I am deeply concerned with what I’m seeing, reading, and hearing from many “postmodern” and “emergent” leaders today. It appears that they’d rather debate truth than proclaim it.
Postmodernism is a belief system that redefines truth based on personal experiences. Postmodernism says, “The only absolute is that there are no absolutes. It’s arrogant to claim that you know the truth.” In reality, the opposite is true: It takes a great deal of humility to admit that personal opinions and beliefs are wrong when they oppose the truth. It’s actually postmodernism and relativism that are built on pride—they put more value in human reasoning and intellect than into God’s Word and absolute truth. Humility helps us recognize that we are fallible human beings who have sinned against God. His Word is a lifeline to our soul; an anchor to our lives, not something to be debated, altered, or misrepresented. We don’t change truth—truth changes us.
When it comes to contending for absolute truth in a postmodern culture, understand that there will be resistance. No resistance may mean that we are going in the wrong direction—it’s often easier to go with the flow of society than against it. Martin Luther wisely said, “Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is tested.”
This reminds me of a university professor who told his class that what was wrong for him might not be wrong for someone else. One student challenged him on this. Midway through his lecture, the student walked over to the professor’s desk and pushed his paperwork on the floor. Extremely upset, the professor demanded an answer for the student’s outrageous behavior. The student calmly replied, “What’s wrong for you may not be wrong for me.”
Even from this simple illustration you can see that relativism does not make sense. There are certain “rights” and “wrongs” called absolutes that are given by God to save man from himself. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
My younger years provide another illustration. During the summer, my family took frequent trips to the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. As independent as I was at 18 years old, I didn’t question the wisdom of staying on the highways that led to my destination. Signs led; I followed. Similarly, the way has been clearly defined for you in God’s Word—follow the directions and keep the course. Detours will cost you. It’s been said that sin takes you farther than you want to go, costs you more than you want to pay, and keeps you longer than you want to stay. I couldn’t agree more. Without God leading the way, we wander aimlessly.
Some argue that since we can’t see, touch, taste, smell, or hear God, that He must not exist, and thus, there’s no absolute truth, but this is not true. When I worked in the construction industry I attended a Confined Space Training class. This training was mandatory for anyone desiring to work in a confined or enclosed space, such as a vault or a tank. I was fascinated to learn that there are poisonous gases inside many confined spaces that can kill within seconds. The only way to detect them is with a special device. You can’t see, touch, taste, smell, or hear the poisonous gas, but it’s there, and so is God. Life-sustaining oxygen is also undetectable through our senses, as is our life-sustaining Creator. But “His invisible attributes are clearly seen.” (Check out Romans 1:20.)
Many reject the Bible as absolute truth because absolute truth, by definition, is exclusive. Numerous people, however, accept concrete truth such as 2 + 2 equals 4, but they don’t like “moral” truth. They want the freedom to do what they want, when they want, how they want, to whom they want. According to Scripture, to their own destruction. God’s Word says to confront, confess, and turn from our sins; relativism encourages us to ignore, overlook, and continue in them. Postmodernism really isn’t about “truth,” it’s about doing whatever is right in our own eyes. No wonder it’s so popular in our culture, and in the church.
No other decision will impact our lives more than who or what we choose to follow. For this reason, lay aside “feelings” and “opinions” as you embrace absolute truth. Feelings and opinions change, truth does not. Don’t debate truth—proclaim it!