I believe you can sum up our culture's clash with God's word as being over the concept of truth. Our culture believes that truth is relative and there are no absolutes. Our culture is being formed by many who have the attitude of Pharaoh in Exodus 5:1-2. When asked by Moses to let Israel go and hold a feast to the Lord, Pharaoh's response was, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice . . . " Then there was the attitude of Pilate in John 18:38, when Jesus told him that everyone that is of the truth hears His voice, Pilate responded, "What is truth?" It would seem that a third of our nation is like Pharaoh and wants to know who is God that they should obey His voice. Another third is like Pilate and feels there is no absolute truth. The last third believes in God's word and tries to be obedient to His word. As they are obedient, they affect those around them causing turbulence.
The people are the culture, and if they change, the culture will change. In Acts 19, we read where Paul's teaching had such an impact throughout Asia. The culture started to change affecting the trade of idols and causing a riot in Ephesus. We Christians can change the culture around us by holding fast to the word of God. God's word is truth (John 17:17), and if we abide in it, we can know the truth, and it will make us free (John 8:32). The truth is exclusive. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me." That statement is exclusive and absolute. You can only come to God through Jesus. There is no other way. If there is another way, then by His own words Jesus is a liar and fraud. Christianity is either right or wrong. It cannot be one of those multiple choices where there is no wrong choice.
However, culture's war on Christianity has too many of us Christians making an uncertain sound much like the proverbial preacher that I read about in an article who was trying to sound broad minded and preached, "Unless you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, to a certain extent, and repent, in a measure, and are saved, as so to speak, you are, I am sorry to say, in danger of hell-fire and damnation, more or less." Now compare that with what Jesus said in Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." We can change our culture by standing firm with God's word and having our lives reflect those principles. The Christians in the first century did it, and we can do it. Just do not forget that in the first century they paid a price, and we may find ourselves paying that price today.
Charles D. Royal
Decatur AL
"And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness." "And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go."
"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all."
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
