The Spirit of Christ and Liberalism

As a result of an article I wrote in the past, I was accused of lacking the spirit of Christ in that I opposed adulterous marriages and gay marriage, and the accuser surmised correctly that I also opposed freedom of choice for women as pertains to abortion. It was implied that I was intolerant, unloving, and lacked the spirit of Christ. I determined then to write an article dealing with the spirit of Christ.

There are many people in America today who have built their own Christ. He bears only a vague resemblance to the Christ of the Bible, although those who built him refuse to see it that way. Building one’s own God does have its advantage in that you can design him as you desire and make his character and nature out as best suits your fancy and your own concept of sin and righteousness. The only problem is the obvious one—it is all a facade. A man-made Christ can no more save than could Jeroboam’s two golden calves (see 1 Kings 12:25-33).

It is said Christ loved all people, even those from the worst class of sinners, and that he associated with all. Well, who has ever denied that? Not me. But the idea is, from those who have built a Christ after their own fancy, that with Christ it is okay to continue on in sin as long as you believe in him, love him, and love your fellowman. Christ would and will forgive you anyway, and did not, then or now, demand repentance and reformation of life. He, it is supposed, just accepted people as they were in their sinful state. Really!

Matthew says Jesus began his preaching career preaching repentance. “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matt. 4:17 NKJV) In Matt. 11:20 we read, “Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.” (Matt. 11:20 NKJV) Furthermore, in the next few verses, he warns those cities of what lies ahead on the Day of Judgment for them. To give one example, he says it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for Capernaum, which he says “will be brought down to Hades.” (Matt. 11:23 NKJV)

When Jesus sent the 12 out to preach, what were they sent to preach? Mark says, “So they went out and preached that people should repent.” (Mark 6:12 NKJV) Jesus himself said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (NKJV) He says this twice, in Luke 13:3 and then in Luke 13:5. Don’t let anyone tell you that the spirit of Christ was such that he would save people while they continued on in an impenitent state, unwilling to repent, unwilling to render obedience to God the Father.

In the very first gospel sermon ever preached after Christ’s ascension, as soon as the crowd was convicted in their hearts, they asked, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37 NKJV) The first word out of Peter’s mouth in reply was “repent.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV) At Athens, Luke records Paul’s preaching there, saying “God…now commands all men everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30 NKJV)

But one must beware of this crowd of people who have made a Jesus who does not require repentance but allows one to live on in sin and yet be saved. Some of them want to make Paul out to be a renegade, a rebel against Christ who preached a different theology, a different gospel than Christ taught. The idea they have is that you can live a life based on what Jesus said and did in the gospel accounts and pay no heed to Paul, who was out there just doing his own thing—so they say and believe.

For them to be right about Paul, several things have to be proven true. (1) It must be proven Paul was a liar—a liar about his conversion experience (see Acts 9, 22, 26), a liar about how he received the gospel (Gal. 1:11-12), a liar about having the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:13, compare Eph. 3:5 with 1 Cor. 15:9 and 2 Cor. 11:5) and not just that he lied about having the Holy Spirit but that Ananias also lied about Paul receiving it (Acts 9:17).

(2) If Paul was uninspired and a rebel against God and Christ, just a man who had his own theology, then it destroys the book of Acts written by Luke for the reason that Luke would then become an unreliable historian, a man no one could believe, because he writes about Paul’s conversion three times as historical fact and mentions that one of the purposes of Ananias’ visit to Paul was that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17) which would be untrue. Paul’s miracles, recorded by Luke, then come into question. If the book of Acts is unreliable history, then what about the book of Luke itself? Why should it be considered reliable? The same man wrote both books.

(3) If Paul was not a Holy Spirit-inspired man but only a rebel against Christ with his own theology, what does this say about Peter, who wrote of Paul saying, “Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:15-16 NKJV) Peter says Paul’s writings are Scripture—“as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”

If Paul’s writings are not from the Holy Spirit, then please tell us how one could twist his writings to their own destruction. If he was uninspired, you could twist his words a thousand different ways and it would have no bearing whatsoever on your salvation. Paul had the spirit of Christ, his detractors to the contrary notwithstanding.

Those who want to pit Paul against Christ and claim that Paul’s teaching was not of Christ will need to delete Luke’s writings from their Bibles, as well as Peter’s and all of Paul’s, and I hope to soon show that they need to get rid of John’s writings also. How?

Have you ever read Gal. 2:9, Paul speaking? “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” (NKJV) If John gave the right hand of fellowship to Paul, a man who taught falsely about the commands of God, what does that say about John and his writings? If Paul deceived John, how can we believe the things John wrote, for he might have been deceived about those things as well.

Furthermore, if this James, who is mentioned in Gal. 2:9, is, as scholars think, the James who wrote the book of James, then he too was deluded in giving Paul the right hand of fellowship and his writings, as well as John’s, then come into question. I guess, of course, one could say Paul was lying about this since he wrote the book of Galatians, but the book of Acts teaches that Paul was in good standing with the apostles and the church in Jerusalem.

You do see, do you not, where all of this business leads about Paul having his own doctrine separate and apart from the Lord’s? You end up having to delete every book of the New Testament Paul wrote, that Luke wrote, that John wrote, that Peter wrote, and that James wrote. That leaves but little of the New Testament. Only a liberal could believe it.

This liberal crowd that wants to make Christ out as a God made after their own image errs in another way as well. They define love for God the way they so desire rather than the way God has defined it. Here is God’s definition, the definition that they will not accept. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:2-3 NKJV)

Their desire is to override any concern about keeping the commandments of God, thus keeping the door open for continuing on in adulterous marriages, homosexuality, open the door for gay marriage, and keep it open for abortion. This was not the spirit of John the Baptist, “For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’” (Mark 6:17-18 NKJV) There had been a divorce and remarriage, but God did not recognize it, for he said through John that Herodias was still Philip’s wife. John was going to break up an adulterous marriage. No need to worry about that among those who have made their own Christ, for their Christ does not demand repentance and reformation of life for salvation.

Their claim is that God is satisfied with adulterous marriages, homosexuality, gay marriage, abortion, etc., because it would be intolerant not to be, and it is an act of love to accept those things in people, accept them without repentance. Passages like 1 Cor. 6:9-10 mean nothing to them (Paul wrote it, after all). “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (NKJV) They do not believe what their eyes read. They claim Christ is on their side, and Paul was a renegade and a rebel. Who do you think had the spirit of Christ? Was it Paul or the modern-day liberal?

Now, how about the spirit of Christ in his own being? Did Christ have the spirit of obedience to the Father or the spirit of disobedience? First, let it be known that Christ was assuredly under commandment from God just as much as you and I are. Jesus said, “This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:18 NKJV) “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” (John 12:49 NKJV) “As the Father gave Me commandment, so I do.” (John 14:31 NKJV) “I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10 NKJV)

Jesus says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38 NKJV) “I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29 NKJV) “I do know Him and keep His word.” (John 8:55 NKJV) Finally, in Rom. 5:19, Paul, speaking of Jesus, said, “So also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (NKJV) One cannot obey unless one has something to obey, a commandment.

Now, I ask again, after quoting these passages, was the spirit of Christ one of obedience to God’s commandments or one of disobedience? Let my liberal friends answer. Let them answer this question also—who gave them the right to decide what commands of God love can override? Are not all of God’s commandments based on love? When a man says this command can be overlooked or ignored (disobeyed), is he not saying that the commandment lacks love? Is he not saying God gave a commandment here that has no love in it, that is, in fact, unloving? Does he really want to stick his neck out on the chopping block like that?

Why does not Mark 7:9 apply to those who so approach the Bible as do these liberals? “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.” (NKJV) As long as I think I know more about sin and righteousness than God does, as long as I believe my love and my way of showing love is purer than God’s way, just that long do I prove myself, not Paul the apostle but myself, the true rebel against God.

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What Is Man

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NKJV)

Here we have one of the toughest questions in life to answer—what is man—then the follow-up: that you, God, are mindful of him. There was a time when you and I did not exist. Birth is like wakening a person who has been in a deep, dreamless sleep. Suddenly we are awake. We are thrust into the world; we have no choice in the matter. How did we get here? Why are we here? What is it we are supposed to do or be? All is a mystery, but at that early stage of life, at birth, we are spared from having to think of such things.

We enter the world naked, helpless, in poverty, having no knowledge or understanding, and unless someone has pity upon us and shows us mercy and gives us care and assistance, we can only live briefly. Someone must care for us.

Man comes into the world a frail creature made of flesh and blood and in a body that is destined for only a limited number of years of life on earth at best. “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10 NKJV) Man can no more prevent his death than he could have prevented his birth. This is the story of human life, but the question remains, what is it all about; what is life about?

God made man out of dust (Gen. 2:7). In speaking to Adam, after the fall, God says to him, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen. 3:19 NKJV) David, the Psalmist, says, “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14 NKJV)

Yet, God gave to man a spirit, not just a body. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’” (Gen. 1:26 NKJV) “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him.” (Gen. 1:27 NKJV) Jesus said, “God is Spirit.” (John 4:24 NKJV) So man has a spirit in the image of God, or like God, but enclosed in a frame of dust.

In the Psalm at hand, Psalm 8:3-4, David the Psalmist in thinking about man and his frailty could look up into the heavens and stand amazed, awestruck, at what his eyes beheld. Comparatively few people living in America today live in an area where they can get a clear view of the heavens on a cloudless, moonless night. City lights, smog, and just the atmosphere itself obscure what is in the heavens to be seen, but when you do get a chance to see the sky on a perfectly clear night it leaves you speechless. What do you say when you look up and see millions to billions of stars?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4 NKJV)

What you see is what God meant for you to see—the glory of God declared. The New American Standard Bible (1977) starts Psalm 19 verse 1 as follows: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God.”

On a perfectly clear night (one totally free of clouds, dust, smog, and city lights) when you look up into the night sky how many stars do you see? Here is a report from a website called ESA Space Science:

“Stars are not scattered randomly through space, they are gathered together into vast groups known as galaxies. The Sun belongs to a galaxy called the Milky Way. Astronomers estimate there are about 100 thousand million stars in the Milky Way alone. Outside that, there are millions upon millions of other galaxies also!”

From a site called wiki.answers.com I got this answer when looking for the number of stars that exist:

“The newest estimates gained by the Hubble space telescope places the estimate of 500 billion Galaxies each with about 300 billion stars for each galaxy.”

And yet the Psalmist said of God, their creator, “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.” (Psalm 147:4 NKJV)

David could look up into the night sky and see the stars so vast in number as to overwhelm the mind. It is more than the human mind can take in and comprehend, and we are left awestruck. Figuratively speaking, it brought David to his knees by its magnificence and the glory and might it portrayed—the glory and might of God. What was, what is, man to such a God? God is God Almighty, truly and beyond doubt!

Have the heavens man can see failed in telling the story of the glory of God? No! “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20 NKJV)

Paul by inspiration in this passage teaches that man knows there is a God, which does not mean, however, that he is willing to admit it or accept it. There are reasons for not accepting the fact that your child is causing problems in school, or that your spouse is cheating on you, or that your smoking may well lead to cancer, or a hundred other things. Likewise, there are many reasons people have for not wanting to believe in God and thus not allowing themselves to do so despite clear evidence of his being. God has shown to man enough evidence to prove his existence so that God has said, “they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20 NKJV)

So what is man to such an astounding God? Human reasoning might well conclude that to such a mighty God we would be nothing, no more than the equivalent of a mite on a leaf, but that is not God’s view of the matter. Man is the object of God’s love. This was the thing David was puzzling over. How can such a great and mighty God care about something as lowly as a man? It is a thing we may never understand, but we must come to believe and accept it, and what a wonderful thing it is whether it is understood or not.

God’s love for his creation was such that even before creation he determined that man would have eternal life. “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” (Titus 1:2 NKJV) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” (Eph. 1:3-4 NKJV)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV) “The Lord…is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) God wants us with him in heaven where “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 NKJV)

In John 17 Jesus prays. He starts out praying, so it seems, for the apostles, but then he says in verse 20, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” (John 17:20 NKJV) Jesus goes on in prayer, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24 NKJV) God’s desire is that all men be with him in heaven and live there with him throughout eternity. God “desires all men to be saved.” (1 Tim. 2:4 NKJV)

Jesus was sent into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world (John 12:47). Jesus is off now preparing a place for God’s faithful children (John 14:2-3). What we learn from all of this is that God created man, God loves man, and God’s intent or desire is that all men be saved and join with him in heaven for eternity. Who can understand or explain the love of God for man?

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39 NKJV)

Man was made to love and be loved by God, created a spiritual being in a body of flesh with the plan being to transform at the proper time into a heavenly body. “And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man.” (1 Cor. 15:49 NKJV)

That is the future that God has decreed for those of his human creation who choose of their own free will to follow God and obey his commands by faith. Not only did God create us, but he has also told us why. There are certain things he wants out of us. This may not be an exhaustive list, but it comes close to being a good summary.

God wants man’s love. “‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30 NKJV)

God also wants man to love his fellow man. “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mark 12:31 NKJV)

This love that God desires of man demands obedience to God. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV) “‘He who does not love Me does not keep My words.’” (John 14:24 NKJV)

God wants man to have faith in him. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6 NKJV)

God desires man’s worship. “‘But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’” (John 4:23-24 NKJV) Note the phrase “the Father is seeking such to worship Him,” thus God desires that of man. “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Matt. 4:10 NKJV)

God desires that man glorify him in both body and spirit. “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:20 NKJV) The great sin of the Gentiles that Paul talks about in Romans 1 was that “although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful.” (Rom. 1:21 NKJV)

To glorify God demands that man treat God as God, which means, among other things, reverence, thanksgiving, and giving praise to his name. It demands a holy and reverent life of faithful obedience from a humble and a thankful heart. It has to be from the heart.

Perhaps we could add to this list, but I think for the most part everything that God desires of us could be put in one or the other of the above categories I have listed. God wants our love, our faith, our obedience, our worship, and our reverence or respect. He wants to be treated like God and honored as such.

What is man that God is mindful of him? Man is the creation of God’s love and because of that love, God is mindful of him. If God has loved us so much, should we not reciprocate that love? Does not our heart drive us to do so? I hope we never harden our hearts against the love of God, for that would be cruelty against one who cares for us. In reference to God’s children, the scripture declares “He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV) “He himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Heb. 13:5 NKJV) God is not willing that any perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Who could be so cruel as to harden his heart against such a God, our God? It is a wonderful thing to have someone care about you. God is that one.

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On The Love of Preeminence

In Third John, we read about a man by the name of Diotrephes as follows:

“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” (3 John vv. 9-10 NKJV)

The English Standard Version reads in 3 John v. 9 as follows:

“I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.”

Diotrephes was a Christian man whose faith failed. In that he had the power to put brethren out of the church, one suspects that he was an elder who had gained preeminence, over time, above the other elders. He had become so emboldened that he would not even accept the apostle John.

The desire for power is one of the ugliest of all the various kinds of lusts mankind is subject to. The desire to be boss, to rule over people, to be seen as top dog, the main man, to set rules and regulations for others, to strut our stuff, and to be bowed down to, is not only a sin but it also turns people against us. It has the exact opposite effect of that desired.

However, once a man gains such power, his power in itself may be such as to shield him from the knowledge of the truth as to how people feel about him and relate to him. We tend to not confront people who have power over us.

If, by chance, such a person does get a hint of the truth about how people feel about him, such power-driven people feel so superior to others that the opinion of others does not matter to them. “Whatever you say makes but little difference to me” seemed to be the attitude of Diotrephes. “I run the show here and I am the man. I know best.” This is the arrogance of power.

Too often we see such attitudes in politicians. They know what is best, you are a nobody, and they are going to take care of you whether you want them to or not. Unfortunately, as in the case of Diotrephes, we sometimes find such men in the church too.

Such men may be elders in the church, preachers, teachers, deacons, or just any member whose desire it is to separate himself from the rest of the brethren. He feels superior to others. He ought to run things for he knows best; he has better insight and understanding.

These men can generally be spotted a mile away but they cannot see themselves.

Such men can rip a church apart. A proud heart, the writer of Proverbs says, “stirs up strife” (Prov. 28:25 NKJV) and that is as true in the church as elsewhere. In the business world, no one wants to work with these kinds of people or for them. They are very capable of destroying their marriages and alienating their families. And it is not just men but women can be guilty as well.

Spend some time around a high school and you will soon learn by observation that this attitude of superiority starts early in life. If you are in the right crowd you are superior to others not in that group.

In Acts, chapter 8, there was a man by the name of Simon who was converted by Philip. Before his conversion he had practiced sorcery in the city of Samaria and had astonished the people of Samaria, the Bible says, “claiming that he was someone great.” (Acts 8:9 NKJV) In verse 10 of Acts 8, the Bible says, speaking of the people of Samaria, with regards to Simon, that they “all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’” (NKJV)

When Peter and John arrived, Simon saw that the Holy Spirit could be conveyed to others by the apostles laying hands upon them. Simon reverted to the days before his conversion, desired this power, and sought it by means of offering to Peter and John money in exchange for the power they had in doing this. You know the rest of the story. He was condemned for this. Peter says to Simon, “Your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent … and pray … .” (Acts 8:21-22 NKJV)

Simon seemed to have the same problem Diotrephes had, the desire to be seen as special among God’s people, to be the man.

In Acts 20 Paul calls the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet with him and tells them what the future would bring. He says, in part, “Also f+rom among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:30 NKJV) Elders in the church desiring power, the praise of men, desiring their very own flock. Forget about the church being God’s, make it mine. It is MINE! That would be their attitude. History teaches Paul’s prophecy was fulfilled with such an attitude ultimately culminating in the office of the Pope.

What causes men to be this way? Their inability, or unwillingness, to see themselves as frail, feeble human beings dependent on God for even the very breath of life within them, their very next heartbeat.

In talking to Adam, after Adam’s sin, God says to him, “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19 NKJV)

In Ecclesiastes 3:18-19 the inspired writer says, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals. For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals … .” (NKJV)

Mankind needs to see and understand his real state of being as delineated in the passages just quoted. If we understand what we are we will not exalt ourselves. The same teaching is found in the following passages.

The Psalmist says, “For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.” (Psalm 49:17 NKJV) And again, (Psalm 49:20), “A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.” (NKJV)

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him … .” (Psalm 8:3-4 ESV)

The man who desires preeminence has difficulty seeing himself as he is, a man of sin. He may feign humbleness or humility but does not feel it in his heart. He feels, for all practical purposes, that he has risen above sin, that is, any sin that in his mind is in any way serious. Thank God that he can now show everyone else how to do the same seems to be his attitude.

This is an exceedingly dangerous sin in that it is very difficult for such a person to ever be made aware of it. Who will tell them the truth about themselves? After all, is it not a kind of judgment thing? Who will tell the man or the woman the truth? It may be as clear as it can be that the individual is such a person but who will tell them to their face?

The pride of life is what drives such people. Pride, as any Bible reader knows, is condemned over and over again in the Bible. Since this is common knowledge I will quote only one such passage, Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (NAS) “God resists the proud.” (1 Peter 5:5 NKJV)

Paul teaches the way we are to live when he says, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” (Rom. 12:10, NKJV) This passage is clearly violated by such people as we have been discussing. What does it mean to be kindly affectionate to one another? Does it mean to lord it over them and make yourself out to be superior to them? Does it mean to belittle them in your heart? I think not. Neither do such people give preference to the other. They give preference to themselves.

Paul again, just a few verses later, says, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” (Rom. 12:16 NKJV) The Diotrephes of the world have set their mind on high things. They have become wise in their own opinion.

The Bible, however, teaches that “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NKJV) The writer of Proverbs says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD.” (Prov. 16:5 NKJV)

Peter tells us, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6 NKJV) Jesus was the one who took the towel and washed the disciples’ feet and said we ought to be willing to do the same, that is serve our fellowman and one another.

Jesus said, in speaking to the twelve, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:25-28 NAS)

The message of this article is not that men should flee from taking proper leadership roles in the church, business, education, or any other worthy endeavor. It is a message to consider seriously who and what every man is – a man just like every other man. If we will do that pride will flee.

“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14 NKJV) As James says, let us not boast in our arrogance (James 4:16). Rather, let us know that we all can become full of ourselves, we can become people full of pride and arrogance, and let us fight against becoming that with all our might. Let us be the kind of men and women that the righteous love and that God will honor on the last day. Pride can easily overtake us without our being fully aware that it is happening. May we all guard against it.

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Pilate's Question

Pilate’s response to Jesus’ statement that he had come to bear witness to the truth, John 18:37-38, is well known. Pilate’s reply “What is truth?” is a question that has been asked down through the ages. Up until recent times, the idea of truth as a thing a person could find, grasp, and hold onto was not in doubt. Truth was out there; all you had to do was find it. Today that is being called into question; enter the age of postmodernism. Postmodernists do not believe objective truth exists in matters of values, morals, and religion.

The postmodernist immediately comes into conflict with Jesus, for how can Jesus say he came to bear witness to the truth if the truth does not exist? Again, Jesus said in John 8:45, “I tell the truth” (NKJV), but he does not tell the truth if the postmodernist is right, for truth cannot be told if it does not exist. The word “truth” is found in 100 verses in the New Testament of the New King James Version of the Bible, but to the postmodernist mindset talk about truth is meaningless. Postmodernism is anti-Christian.

Postmodernists contradict themselves and thus prove the fallacy of their philosophy when they say objective truth does not exist while declaring it to be objective truth that “objective truth does not exist.” One might add that any talk about “subjective truth” is an oxymoron. If truth exists at all, it is objective truth.

Truth either exists or does not. Truth cannot exist sometimes but not at other times. No one would deny that there are times when we are unable to discern truth from error, but the truth always exists whether we discern it or not. My ignorance of truth does not destroy truth.

It is easy to see the attractiveness of postmodernism in our society. If truth does not exist in an absolute sense, then you can have your own personal truth and I can have mine. I will call it “my life.” No one will be able to judge me or condemn me justly, and I will take God and thus accountability out of the picture altogether. It allows me to live my own life the way I want to live it. Of course, that is the very thing Jesus came to save us from—save us from ourselves.

We have a desire to live our own lives without being judged or held accountable for our actions. We desire respect and honor even when we do the dishonorable; no one and no authority dare shame us. If objective truth does not exist, who can hold us to any moral accountability? Not even God himself can, for we took him out of the picture, so we think.

If we try to rationalize our life and behavior by saying this is what is true for me that does not get us off the hook. It is not about the way I see things, not if God exists and there is a higher power. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8-9 NKJV) “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12 NKJV) “It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jer. 10:23b NKJV)

If we say no one believes postmodernism, no one believes truth does not exist, then how does one explain the change in moral values that has come about in America in the past 50 to 60 years? It is hard to say our culture has not been affected by postmodern thought. According to the Pew Research Center, only 5% of our children were born outside marriage in 1960. What is that number today? Have our values changed? We have adopted the idea, in our society, that anything in moral (should one say “immoral”) conduct should be allowed to stand, and no one should say a thing against it or criticize it in any way.

As for the New Testament, it is not to be allowed in making moral judgments; in that sense, it is to be banned from having any influence on our thinking or way of life as a society. Who among us would deny the effort to secularize America and to take Christianity entirely out of the life of our nation on every level except, at least so far, inside the four walls of places of public worship?

When I was growing up I remember the Billy Graham crusades would be nationally televised from time to time by one or more of the major TV networks. Can anyone, and I do mean anyone, imagine such a thing happening in the America of today? I add I am not a Baptist, but I am just making the point of the change that has come over American society just during my lifetime.

When one takes away the foundations upon which to build a life, some solid rock, some absolute standards of right and wrong, which is the very thing postmodernism does, how does one ever judge what one ought to do? Under postmodern thought you may never be wrong, for there is no judgment, but can you ever be right, for there are no standards by which to judge? Life becomes an element of chance, just a guess as to what is the best course of action.

Postmodernism takes away hope, guidance, and direction. It takes away a purpose for living. It is ungodly. There is no hope for heaven. God becomes a myth. Here and now is all you have, so, since there are no standards, do as you well please as long as you can stay out of prison.

Postmodernism is intolerant. It is not to be questioned. It is to be accepted, no questions asked. To question it would be to pass judgment, a thing postmodernism will not allow. If truth does not exist, a tenet of postmodernism, then judgments cannot be passed, for if there is no truth, there is no standard by which to judge. But the postmodernists contradict themselves again, for they do not hesitate to judge Christianity. While they claim tolerance, they prove themselves to be very intolerant to any who would oppose them.

Postmodernism makes it impossible to judge evil from good and thus comes into conflict with the Bible, for judging evil from good is a thing one finds on almost every page of the Bible. Evil, from the postmodernist’s point of view, is not to be fought, for who can define evil? Who can pass judgment?

If one cannot judge evil, then one wonders what action a true postmodernist might take if someone was to break into his home to rape, pillage, and kill. If objective truth does not exist, how can one declare the intruder’s actions to be evil and therefore justifiably resist them?

When, as the old saying goes, the rubber meets the road, this is a most dangerous philosophy, for it presumes real evil does not exist in this world. Evil is just a judgment call. Postmodernism cannot declare Hitler or ISIS evil. If there is no evil, you cannot confront it. When evil is not confronted, where does that leave the individual or the nation?

The postmodernist’s mindset undermines the foundation of many of the things man has considered virtues down through the ages—things like love, kindness, goodness—for, without absolute truth existing, how do you define any of these things? If you cannot define virtues, how do you express them? Was Hitler’s definition of love as good as anyone else’s? A postmodernist cannot be consistent and say no, but a Christian can.

More and more people are coming down on Christianity, declaring it to be intolerant and judgmental, an evil in the world. Why? The answer is because very subtly postmodernist thought has crept into the very pores of our society. One can almost say of our society today that if the Bible is for it, we are against it, and if the Bible is against it, we are for it.

Adultery is commonplace today, fornication and living together outside of marriage are things people think little about, and now the desire seems to be to make homosexual relationships an honorable thing on par with the marriage God ordained in the beginning (Matt. 19:4-6) between a man and a woman.

Add to those things abortion, which runs rampant. Planned Parenthood reported 327,653 abortions in 2014, which averages out to 37 an hour, and the president of the organization says they are proud to provide the procedure. So we kill babies and are proud of the opportunity to help people do it.

In our quest to live our own lives the way we want, we end up discarding the New Testament of Christ as having any real impact on our lives and our society. We will do as we please. We have become a secular non-God-fearing society where nearly anything goes.

The problem every man has with the Bible is that it acts as a mirror. We read it and begin thinking thoughts that trouble us, for we see ourselves as we truly are—sinners. The word of God judges us (John 12:48), and we know that judgment condemns us. It is more pleasing to reject the word of God and its values than to accept it.

God offers grace and salvation to sinners, but that would require giving up the life we desire to live and submitting our will to God’s will. After all, we have some sins we kind of enjoy, and who wants to give those up? “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (John 3:20 NKJV) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light…” (John 3:19 NKJV)

How does one create within a man or woman love for God, a longing, and a desire for God? How does one create within a man a felt need for God? Right now those feelings are in short supply and a national longing for God does not exist. According to the statistics I have seen, only around 17% of Americans will be in any kind of Christian worship service on an average Sunday (see The American Church in Crisis by David Olson, 2009). As long as America is at war with God, truth will elude it.

If America and the modern-day American cannot find objective truth, that does not mean God has lost it. God knows good from evil; he is willing to judge it.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10 NKJV)

Where does that leave the postmodernist in the Day of Judgment? They can only hope Christianity is just a fairy tale, but if it is, then man is just another animal whose life ultimately amounts to nothing. That is the joy found in postmodern thought. Hope is destroyed and man is doomed to an eternal grave.

Postscript: This article was written before gay marriage was legalized. I don’t hear as much about postmodernism today (2026) as I did back when I wrote this piece, but that is because it has become such an accepted thing in our society that its tenets are rarely questioned any longer.

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