Absolute Truth!
Josh McDowell
It wasn't too long ago that I had the privilege of attending a Josh McDowell seminar held at the Wink Theater in Dalton, Georgia. One of the things that really held my attention was a discussion about the cultural shift in this generation. I'm not talking about a generation gap. That's what people were talking about when I was a teenager over thirty years ago. This is a completely different way of thinking. Josh explained that most of us had grown up believing truth is absolute. We would say, "it is true therefore it works." However, young people in this generation would say, "If it works then it is true." On the surface these remarks seem very similar but there is a world a difference.If we knew someone who claimed to be a Christian but did not live or act like a Christian, we would consider that person a hypocrite because we believe that truth is absolute. There is no problem with the truth. The problem is in how some respond to the truth. Young people in this generation would see it differently. If Mom or Dad claim to be Christians, but live like hypocrites, they would say, "See, Christianity doesn't work, therefore it must not be true."
This also gives rise to relativism. They might say, "well, it doesn't work for me, but if it works for you, then it's alright." In their thinking there are many truths, and they may even be contradictory. All that matters is if it work for you.
As we think about salvation, this gives rise to som serious problems. It wouldn't matter then how you live, if you just believe. It wouldn't matter then what you believe, only that you believe. Well the Bible teaches us the truth. John 8:32 (NIV) reads,
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Notice that truth is particular. It is the truth, not many truths. The Bible also teaches us that believing in a lie leads to damnation. See 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 (KJV).
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Notice also what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 14:12 (NIV).
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
Yesterday, the message was to choose wisely. Today, I want to encourage you to not be drawn in by the faulty reasoning of this world but stay in God's Word and know the absolute truth. Whatever people my choose to believe, truth does still matter. Let God's Truth set you free today. Have a blessed day.
1 comment:
I think one of the reasons we have such a shift in teens today from what it was when we were teens is the fact we have people in power that support the way they think. No bible in the schools, not spanking your children when they do wrong, not punishing the children when they commit a criminal act. These actions send a powerful message to teens that it doesn't matter what they do, they won't be punished for it. When teens do things against the law, law enforcment points the finger at the parent that is restrained by the laws of the land. What teen is going to change their way of thinking from a 15 minute time out. They know if you spank them they can go to a teacher or a policeman and yell child abuse and the parent is in trouble. That is too much power for a child to have. As parents, we have a obligation to God and to our country to raise our children to do the right thing and show them the truth, but too many times our message gets obstructed from messages from people in power that contradict what we teach our children. I know some of these laws are in place to protect children but law enforcment takes these laws and twist it to harass law abiding citizens to the point they give up on everything. The only thing we can do now is show them the truth and pray to God that he watch over them and keep them.
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