EULESS, Texas (BP)–All people live by values. And values change in societies. In America today, a cultural war rages over opposing values.
In this collision, does one truth or one set of truths and values exist by which we can live? The Bible says quite clearly, “YES!”
2 Peter 1:12-21 outlines the method by which we live by the truths outlined in Scripture. By establishing in our hearts the presence of an absolute, reliable and relevant truth as displayed in Scripture, we will experience guidance for direction in life.
But let’s talk first about today’s culture and environment. I want to do so by way of illustration. A few years ago a cartoon appeared in USA Today that captures society’s belief about truth. The cartoon had a picture of a young George Washington holding a hatchet in one hand, kneeling next to a felled cherry tree. In the cartoon he is looking up at his father and saying, “Dad, my teacher says I cannot tell a lie, I cannot tell the truth, and I cannot tell the difference.”
The cartoon is humorous in one sense, but in another sense, quite alarming. This type philosophy invades our lives and, unfortunately for many Christians, this philosophy is exactly what we are accepting in this present generation.
How did we arrive at this place in our American culture? Well, we have embraced a new kind of “tolerance.” Now, let me hasten to state: All tolerance is not bad. In fact, when we look at tolerance, it’s designed historically to provide us all religious freedom and provide that we will be punished by law if we go out and hurt someone else on the basis of disagreement over belief.
But this has been taken in a way to give tolerance a completely new meaning. Some have come to believe that tolerance equals acceptance of and approval of belief systems different than your own. And that definition of tolerance equates to truth no longer being absolute but, rather, defined by the individual or community.
This is a wrong and destructive perspective. You see, tolerance has replaced truth for too many people today. But the new tolerance doesn’t really play out all that well in practical life.
For example, when we look at music and musicians, we know that a conductor simply doesn’t “tolerate” someone in the first violin chair playing on their own in spontaneity. Why? In an orchestra everything is set in order. One person playing to his or her own tune sets the whole orchestra in chaos. Another example of destructive tolerance is simple mechanics. Years ago my brother-in- law and I rebuilt an engine. When we bored out the piston walls, we knew that these measurements must be exact: They had to be within one-thousandth of an inch. Any more or any less meant the engine wouldn’t function properly. They had to be “true to size.”
In a practical way, tolerance fails both in music and mechanics because it creates chaos. In today’s culture, likewise, we are called to be philosophically tolerant in morality, ethics and in our family. And again, dismissing truth and accepting this new tolerance creates individual, family and societal chaos.
If the tolerance mantra does not practically work, then what is our alternative model by which to live? Well, the Bible teaches us to live by truth.
In 2 Peter 1:12-21, the apostle Peter wrote to a group of believers who lived in a world that had many beliefs about the nature and the existence of truth. In this passage, he provided these Christians something concrete to hold to. So, he reminded them the Scriptures were absolutely reliable and relevant truth by which they could base and live their lives.
The same principle is timeless: As those Christians in that day lived their lives by the truth of Scripture, so should we who live in the melting pot of America. It’s not easy and it’s not the popular route.
But, to remind us of the validity of my argument, let’s recite Psalm 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” For our families, for our communities and for our own hearts, let’s embrace the truth of Scripture and live our lives by that truth.
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For more of Dr. Thomas’ resources, visit LifePoints, at www.firstonthe.net. Thomas is pastor of First Baptist Church, Euless, Texas.
