Does Absolute Truth Exist in a World of Moral Relativism?

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John 8:31-32 (NASB)

The Truth Will Make You Free

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

This morning at church we had a guest pastor who brought the message.  It was a message that caught my attention and was very timely.  I thought the message was exceptional, and I'll do my best to distill the high points because it deserves repeating.  The gentleman led off with statistics that showed an alarming shift in people's belief in absolute truth.  According to Barna Research, today 72% of adults believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth!  I could not believe this could be true!  For 30 years ago 84% of people believed in absolute truth.  How can this be?

We are in a place where truth is whatever you want it to be?  You hear things such as, "my truth" being said.  Tolerance is the seen as one of the greatest virtues.  The problem with tolerance is that there are certain things in which there is no room for tolerance:

1. Math: 3 x 4 = 12. Not 11, not 13.  Mathematics has no room for tolerance.  The answer is correct or incorrect.

2. Chemistry: Water is two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.  Any change in that 'cocktail' and you have something other than water.

3. Music: A conductor in an orchestra works intently to ensure all the instruments are in tune and the orchestra plays the correct notes.  There is no tolerance for music that is off-key.

As a Christian, of course I believe that God and His Word is the source of all Truth.  I believe it is inerrant you should go to the Word of God to determine right and wrong.  Trying to calibrate your moral moorings with popular opinion is a moving target.  The minister gave an excellent illustration of this.

There was once a man who worked for a plant.  His primary responsibility was to blow the whistle at 6:30 AM to let the employees know when to commence work and blow the whistle again at 4:30 to let the employees know that it was quitting time.  Each morning the plant-worker walked to work and he would pass in front of a watch-maker's shop, look inside the window, and set his watch to match the clock in the window.  Then he would walk on to work and blow the whistle.

One day the watch-maker saw the man gazing in the window, setting his watch.  He walked outside and asked the plant-worker if he could help him.  The plant-worker told him that he was just setting his watch with the clock in the window.  The watch-maker then laughed and told him, "That old clock? It doesn't keep time well, so each day I listen to the whistle at the plant and re-set the clock based on that!"

And so it is if we use society, cultural norms, laws, customs, etc. as truth.  In doing so we will be like the plant-worker and the watchmaker, chasing our tails in trying to determine Truth.  We must calibrate our Truth Detector with the Word of God - For He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life.