Post Modern Mindset (#2)
So we’ve established we have to give an answer for the hope that lies within us. More accurately we have the privilege of giving an answer. This is a command and not negotiable as some would contend. Some of the first smoke to reveal there is really a fire going on, shows up in the form of a half – truth (also known as a lie) that is “personal to me”. I will agree that truth is very personal, but it does not change within circumstance or persons, nor does it have it origins in anyone other than God as He is the Author of Truth. Truth is truth and though it needs to be understood and applied…it is not a chameleon. This shape shifting autonomous mindset (that is touted as humility), is really an affront to the exclusivity of Jesus and all that He claimed. It seems humble to say “we can’t really know the truth”, or “truth is personal to me”, but in reality that sets the stage for a big deception. This is in fact idolatry because you’ve chosen to worship a god that is made in your image, not the One, True God. We already learned that we can know the truth and it is not subject to our interpretation (more on that later) but is actually revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. This week’s verse, most of you have memorized but if not, now is a good time.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
If we claim He is not the only way… then we are not Christian.
Let that sink in…Doesn’t that just kind of slap us in our American face? Who does He think He is? Who do we think we are to make a statement like that? I’m a Christian but I don’t want to impose my beliefs on somebody else…I don’t have that right! This is the slippery slope that will put you in one of two ditches. Who Jesus is and what He has done is really not the question. As we’ve already described, to make God in your image is idolatry. Jesus has revealed Who He is, He has revealed He is the only way, the only question is… who are we in light of this?
I get statements like “you’re judging me” or “you just want to be right” and I just want to say that is not rhetorically accurate. A more accurate statement is “God’s word has judged you” and “He is right”, I personally have no paygrade other than to agree with God’s word because I know He is right. I just want to be found agreeing with Him. The real statement begins when we understand where we landed when God’s word has judged us. See the difference? If we can make truth personal to us, and our opinion is as good as anyone’s than there is no accountability and in this reality, truth is up for grabs. It’s my word against your word and my opinion is as good as yours! It sounds like it is really humble to say we can’t know the truth or the anti-thesis is it sounds really arrogant to agree with God. Or if we bring this down to some level that really it’s just between you and me and leave God out of the equation, My opinion is as good as yours and all at once you have a truth that shifts with whoever is stating it. This is a very “Post Modern” mindset. The only problem is that someone is wrong. Both sides of this cannot be right. Unfortunately should you land on the side of the coin that is wrong, your eternity will not go as you have planned (Matt 25:46).