Nothing But the Truth
July 17th, 2007
(By John MacArthur)
Biblical Christianity is all about truth. God’s objective revelation (the Bible) interpreted rationally yields divine truth in perfectly sufficient measure. Everything we need to know for life and godliness is there for us in Scripture (2 Peter 1:3). God wrote only one book — the Bible. It contains all the truth God intended us to order our spiritual lives by. We don’t need to consult any other source for spiritual or moral principles to govern our lives. Scripture is not only wholly truth; it is also the highest standard of all truth – the rule by which all truth claims must be measured.
Such a conviction is the very antithesis of the post modern notion that no one should ever claim to know objective truth. And that is another major reason why Christianity has been targeted by the proponents of post modern inclusivism.
Authentic Christianity is “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Christian truth is not subject to change or amendment. It isn’t nullified by changes in worldly opinion or standards of political correctness. It doesn’t need to be adapted and redefined for every new generation.
Certainly, an individual’s understanding of the truth can be refined and sharpened by study of the Scripture. But the truth itself does not need to be reinvented or retooled in order to make it suitable for the times in which we live. The same truth Abraham, Moses, David, and the apostles believed is still truth for us. Changing times do not change the truth. Scripture is as unchanging as God Himself: “But the word of the LORD endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). In other words, we need to adapt our understanding to the truth of God’s Word, not try to manipulate Scripture in a vain effort to harmonize it with the changing opinions of this world.
The truth of Scripture is something precious that must be carefully handled and closely guarded (1 Timothy 6:20). Once again, a proper understanding of Scripture involves conscientious and diligent study. Second Timothy 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” By implication we see that all who do not divide the Scriptures right are sloppy workers who ought to be ashamed. In other words, no one has the right to be a theologian who is not first a careful exegete.
The truth is everything to a Christian. That is why we are called to refute error, defend the truth, and proclaim Scripture as the supreme truth against every lie propagated by the world.
I fear that the church in this post-modern era has lost focus on that fact. It is no longer deemed necessary to fight for the truth. In fact, many evangelicals now consider it ill-mannered and uncharitable to argue about any point of doctrine. Even gross error is now tolerable in some quarters for the sake of peace. Rather than rightly dividing the word and proclaiming it as truth, many churches now feature motivational lectures, drama, comedy, and other forms of entertainment — while utterly ignoring the great doctrines of the faith. Even people who attack the truth in pseudo-scholarly ways are finding publishers in the evangelical realm and being honored as if they had deep insight.
We must recover our love for biblical truth, as well as our conviction that it is unassailable truth. We have the truth in a world where most people are simply wandering around in hopeless ignorance. We need to proclaim it from the housetops, and quit playing along with those who suggest we are being arrogant if we claim to know anything for certain. We do have the truth, not because we are smarter or better than anyone else, but because God has revealed it in the Scriptures and has been gracious to open our eyes to see it. We would be sinning if we tried to keep the truth to ourselves.
Reminds me of Brian McClaren’s disgust with what he called pastors’ “bomb-proof answers”. They ARE bomb-proof and lie-proof. The world is full of lazy Christians who want real-life “radical experience” fun Christianity rather than sober (yet joyful) immersion in the word.
A local radio station is currently advertising for a “You Go, Girl!” conference here in Jacksonville, Florida. They are featuring and promoting many women pastors. When I called the radio station to ask their views on the subject, the gentlemen was initially very upset and essentially told me that they will not take sides on any doctrinal issues that are disputed by churches and not essential to salvation. After I calmed him down, I shared the Bible’s view that pastors/elders are to be men and men only. He told me that both he and the Baptist board leaned towards my view on the issue, but weren’t willing to take a stand on the issue for the sake of “unity”. I reminded him that by taking money from the event organizers and PROMOTING it on their radio station that they ARE taking a side. There are so many wonderful doctrines in the Word that are not directly related to soteriology. If we deny truth, we deny the Scripture’s authority and, in a sense, deny Christ Himself.
Someone should inform the radio guy that the basis for unity IS the Truth, and no such thing exists without springing from the Truth. That’s pretty much the basis of the 2nd and 3rd epistles of John.
You’re right, Keith; they are taking a side. “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 John 10-11).
This false unity stuff just kills me. It makes you realize just how dis-unified the visible church is, and how vehement the invisible Church must be about confronting and restoring sinning brothers.
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable…” (James 3:17),
MIKE