Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
“What is truth?” Pilate asked.
from John 18:37-38
There’s a cultural movement today seeking to redefine many values and principles that have long been foundational to the biblical understanding of truth, justice, and human dignity. This movement wears many masks and goes by several different names. It's constantly changing, adapting, and evolving to test the fences of culture for weaknesses, but the common denominator is an appeal to our sense of compassion, kindness, and fairness. It calls for a society where everyone’s voice is heard (as long as you agree with them). The issue is that being heard has been redefined as being validated and affirmed. On the surface, it sounds noble, maybe even virtuous. But it is all a lie.
Beneath the superficial appeal, there is a subtle and profound shift. It's a shift away from established and objective truth. It's more than a casual drift or innocent migration. It has become a MASS EXODUS to the Promised Land of personal preference. It's a shift from moral absolutes to situational ethics. It's a shift from a shared identity rooted NOT only in something greater than ourselves but away from the ONE who is greater than all, i.e. the eternal God of Holy Trinity.
This shift encourages us to move farther and farther away from our exclusive identity in Christ. This movement isn’t building stronger families, communities, countries, and churches. In fact, it’s led to civil unrest, wars, and toxic fragmentation based on individual preferences, intolerance, opinions, and differences du jour. This new approach claims to offer liberation and spiritual enlightenment but in reality, it fosters confusion and division because the advocates of this oppressive moment - in whatever form… whatever shape… and whatever name it takes - it has charmed and enchanted countless adherents into becoming the least tolerant and the most demanding regarding what can and can’t be said. They are the ones imposing ideas (mandatory pronouns) and agendas (political correctness, deconstruction, cultural censorship, etc.) and labeling anything that doesn’t align with or conform to their particular view as “unkind,” “-phobic,” and “hate speech.”
As followers of Christ, we are called to love and care for all people - not in some New Age, subjective, random acts of kindness and pay it forward with words of affirmation… but by standing firm in the truth of God’s Word. God's WORD is not just our ULTIMATE AUTHORITY (as in our last resort) but our primary and exclusive authority. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, ‘Do not go beyond what is written.’”
Do not go beyond what is written.
That’s where we stand as members of the true church. Christ Jesus is the eternal WORD of God and the LAMB OF GOD. He alone is the ROCK of our salvation. That objective truth and reality is what led the Apostle Paul to say, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone having faith.” So what is the GOSPEL? Paul revealed it succinctly and eloquently in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 8, “Remember Jesus, Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.”
Jesus, the Christ, Scripture’s prophesied and anticipated Messiah, the one raised from the dead, the one who has always been God the Son, He who came from King David’s line as the exclusive God-Man… Our new and exclusive identity is in Him as His faithful and loyal subjects. Therefore, the term “Christian” accepts no modifiers. There’s no such thing as a cultural Christian, a nominal Christian, a marginal Christian, a liberal Christian, a conservative Christian, a progressive Christian, a gay Christian, or any other kind of Christian.
There are ONLY two categories for all of humanity:
Type 1: Christians - i.e. those whom King Jesus has said are part of His one Body & Bride, doing the will of the Father in heaven, reborn by grace through faith by the washing of the WORD and the power of the Holy Spirit, denying self, picking up their cross daily, and following The Good Shepherd into deep paths of righteousness FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE, following Him to the glorious mountain top or into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, always in His Presence, always following Him wherever He leads because that is the only place where His sweet goodness and mercy pursue hard after us all the days of our lives as we dwell in the House of the LORD forever.
Type 2: Other - i.e. the rest of the world falls into this category. They are not despised, hated, or rejected by God. In fact, the Bible states that God doesn't desire that any should perish, but that everyone would come to repentance by grace through faith. The lost, deluded, and disillusioned are the targets of our mission and ministry. Our hope and prayer is that God would use us in our joyful obedience as ambassadors of the Gospel to draw them into His grace, mercy, love, and everlasting Presence.
The TRUTH of God doesn’t change with the cultural tides… it never flinches or flounders, for as we read in Psalm 119 verses 89-93:
Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
You established the earth, and it endures.
Your ordinances stand to this day,
for all things are servants to You.
If Your law had not been my delight,
then I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget Your precepts,
for by them You have revived me.
Can freedom and justice truly be achieved by abandoning or redefining Christ Jesus - the very foundation - the very ROCK - that defines them? Can unity truly be achieved by elevating individual experience, opinion, and preference to the THRONE of God? Human efforts always create new barriers and problems ultimately leading to conflict, division, and death. They might plug one hole, but they always cause two more to spring up.
The path, that leads to everlasting life is NOT one of any human origin or invention. It is not achieved through the affirmations of any fleshy, selfish, or sinful desires. The PATH has never been and will never be one that seems right to us. The wisdom of men is foolishness to God, all our righteous deeds are filthy rags. All our plans ultimately lead to death. The WAY doesn’t just lead us to some random higher authority as whoever or whatever that means to you. King Jesus, the eternal WORD, The Son of God & Son of Man, the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the cosmos is THE exclusive WAY. Unlike the ever-changing whims of society and culture that are the unwitting puppets of Satan and his agenda to steal, kill, and destroy - The WORD of GOD, Jesus, is THE exclusive WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE. He is eternally established in the heavens forever.
As a church, our ONE VOICE, our confession, our profession together is that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. He is the eternal Rock as our only hope and salvation. He is the ONE upon whom the house that is His Church has been laid, built, established, and continues. He is the one upon whom we will stand together in unity as one body and one Spirit, just as we were called to one hope when we were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all... or He is the one we oppose.
As the Lamb slain from the foundation of the cosmos, King Jesus is the only real offer of freedom, hope, justice, and everlasting life. He is the focus of our praise, worship, obedience, service, and devotion. We offer it to Him freely - not to merit the gift of salvation offered to everyone at the Cross, but as tangible evidence OF our salvation, redemption, and adoration of Him as the Lamb of God. The Heavenly Father offered up His only begotten Son for us. The Son, Christ Jesus, offered Himself up in our place - upon that Cross you and I deserved - to bring us to Our Father’s house and into His loving arms forever.
The following are some resources for your consideration:
Toxic Empathy, by Allie Beth Stuckey
The Gathering Storm, by Albert Mohler Jr.
We Will Not Be Silenced, by Erwin Lutzer
Letter to The American Church, by Eric Metaxas
Blessings and love,
Kevin M. Kelley
Amen Pastor Kevin!!!! Keep bring this truth of Who God IS and who we are to become only through Jesus and His truth.