A Land Without Absolute Truth

I read an article that surveyed what adults rank as the most important thing they learned from their father. A few mentioned skills, like how to change a tire, or drive a car, or play sports. Saving money ranked even higher.

(Photo: Monkey Business Images, via Vivozoom)

But the highest category adults ranked? Their father taught them to tell the truth.

That’s great. But these days, what is truth?

My Truth, Your Truth, and The Truth

Ask the average person, “Is there absolute truth?” and you’d get a flat, “No.”

My truth is not your truth. That’s true for you but not me.

Most ideas of absolute truth have migrated to the “subjective truth” category. And the skeptics are not just outside the church. George Barna surveyed those who call themselves born-again Christians, and less than half believe in absolute truth. Now that is tough to believe! But it’s not surprising.

This kind of skepticism goes way back with God’s people.

A Land without Absolute Truth in Israel

The Book of Judges repeatedly notes Israel had no king in those days (Judges 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). That means they had no one to model or uphold a moral standard. So they had none.

Sadly, in the country where they had the Word of God, where integrity should have shined, none existed whatsoever.

(Photo: Gibeah of Saul, where absolutes were ignored in Judges 19. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)

A Land without Absolute Truth Today

As God’s people today, we also live in a land that sneers at absolute truth. These days, the only standard not tolerated is intolerance.

In such a context, the striking distinction we should display should come not from thumping our Bibles but from living holy lives that reflect a holy God (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:15; 1 Peter 2:12).

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians—those who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.—Brennan Manning

We’re far from perfect. (That’s part of telling the truth.) But as Christians, we should make every effort to display Christ’s character—not to impress others with our holiness, but that we may point them to Him.

Absolute truth is more than a belief. As we exhibit God’s truth, we will provide a pathway to the life people expect from Christians—and desperately need to see.

Tell me what you think: Why do you think absolute truth has fallen on such hard times these days? To leave a comment, just click here.