The Hope of Biblical Truth
One of the growing cultural ideologies of our day is the growing acceptance that we live in a post-truth world. In this environment, truth becomes whatever you want it to be. All moral absolutes and foundational truths are erased. In his book Preaching in a Post-Truth World (2025, B&K Publishing), author Mike Glenn states, “Everyone posts their truth on social media. Everyone who’s made a movie and everyone who’s recorded a song is now a life coach for our culture” (p. 29). If it's on the internet, it must be truth. Logical and empirical evidence of something, even concrete surety, go the way of the dodo. To declare absolute truth is to be labeled exclusive, phobic of something, and desperately in need of sensitivity training! But the reality is, truth has always been the first casualty in the culture war. Nearly two thousand years ago a Roman Governor asked Jesus the same question: “What is truth?” (Jn. 8:38).
For followers of Jesus today, how do we share the truth of the Gospel effectively in this post-truth environment? How do we, as pastors and Christian leaders, stand up each week in pulpits and classrooms and declare the Word of God to be absolute truth to an unbelieving world even as cultural ideologies, rather than scriptural truths, increasingly influence some congregations?
The Gospel of John records the words of Jesus, “I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). Jesus declared that he alone is the source of all truth; there is no other truth, even if some internet influencer says otherwise!
The hope of biblical truth in a post-truth world is that we have an anchor that allows us to weather the storms of difficult trials, painful challenges, and adverse circumstances, recognizing the sovereignty of God and His promises to those who are His amid the difficulty. I am studying through the book of Job, and to be honest, it is a hard read. Job was an innocent and righteous man, yet God allowed trial and unbelievable pain into his life. His friends all assumed he had sinned. They insisted there was some secret sin that God knew about and was punishing him for it. It was the prevailing understanding of pain in his day. They all told him to repent and come clean. Even his wife encouraged him to curse God and die – admit your sin and take your punishment! Yet Job knew he was innocent. He could not confess or repent of that which he never did. Yet Job stood firm in what He knew about God despite all the other voices.
Biblical truth provides clarity on emerging cultural ideologies and exposes their flaws. The foundation of Scripture gives hope in times of challenge and difficulty. And a personal relationship with Jesus gives us courage to engage this dark world with truth. Not truth as we see it, rather, truth as God declares it. There may be temptation to circle the wagons and shut the world out. But we are called to more than that. In his High Priestly prayer in John 17, Jesus prayed for each of us – “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one" (Jn. 17:15). Let us therefore boldly proclaim the hope of biblical truth to a lost world.
Trusting in the hope of truth amid the challenges!
Rev. Bill Allan,
AGC President