Truth or Lies?
Have you heard about "Drag Queen Story Hour" that some libraries have hosted? They bring in a man dressed as a woman to read books that explore gender diversity and homosexuality to little kids... And of course it's celebrated by many as empowering - and the rest of us look at each other and think, "What...?" And if I say anything negative about it publicly, I'm considered hateful.
There are many traditional Biblical values that I hold that are now considered extreme, and even dangerous by many. The vast majority of people used to respect marriage between one man and one woman. They used to acknowledge the sanctity of human life. Now many elevate animal rights over any person's rights - especially the unborn.
Have you ever heard people discussing a 'controversial subject' such as public prayer - and just stand in disbelief at how angry some people get? It used to be a commonly held scientific truth that only women can have babies. Now, saying that out loud is considered promoting hate or even violence. How is it that social media can be filled with opinions and worldviews that are so strongly opposed to God and Biblical values? Some actually believe that Christianity should be outlawed...
I'm not here to stir up fights or condemn people who disagree with me. But I want to help us understand 'why' there can be such a divide. I want to explain why this isn't really unusual - this clash of worldviews. I want to help us understand why it appears that 'right is wrong' and many things seem completely upside down in today's world. It's because those things on which we are disagreeing are...
I. Spiritual truths
There are many, very smart, very good people who hold many immoral views and see things exactly opposite from what the Bible teaches. And there's a very real, Biblical reason. I want us to look at a passage from 1 Corinthians. The Apostle Paul was explaining to the Church in Corinth about wisdom and spiritual truths. He was talking about his own lack of personal superior wisdom, but then writes this in 1 Corinthians 2:6-14 (NIV)...
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. (7) No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (8) None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
(9) However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - (10) but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (11) For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
(12) We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (13) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. (14) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
It's not that they're dumb and I'm so smart. But when it comes to this 'disconnect' that we see, it's because, Biblically speaking, many spiritual truths...
A. Are hidden
I can't really expect an 'unbeliever' to think like a believer or value what a believer does. Without God's help - if you aren't open to God's leading - there are truths that are simply hidden from you. That's not being judgmental - it's a Biblical truth. In the passage we just read, Paul was teaching truth that he had learned from Jesus. When Jesus was talking to a crowd who rejected Him and His teachings, He said...
John 8:47 (NIV)
He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
God's truth is all around us, but most people can't hear it. - Or they refuse to hear it. When Jesus' disciples asked Him why He spoke to the crowds in parables rather than plainly explaining the truths to them, He said...
Matthew 13:13-15 (NIV)
This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. (14) In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. (15) For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
They had allowed their hearts to become hard, calloused to the truths that Jesus was speaking. Because of their own pride, or anger, or self interest or their own personal beliefs or wants, they couldn't hear Him. And that 'spiritual deafness/spiritual blindness' still occurs today. And many times, it's a person's own choice that they are spiritually blind.
But Paul shares another reason why people can be spiritually blind...
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV)
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. (4) The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
That title "god" (little 'g') meaning the devil, is given here not because he has any divine attributes, but because of his influence over the people of this world as their 'god'. The devil wants to hide the truth from people and is very effective at doing so - and many people willingly go along with him not even realizing his influence on them.
You see, we are dealing with spiritual truths and these truths are only...
B. Discerned by God's Spirit
If you are not seeking God - you cannot understand spiritual truths. There are truths that are hidden unless God's Spirit reveals them to us.
I remember seeing an interview with a famous atheist who denied God's existence because of a prayer. He said he fervently prayed, 'God, if you're real - just show me some miracle, some undeniable proof - and then I'll believe in you!' And since God didn't show Himself - the man denied God's existence and has concluded that all believers are idiots who don't care about the truth.
One of the teachers of the Law was asking Jesus about miracles that He performed and we read this, in John 3:3-6 (NIV)...
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." (4) "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" (5) Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. (6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
If people look with spiritual eyes, if they are honestly seeking God - not as a way of manipulating God to jump through their hoops and tests - if people look with spiritual eyes, they will see. Because even when people saw Jesus perform incredible miracles with their own eyes - some still rejected Him.
'Seeing' does not produce 'faith'. 'Faith' produces 'seeing'. Without faith in God, people will continue to be blind to God's truths and there will continue to be this 'great divide' in understanding between believers and non-believers.
So why does God allow these things to be hidden? How is this part of His plan? For some people - because of their choice not to see - these things are hidden. For many people - because of the influence the devil has on them - these things are hidden. But also, these truths are hidden, because in a very real sense...
II. It sounds foolish
Think about it for a moment - try to think about these things through the filter of 'unspiritual ears', as if this is the first time. Jesus told His followers to 'eat His body and drink His blood'. There's a spiritual truth there that sounds pretty weird without a spiritual background.
- Or Jesus turning water into wine, Jesus walking on water - impossible. And how does dying on a cross equal victory if you don't have a spiritual understanding? Paul explained it this way in 1 Corinthians 1:21-25 (NIV)...
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (22) Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, (23) but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, (24) but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
(25) For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
These hidden truths may sound foolish, but they have answers...
A. Only found in Jesus
Now I know that not even every Christian believer agrees with every single conclusion on different 'controversial' topics. Many Christians agree with the world on many different 'hot button' issues. And again, you do not have to agree with me on any given subject - but do your beliefs agree with Jesus? Does our understanding, our beliefs about any given subject agree with what is revealed in God's Word? Let's look at Paul's words again, referring to believers, in Colossians 2:2-4 (NIV)...
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (4) I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
If a person doesn't know Jesus, that person does not know truth. If anyone's beliefs conflict with scripture - they do not know the truth. Now I don't want to be seen as condemning anyone here - but if any person holds personal views that are in opposition to God's Word - that person is in the wrong. And that's a spiritual truth that desperately needs to be heard.
For the majority of people who disagree with God's values as revealed in the Bible, for the majority of people who are against Christianity or Christians - they are not our enemy. We need to remember; this is not just about logic or common sense or 'claiming the moral high ground' or even being right...
B. We are in a spiritual battle
There is a huge fight going on all around us. The real enemy is trying to silence God's truth. The real enemy is trying to deny Jesus as the Christ, as God's One and only Son. If believers keep silent for fear of being disliked or mocked or accused of being divisive, or being persecuted - that's exactly what the devil wants!
Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
We are called to stand our ground - to not compromise God's truths. We are called to withstand the onslaught of the world but yet remain firm - AND to stand and continue to share God's truth, God's love, and God's message of hope. And that can only happen if we follow God's Spirit while sharing spiritual truths with an unspiritual world. We are given wisdom and understanding - not on own own merits - but only through God's Spirit.
So What?
Yes, it is extremely frustrating to see much of the world spouting lies and mocking those who stand for God's values. Yes, it is exasperating to have people, who do not even believe in the Bible, quoting passages out of the Bible, out of context, telling me what I should believe about marriage and gender and human life.
But I want us to remember - we are called to stand firm, but we're not called just to be 'right' for the sake of 'being right'. We have been given these spiritual truths for a reason - and it's not just so we can protect our own rights. I'm not suggesting that we just roll over and be door mats - but I may need to check my righteous indignation at the door if it gets in the way of my reaching lost people who do not know Jesus.
It is our job to help open their eyes - and the only way that will ever happen is through Jesus. Pray for those who do not know Jesus. Reach out to those who do not know Jesus. Stand firm for God's truths - but let's do so in order to reach the lost, not just to justify our own beliefs.
It is a hard balance to keep - but that's exactly why God gave us His Spirit, so that even though those in the world may belittle us and call us stupid and small minded - we can still see them through God's eyes; we can still see them as people who need Jesus - people who need God's grace just as much as we do.