The cunningness of the enemy in perpetuating the lie of relative truth extends to the Word of God and it is not unusual for the absoluteness of divine declarations to be treated with relativism. According to the Oxford Reference, relativism is “the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.” The prevailing attitude is “that may be true for you but it isn’t for me.” However, authentic worshippers everywhere understand two truths: 1) whatever is true at one time and in one place is true at all times and in all places, and 2) whatever is true for one person is true for all people. God’s Word is not true because we believe it to be true; it is true regardless of what we believe.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, on all three occasions He rebuffed the Tempter with the words, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-10). In doing so He taught the authority and complete reliability of the Bible in everything it teaches. Whether our generation accepts it or not, the Bible is still God’s Word. Jesus affirmed the Bible’s total inspiration, inerrancy, and indestructibility when He said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35b, KJV). Joshua, in looking back on the faithfulness of God, declared, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45, ESV). The Bible is still the supreme authority for Christians in all matters. It is not what we think Jesus would do, or how we feel He would interpret the Scriptures, but whatever “thus says the Lord.”
What does all this mean for us today? Firstly, let us recognize that God stands behind His Word. He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). Secondly, when we reject the unique, divine character of the Bible, we are also rejecting its authority. Thirdly, our attitudes and behaviors should not be informed by the world’s standards, no matter how popular, but by the standards outlined in God’s Word. The Apostle Peter reminds us that Jesus has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:2-4). In other words, whatever He says is absolute. We don’t get a vote and that is not a negative thing. Rather we can rest comfortably in the knowledge that the truths of God’s Word are timeless and sure. When we stand on the Word, we are not standing on something that is shifting; it is not true for someone else and untrue for us. We can all lay claim to the promises of God because they are all true. That is reassuring to me. It should be for you too.
