DR. PHIL BRASSFIELD
We are living in the age of “me”. From our selfie filled social media accounts, to the hyper sensitive, constantly offended society that has become a hallmark of our generation. Today, absolute truth has been dismissed as religious myth, and truth is now subjective, relative. Everyone has an opinion, everyone has a truth, everyone has an agenda and a soapbox, and as a result of technology, the medium to express it to the world. We have all become authorities on everything regardless of whether we know anything about it or not. We have become the, “It seems to me” generation where the highest authority on any subject is self. Interview anyone on the streets about truth and they will acknowledge on one hand what the Bible says, or what science says, or what the empirical facts suggest, but then pivot without the least hesitation and say, but “it seems to me”! The power of their personal opinion has become “their truth”, their guiding concept and thus, their authority. Sadly, the authority of self has become the supreme court of the heart of man.
It may seem that this is an exclusively modern day issue, but this attitude is not new at all. In fact, it’s very old. It’s been around since Lucifer’s fall from heaven. We see Lucifer transformed from the “Morning Star” of God’s glory to Satan the “Adversary”, essentially because he rebelled against the authority of God. By doing so, he denied God’s regency (exclusive moral authority to rule) and embraced a subjective philosophy of truth (relativism), a sort of synthetic truth, and ultimately harbored a revolution in his heart, a dream of ascending above the throne of the Most High. It’s pretty clear from the Biblical description that all this was driven by pride. Jesus said in John 8:44 speaking of Satan,
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
From Lucifer’s rebellion to today’s social and political arguments where truth is inconsequential, it’s pretty clear, not much has changed. And while this is the reality of our earthly society, we as men and women of God must not get seduced into the same old trap driven by the same old lie. Truth matters. Not just my truth but THE truth. While my opinions are relative to a variety of different circumstances like my education, my family background, and my experiences, they do not become absolute truth simply because they are real to me.
When the tides of cultural relativism intensify, and the pressure to conform for the sake of relevance and social acceptance floods in, we must hold tightly to the anchor of God’s truth. His truth is not subjective, abstract, or a matter of interpretation. It is this truth that has stood the test of time and will provide leaders moral authority to influence the culture back to God.
