Jesus will thrive under His glorious reign. And we will be glad we are under His authority, because only then can everything be put right.

Psalm 2 is one of the most striking psalms in the Bible. Rather than simply offering praise to God, it’s as if the psalmist takes us up to Heaven and gives us God’s perspective on all the political affairs of this world, with kings setting themselves up on thrones and politicians listening to their own collective wisdom.

“The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.” (Psalm 2:4, NIV)

God scoffs at these rulers. We don’t normally think of God as scoffing at others, but God laughs at these pretentious rulers of the world. Why? Because they actually think that they can come up with a better ruler than God can.

The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed. (Psalm 2:2, ESV)

If you watched Saturday morning cartoons in the ‘90s, you may remember watching the one about two goofy mice called Pinky and the Brain. In every episode, Pinky says, “What are we going to do tomorrow?” And Brain says, “The same thing we do every day… try to take over the world!”

In Psalm 2, from God’s perspective, all these rulers plotting together is as ridiculous as two little mice trying to take over the world. And so it says that God actually laughs at them for thinking themselves so great and wise. He scoffs at them for thinking they can actually run the world better than He can.

And He says, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psalm 2:6).

Essentially, God looks at the political schemes and says, “You really think you can run this world better than Me? Better than My Son? Take a look at all the wars and greed and corruption that have happened when you people try to run the world. It’s a mess.”

God wants us to remember that there is ultimately only one leader worthy of all our trust, our devotion, and our allegiance. That’s the Lord Jesus Christ. So we should be more invested in building His kingdom than any of our own.

Jesus went to the cross for those on the Left, the Right, and everywhere in between. The Lion of Judah stands over all elephants and donkeys, even while He offers Himself to those of every political stripe. Jesus is the One who reigns supreme even now on His throne in Heaven. And where every other leader has failed, Jesus will succeed. Where every other leader’s heart has been tainted by sin, Jesus will lead with perfect righteousness.

Isaiah 11 tells us what it will look like when Jesus reigns supreme on earth:

“He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.” (Isaiah 11:3b-5, NIV)

Isaiah then says there will be perfect order and peace even in the animal world (vv. 6-9). And then he says this about Jesus:

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10, NIV)

This is what we have to look forward to as the people of God. We can know that no matter who wins this election, our God reigns.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] Patrick Schreiner, Political Gospel, 12.

Why Honoring Parents Still Matters

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

The family is the basic unit of society. Our family background and experiences inevitably shape the way we view the world, for good or ill. Most of us love our parents dearly and owe them more than we know for helping us become the people we are today. Others at times have wished their parents had done many things differently. Still others have wished they had different parents.

If you have a hard-working, courteous and honest employee, there’s a good chance his parents had something to do with that. In God’s design, parents are intended to be the greatest human influences in a person’s life. By and large, worldviews, values, and beliefs are forged in the home.

It’s no wonder that when a winning athlete has a microphone shoved in her face she nearly always seizes the opportunity to thank her parents for helping her become the person she is today. Like it or not, God set up His world in such a way that parents have a major impact. In countless ways, you are unavoidably a product of your upbringing. Even the absentee parent greatly affects the child in ways they could not have dreamed.

Divinely Appointed Representatives

The way that one relates to other people, particularly those in authority, is shaped by the relationship they had with their parents at home. This extends to how one tends to perceive God. Of course, many parents may think this level of influence amounts to an impossible responsibility. But if considering all this gives parenting greater weightiness, that’s actually a good thing. Whether you are a dad or a mom, your children (no matter their age) need you desperately, and your God-given role is indispensable. Many parents only wish they had stopped to consider the significance of their role before their children moved out.

Nevertheless, God has granted parents the awesome privilege of representing Him to their children. Parents are a tangible and visible representation of the authority that is ultimately His. It’s no wonder that God often compares Himself to a devoted parent in Scripture.

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15, NIV)
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:13, NIV)

When God gave the Big Ten for His people to live by, He included this one as the fifth commandment:

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12, NIV)

To honor one’s father and mother is to express respect, obedience, and gratitude to them. Since parents represent divine authority in the home, the way a child relates to their parents is a reliable indicator of how they will relate to God. A father, in particular, tends to have a powerful influence on how children view God the Father. A mother’s influence is equally important, but is usually impactful in different ways.

Many adults can testify how their father dramatically shaped the way they imagined God. Some even struggle with the very concept that God is called “Father.” I would argue this extends beyond individual families. Societies that have a low view of fathers will also have a low view of God.

Paul Vitz has argued that there is a direct correlation between atheism and growing up with an absentee or abusive father. In his book, Faith of the Fatherless, Vitz turns Freud’s “projection theory” of religion on its head, showing that it is actually having a “defective father” that often predisposes one to atheism.[1]

The Child’s Calling to Obey Parents

So what does it mean to honor one’s parents? First and foremost, it means children are to obey their parents. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1, NIV). Children must be taught to recognize their parents are their God-given authority.

Some think of “authority” as a bad word, but when it describes the authoritative structures that fill out God’s design for the human race, it is most certainly a good authority. If we never respect our parents’ authority, there is little chance we will respect any authority.

It is significant that God has vested parents, not government, with the responsibility of raising children. Kevin DeYoung remarks, “It is no wonder that when totalitarian regimes throughout history have tried to exert control over people, one of the chief mechanisms by which they’ve done so is severing that attachment to the family – making allegiance to the state the building block of society rather than the honoring of parents.”[2] It’s not an overstatement to say that if you want to destroy a nation, step one is to destroy the family by subverting the authority of parents.

But it is to parents that God says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, NKJV). You can’t very well learn character traits like honesty and self-control without someone modeling that in flesh and blood in the home.

Unfortunately, it’s become all too common for this basic authority of parents in the home to be scoffed and sneered at. Many parents casually talk about teenagers going through the “rebellious years.” The cover of one magazine for teenage girls asked, “Do you really hate your parents? Like, who doesn’t?” The magazine then offered advice on how to deal with the “detestables.” All you have to do is consult what the Law of God said about what to do with “rebellious teens,” and you’ll have an idea of how much God despises such an attitude (Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Leviticus 20:9).

When Edward, Duke of Windsor, was asked what caught his attention about the United States, he curtly replied, “The way parents obey their children.”  

The Book of Proverbs has the format of a father teaching his son the basic wisdom for living a righteous life in God’s world. There is a wealth of wisdom to be gleaned from this book. The son is taught to be hard-working, honest in all his dealings, and mindful of how he uses his tongue. Undergirding all this wisdom is a fundamental fear or reverence for God and respect for parents as the two greatest authorities in one’s life (Proverbs 1:7-8; 6:20; 9:10).

“A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.” (Proverbs 13:1, ESV)

The same basic principle of the fifth commandment is borne out in a hundred different contexts in Proverbs. The basic teaching is that when you live by wisdom, you honor your parents, and “your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12, ESV).

While we should honor our parents simply because God commands us to do so, I love that God is willing to unfold for us all the ways that life will be blessed through honoring parents. In other words, when you honor your father and mother, life will generally go well for you! You can expect to live a full life and have the kind of character people want to be around (Proverbs 2:21-22; 3:1-2; 9:11; 10:27; 11:12; 13:3, 15; 15:18).

God Wants Me to Honor Them?

In some instances, honoring one’s parents may seem like a terrible idea. Many have only dark memories of their father or mother, and the pain has left an emotional hole in their heart. The last thing their parents deserve is honor, they think. And there is an important sense in which they are absolutely right.

I recently heard about a young woman whose father was an alcoholic throughout her life. There was very little commendable about his character. At her wedding ceremony, her father arrived drunk. Seeing him behave so thoughtlessly on this day of days pained the young woman, but she consciously chose to forgive him in the moment.

Yes, sometimes the best way we can honor our parents is to forgive them for the ways they have wronged us. In no way do I want to minimize the pain a parent may have caused you. I think of the daughter who clings tightly to the grudge against her abusive father, or of the son who can only recall the way his mother ran him down with relentless criticism. But true healing can happen when you forgive those who have hurt you the most. Nothing can change what happened, but you can decide to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who forgave even those who were mocking Him while He hung from the cross (Luke 23:34). If you don’t have a relationship with your mom or dad, I would urge you to do all you can to reconnect with them.

We are called to honor our parents, not because of how well they did or did not raise us, but because the God-ordained roles of father and mother are intrinsically honorable. If children never honored their parents and only rebelled, our world would be much darker than it already is. Your parents may not deserve honor, but honor is still due them. That’s why the fifth commandment plainly says, “Honor your father and mother.” Period. There is no exception clause like “but only if they live honorably.”

What about those who want a relationship with their father or mother, but the parent has closed off all communication? God wants us to know that He will be the Father we need if our earthly parents abandoned us. “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in” (Psalm 27:10, ESV).

Ultimately, God is the Father and the church is the family we all most need. But God promises us greater fulfillment in life when we learn to honor our parents.

Have thoughts on this post? Share in the comments below!

[1] Paul Vitz, Faith of the Fatherless. To be clear, Vitz does not argue that someone is psychologically determined to reject God. Each one of us is responsible for the decisions we make, to follow or reject God, but his argument is that there are psychological factors that frequently contribute to atheism.

[2] Kevin DeYoung, The Ten Commandments, 81.

Photo from Getty Images

Should I Live My Truth?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe2 Comments

By Jason Smith

We live in an age of “anything goes” when it comes to religion or spirituality. If it warms your heart or excites you or if it works for you, then go for it.

Into this cultural context comes the big question of truth. What is it? How do we know truth?

Historically, truth has been defined as that which corresponds to reality. To tell the truth is to say how things really are – objectively and independently of how I feel about it.

Truth and Authority Redefined

Today, people have redefined truth to mean “whatever I strongly feel to be true in my heart.” That’s why you hear people say things like “You’ve got to live your truth” and “Everyone has their own version of the truth.” The truth is no longer understood to be something “out there” that I must go and discover. Instead, it is something that rises up within my own heart. And there’s a reason for that. Truth is a binding word. That is why many will argue that if something is true for someone else, then we should never question it. Otherwise we’re asking others to not be true to themselves. To be inauthentic. To live a lie. Or so the argument goes.

J.P. Moreland explains this line of thinking:

“Today, people are more inclined to think that sincerity and fervency of one’s beliefs are more important than the content. As long as we believe something honestly and strongly, we are told, then that is all that really matters.”[1]

But no matter how much I may passionately believe that something is good for me, that fact alone does not make it true.

Intuitively, we recognize that truth is closely linked to authority. If I get to define what is true for me, then I am my highest authority, and I don’t have to answer to a truth that stands outside of me or to a God who determines what is true.

Despite how common this claim is in our culture, the reality is that you and I don’t get to decide what is true. Trying to elevate our feelings and opinions to the level of moral truth doesn’t change the fact that when God declares something to be so, it is true for everyone.

Truth and Love

This doesn’t mean that personal experiences don’t matter. One well-known political commentator has a famous line: “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”[2] It’s a witty slogan perfect for bumper stickers. But the problem I have with most bumper stickers is that they often leave something wanting, something left unexplained. While I agree that facts don’t care about your feelings, followers of Jesus should care. We belong to One who showed incredible compassion for the lost, the hurting, and the misled.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read this of Jesus:

“When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36, BSB)

Elsewhere in the Bible, we read this of God:

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He is mindful that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, BSB)

While truth should never be sacrificed in the name of love, truth is best delivered in the context of a loving relationship. Try as we might, we cannot have one without the other. Truth and love act as preservatives for one another. When you try and separate them, they both spoil.

Why We Need a Transcendent Authority

Many in American culture fail to understand that in order to determine whether something is objectively right or wrong, we must have a transcendent authority. Only a God who has created us and therefore holds authority over us can decide whether something is right or wrong. Whenever a higher authority is rejected, people get to pick and choose whatever is right for themselves. The biblical book of Judges is centered on how dark things become when everyone lives by their own version of morality.[3] Which is why all this talk about “living your truth” is really just a declaration of autonomy and liberty from all moral restraints. As Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Without God… everything is permissible.” Families suffer, societies are ruined, and even whole nations are destroyed by such a poisonous philosophy.

Despite all those claiming the right to decide what is morally right for themselves, I still believe that everyone knows there is a transcendent moral standard that stands outside of them; it’s unavoidable. Our consciences bear witness to the fact that God’s law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:14-16). Deep down, none of us can deny that we are all beholden to this standard.

All you need to do is watch what happens when someone is mistreated by someone else. Sure, you can claim all day long that “everyone should just live their own truth.” But the moment your car stereo is stolen or a store overcharges you or you get penalized for something you didn’t do, suddenly your blood begins boiling and you feel the need to cry out, “You can’t do that! That’s not fair!” The moment we are harmed personally, our moral indignation betrays what we really believe: There is a transcendent moral standard to which we are all accountable, despite our frequent claims to the contrary.

After all, how could anyone ever say the Holocaust was evil or the Jim Crow laws were unjust or what the terrorists did on 9/11 was wicked unless there really is a transcendent moral standard embedded in the nature of God Himself? We all know it’s not enough to say, “I don’t personally like those things, but I’m not going to foist my version of truth on someone else.”

The Oldest Lie in the Book

In the book of Genesis, the serpent came to tempt Eve to eat from the one fruit that God had forbidden. We’re told that “the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made” (Genesis 3:1). In other words, he was an expert strategist. He had really thought this through. In order to entice Eve into rebellion against the One who had formed her and loved her, he had to point out something that she didn’t yet have. Despite all the delights of living in a beautiful garden with a husband who adored her and a God who met her every need, the serpent touched on the one thing she did not have: the ability to determine good and evil for herself.

After she initially objects to violating God’s single prohibition, the serpent assures her:

“You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, ESV)

That was the bait that convinced her to eat the fruit. Being like God. Standing in His place. Knowing good and evil as He does.

Well, how does God know good and evil? Not by experiencing both good and evil – the Bible everywhere denies God can sin – but by determining what is good and evil as only a moral authority can. So to be like God is to decide for oneself what is good, beautiful, and true. Eve believed the satanic lie that she could live her own truth and not face any consequences. “You will not surely die,” the serpent had said.

The Truth Will Set You Free

When Jesus of Nazareth walked this planet, He talked a lot about truth. Because we’ve inherited the sin nature from Adam, we are by nature truth suppressors.[4] Jesus explained that we fall for the same old lie that duped Eve. And just as she and Adam ran and hid from God, we all run from the truth. To be more precise, Jesus said we don’t want to know the truth about ourselves. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says:

“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:20-21, ESV)

Jesus came into an already condemned world to bear our condemnation.[5] He said that apart from Him we are trapped in the darkness of deception. On the other hand, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a call to repentance and surrender. To repent is to admit we have gone wrong – that our version of the truth is not, in fact, the truth. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, our sins are forgiven (including the sin of distorting the truth) and our minds are renewed. From that point forward, we’re called to live in line with the truth of the gospel.

To sum up – yes, we should speak the truth in gentleness and love, not abrasively.[6] Yes, we need to be sensitive to the feelings, personal convictions, and experiences of others. Yes, we need to respect those who are different from us. After all, in the biblical worldview they are made in the image of God and thus imbued with unfathomable dignity as His precious creations.

But let’s stop claiming things that can only mislead: “People should be able to determine what is right and wrong for themselves” or “Everyone needs to live their own truth.” As followers of the One who claimed to be “the Way, the Truth, and the life,” we need to surrender to the truth as He defines it in His Word. 

"I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right." (Isaiah 45:19, ESV)

Living my truth might be the worst thing I could ever do. Instead, I am called to live God’s truth.

[1] J.P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind (NavPress: Colorado Springs, 2012). Kindle edition.

[2] This is conservative commentator Ben Shapiro’s line. For the record, I agree with much of Shapiro’s moral reasoning. Of course, because Shapiro does not believe the gospel, he and I just don’t see eye to eye on the solution to moral problems.

[3] This was the repeated message in the very dark book of Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:24)

[4] See Romans 1:18-20; 5:12. According to the Bible, the universal sin is that human beings have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” We worship things of this world, rather than the Creator of this world.

[5] Romans 8:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24.

[6] Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26.