From one Christian to another, I beg you, tell the truth.

I live in an urban city in North America, and I can confidently say that many people don’t necessarily change their lives or worldviews based on truth alone. Looking around, there seems to be another piece of the criteria that’s required in order for them to change. I believe that piece is called “benefit now.”

“Benefit now” isn’t on the same level as truth – it actually topples over truth. If someone is told a lie that benefits them immediately, then they will consider it as truth, but when someone is told the truth that doesn’t necessarily benefit them now or maybe in the future, then they will respectfully deny its authority. As you can see, truth has lost its influence and immediate benefit has taken its place.

Now, I’m writing with a presupposition that there is such thing as truth – that’s objective and absolute truth. I’m a Christian, and a biblical Christian worldview wholeheartedly believes in truth. So from one Christian to another, I beg you, tell the truth.

Why Tell the Truth?

One simple answer: Truth may have lost its influence, but it will never lose its substance. Just because people don’t regard truth with as much weight, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Firstly, what is truth? Generally, people make a distinction between objective and subjective truth. The extremely short description of both are as follows: objective truth is considered truth for all things at all times, whereas subjective truth is considered truth relative to one’s opinion.

I say all this because, as a culture, we’ve moved towards a system of truth that leans more towards the “subjective” side than the “objective.” What once was objective truth has become relative to various people’s opinions. Because we live in a culture that’s saturated in this relative truth, it becomes much more difficult to tell the truth. Many Christians who are steeped in this culture (and I’m not exempt!) have consciously or even subconsciously become lax on certain objective truths – things like the doctrine of hell, the inerrancy of Scripture, and marriage between a man and a woman.

But again, even though we live in this “relative truth” culture, I beg you, tell the truth.

As Christians, we know the truth of God, humanity, the world, and salvation. And even though we or others might not consider the heavy weight of those truths, it doesn’t change their reality. God is God in three Persons whether we believe in that truth or not, and same goes to the sinfulness of humanity, the brokenness of this world, and the gospel that brings salvation. All of those things are true. They are not subjective, but objective and absolute truths.

As Christians, I beg you to reject culture’s exalting of “self,” and live lives that model a reverence for the weight of truth. Don’t put “benefit now” above what’s true, rather, make practical decisions that show your steadfastness in believing the truth. And don’t just model your belief in truth, but speak out that truth.

For we are “children of light, children of the day” as Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians (1 Thessalonians 5:5). We see reality for what it is – we don’t stumble in the darkness. Certainly, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13) So may we continue “speaking the truth in love” so as to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

So go, tell the truth.

This article was originally published on November 30th, 2016.