Part Two: The Danger of Redefining Truth
What happens when everyone decides what is right for themselves?
Today, many people see truth as something personal. You often hear, “That may be true for you, but not for me.” Instead of asking if something is really true, we are told to trust what feels true based on our own experiences, desires, and identities.
Personal experiences are important, but they cannot change what is real. People can see things differently, but two opposite claims cannot both be true. If everyone creates their own truth, the idea of truth loses its meaning.
The Bible shows us where this kind of thinking leads.
When Everyone Does What Seems Right
Judges 21:25 describes one of Israel’s darkest spiritual periods:
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”
The people were not necessarily living without standards. They were living according to standards they had created for themselves. Everyone did what seemed right in their own eyes.
That sounds remarkably similar to modern culture.
Today, many believe that personal freedom means deciding for ourselves what is good, evil, true, or false. But if everyone is their own authority, we lose a shared foundation for what is right and wrong. Morality becomes just a matter of personal preference.
God gave us freedom, but not the right to change what is good and evil. Freedom without truth does not bring life. In the end, it leads to confusion, bondage, and destruction.
Redefining Truth Began in the Garden
The attempt to redefine truth is not new. It began in the garden of Eden.
God had clearly warned Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent challenged God’s Word by asking Eve, “Did God really say…?” He then directly contradicted God.
Genesis 3:4–5 says:
“‘No! You will certainly not die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”
The temptation was not just about eating forbidden fruit. It was really about rejecting God’s authority and choosing for ourselves what is good and evil.
The serpent made it seem like God’s command was unfair, that His warning was false, and that breaking the rule would bring freedom. People believed this lie, but the so-called freedom only brought shame, separation, pain, and death.
Whenever we try to change the truth, we repeat the same mistake from Eden: thinking that God cannot be trusted, that His Word is not final, and that we know what is best for ourselves.
The enemy still asks, “Did God really say?” Culture is still tempted to answer, “God may have said it, but we know better now.”
Calling Evil Good
Isaiah warned about the danger of reversing God’s moral order.
Isaiah 5:20 says:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
A culture rarely gives up on truth overnight. It happens slowly. At first, sin is tolerated, then accepted, and finally celebrated. In the end, people who still call it sin are seen as the problem.
People start calling what God says is darkness, light. They call bondage freedom and rebellion authenticity. At the same time, they label biblical conviction as hatred, obedience as oppression, and holiness as something harmful.
Changing the label does not change the reality.
We can try to rename, explain, justify, or even celebrate sin, but we cannot escape its consequences. God did not set boundaries to take away our joy. He gave them because He knows what brings life and what leads to destruction.
Suppressing What We Know
Romans 1 explains that humanity’s problem is not simply a lack of information. It is often the rejection of the truth already revealed.
Romans 1:25 says:
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.”
We have to set aside the truth before we can accept a lie. To believe something false, we first ignore what God has said.
Sometimes people turn away from biblical truth because they misunderstand Scripture. Other times, we reject the truth because accepting it would mean we have to change. It often feels easier to change the standard than to admit we were wrong.of constructing arguments that allow us to keep what God is asking us to surrender. We should therefore approach Scripture with humility, asking God to expose where our desires have affected our beliefs.
Love Does Not Redefine Truth
Christians are sometimes told that affirming every belief and behavior is the loving thing to do. But biblical love cannot be separated from truth.
First Corinthians 13:6 says:
“Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.”
Love does not celebrate things that separate people from God. It does not support choices that lead to spiritual harm. Real love tells the truth with patience, kindness, and humility.
Ephesians 4:15 calls believers to speak “the truth in love.” Truth without love can become harsh and self-righteous. Love without truth becomes empty affirmation. Jesus perfectly demonstrated both grace and truth.
We should never use biblical truth to hurt or embarrass others. Our goal is not to win arguments and lose people. But we also cannot hide, change, or water down God’s truth just because it might be. Staying silent is not always loving. Agreeing with someone is not always compassionate. Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do is kindly tell someone the truth.e the truth.
The Consequences of Rejecting the Standard
Proverbs 14:12 warns:
“There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.”
A road is not safe just because many people use it. A belief is not true just because it is popular. The results of rejecting God’s truth may not show up right away, but every path leads somewhere in the end.
Jesus came not just to point out sin, but to save sinners. The truth about our sin is meant to show us His grace. God challenges us because He loves us and wants us to turn back to Him, since He offers restoration.
Personal Reflection
Ask yourself:
- Have I allowed culture to rename something God has already defined?
- Do I change my interpretation of Scripture to protect my preferences?
- Am I willing to speak truth with both courage and compassion?
- Do I receive correction, or do I immediately defend myself?
- Is my understanding of love rooted in God’s Word?
We do not need to make up our own truth. God has already shown us the truth, and His truth brings freedom, healing, and life.
When culture changes, truth remains.
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 