Episode 264: How to Identify Truth in Today's World: Jonathan Youssef

[00:00:02] Hello, and welcome to Candid, where we never settle for less than the truth.

[00:00:12] I'm your host, Dr. Jonathan Youssef.

[00:00:14] Each week we'll tackle tough issues, answer your hard questions, and take a candid look

[00:00:19] at the Christian faith.

[00:00:21] There's no doubt we live in an age of confusion.

[00:00:25] New pronouns are demanded, definitions are changing, and people are even attempting to

[00:00:32] redefine Christianity.

[00:00:34] But none of this is new.

[00:00:37] Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, There is nothing new under the sun.

[00:00:42] We're facing the same old enemy up to the same old tricks.

[00:00:47] Thankfully we have the same truth in the word of God and the same spirit to lead

[00:00:53] us daily.

[00:00:55] Today on Candid I want to share four tips to help you discern truth in today's world.

[00:01:02] First, let me share each point with you and then we can briefly discuss each tip.

[00:01:09] First, be in the world, not of it.

[00:01:13] Second, look to the source of truth.

[00:01:17] Third, beware of false teachers.

[00:01:21] And fourth, speak the truth in love.

[00:01:25] Be in the world, not of it.

[00:01:27] We live in an age where even professing Christians are being taken in by the deceptions of our

[00:01:34] culture.

[00:01:35] We've watched as faith leaders deny sin and hell and attempt to redefine love and

[00:01:41] salvation, but when we pick apart God's word, keeping some and throwing out the

[00:01:48] rest, even to bring people to God, we inadvertently remove the hope of the gospel

[00:01:55] and it is no longer good news.

[00:01:59] Just consider these stats reflecting the beliefs of professing Christians.

[00:02:04] Now keep in mind, professing Christians in the United States today.

[00:02:09] Nineteen percent agree no one can know for certain what meaning and purpose there

[00:02:16] is to life.

[00:02:18] Twenty five percent agree all people are eventually saved.

[00:02:24] Twenty six agree all religions teach the same lessons.

[00:02:31] And forty percent of professing Christians in the United States agree that Christians

[00:02:37] and Muslims worship the same God.

[00:02:41] In our postmodern world, we must still uphold the unchangeable truths of God's

[00:02:49] word.

[00:02:50] The eternal God made us in his image, not the other way around.

[00:02:55] We have sinned against him.

[00:02:57] We cannot enter his perfect presence unless our guilt is atoned for.

[00:03:03] There is no sacrifice we could make to make us righteous before God for eternity.

[00:03:10] Therefore, we need a sinless savior to pay our infinite debt and give us his

[00:03:17] righteousness.

[00:03:19] When we receive the free gift of grace and inheritance with God in heaven forever,

[00:03:26] we are called to live holy lives as God's children.

[00:03:32] If we are not proclaiming the true gospel, it has no power to save.

[00:03:38] Tip two, look to the source of truth.

[00:03:42] When we encounter hard teachings, it's tempting to twist God's word to fit our

[00:03:47] preferences.

[00:03:48] But instead of allowing our emotions to dictate what we believe is right, we must

[00:03:53] instead submit to the only standard that is time tested, that is authoritative,

[00:03:59] that is true.

[00:04:01] It's the word of God.

[00:04:04] When we're tempted to believe our culture's assertions that Jesus was just a

[00:04:07] teacher or one of many ways to God, we must remember the bold claims of Christ

[00:04:12] himself.

[00:04:13] I am the son of God, John 10, 36.

[00:04:16] I came from the Father, John 16, 28.

[00:04:19] Before Abraham was, I am, John 8, 58.

[00:04:24] I am the gate.

[00:04:24] Whoever enters through me will be saved, John 10, 19.

[00:04:28] I am the way, the truth and the life.

[00:04:30] No one comes to the Father except through me, John 14, 6.

[00:04:35] I am the resurrection and the life, John 11, 25.

[00:04:38] The one who believes in me will live even though they die, John 11, 25.

[00:04:44] I am the Messiah, Mark 14, 61-62.

[00:04:49] I and the Father are one, John 10, 30.

[00:04:53] Don't take anyone's word for it.

[00:04:55] Go to the scriptures.

[00:04:58] Go to the authoritative texts and discover what Jesus says about himself.

[00:05:05] Tip 3.

[00:05:06] Beware of false teachers.

[00:05:09] Whatever teaching we encounter, we must test it against God's word.

[00:05:15] 1 John 4, 1-6.

[00:05:18] Here are four questions to help you understand why you might have a red flag about a particular

[00:05:24] book or song or sermon.

[00:05:28] One, does it confess the authority of the scriptures and align with its teachings and

[00:05:34] its truths?

[00:05:35] Two, does it acknowledge the crucifixion?

[00:05:38] Resurrection of Christ?

[00:05:41] Three, how is God defined or portrayed?

[00:05:45] Four, is Christ or is man the center of this theology?

[00:05:52] Let's examine some of the common false teachings in today's church.

[00:05:58] First I will share the lie that the ideology shares as truth and then offer the truth from

[00:06:05] scripture.

[00:06:07] One that is prevalent today is progressive Christianity.

[00:06:12] The lie it offers is that the only certain truth is that there is no certainty.

[00:06:19] The teachings of scripture should be held loosely.

[00:06:22] We interpret the Bible in the most accepting way possible.

[00:06:27] However, God's word gives us the strength to run confidently, not to walk about in

[00:06:34] confusion.

[00:06:35] We can be sure about our faith and we must choose to read God's word with an attitude

[00:06:41] of obedience to the authority of God's word because we want to know what God's

[00:06:46] word says so that we can obey.

[00:06:50] Jesus holds us accountable for discerning truth.

[00:06:53] Some verses that you can look at to reinforce this truth.

[00:06:56] Matthew 22, 31.

[00:06:59] Mark 11, 17.

[00:07:01] Mark 12, 26.

[00:07:03] And John 10, 34.

[00:07:06] Pluralism is the belief system that we all believe the same thing at our core.

[00:07:12] No one is wrong and no one's religion is the exclusive source of truth.

[00:07:17] We can all get along.

[00:07:20] The Bible is clear that one day Christ will judge every person based on whether or not

[00:07:25] he has believed in Christ as Savior.

[00:07:30] Romans chapter 2 verses 8 through 12.

[00:07:33] Jesus is the only name by which we will be saved.

[00:07:37] Acts chapter 4 verse 12.

[00:07:40] The social justice gospel believes the lie that the church's most important work

[00:07:45] is to pursue justice and advocate for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized.

[00:07:51] Yes, of course Christians are called to serve others to seek the peace and

[00:07:56] prosperity of society but not in the place of proclaiming the good news of salvation

[00:08:01] through Jesus Christ.

[00:08:03] When we share the gospel, we meet a person's most essential and dire need.

[00:08:09] Matthew chapter 10 verse 28.

[00:08:12] The hyper grace movement teaches that confession and repentance of sin are not

[00:08:16] necessary because we are eternally forgiven and because we are already perfected in Christ,

[00:08:24] there is no need for holy living.

[00:08:26] However, if we love God, John 14 says, we will obey him.

[00:08:32] We need his grace daily as we work out our faith with fear and trembling.

[00:08:37] Philippians chapter 2 verse 12.

[00:08:40] Works cannot save us but they are evidence of our faith as we seek to honor God in our lives.

[00:08:47] You can read James chapter 2 verses 14 through 26 and 1 Peter chapter 1 verses 13 through 25.

[00:08:55] The emergent church believes that to reach a postmodern society we must

[00:09:00] adapt and become culturally relevant.

[00:09:04] We must also accept people's lifestyles in order to love them.

[00:09:09] Doctrine is divisive.

[00:09:10] Our individual experiences are more important than doctrine.

[00:09:15] Well, the gospel comes not in persuasive words or slick marketing package but by

[00:09:23] the Holy Spirit of God.

[00:09:25] First Corinthians chapter 2 verses 1 through 5.

[00:09:29] As followers of Christ, we are called to preach truth, not to accommodate to itching ears

[00:09:34] as Paul writes in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 through 5.

[00:09:41] We recently had Jordan Taylor on Candid Conversations.

[00:09:45] She shared her testimony of coming out of New Age spirituality.

[00:09:50] You can listen to that episode if you get a chance.

[00:09:52] It's episode 238.

[00:09:56] This ideology believes that all our troubles stem from the fact that we have forgotten

[00:10:01] our own divinity.

[00:10:04] By seeking a higher consciousness, we can awaken God in us.

[00:10:10] In contrast, Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 25 tells us that the troubles

[00:10:14] we experience result from our rejection of the one true God.

[00:10:19] We can give thanks to God because he has made a way to redeem us from futility by

[00:10:25] sending his Son to ransom us at the cross.

[00:10:30] The final false belief system we will talk about is the prosperity gospel.

[00:10:36] It's the teaching that God wants us to be physically well and materially blessed.

[00:10:42] If Christians are sick, suffering or poor, it is because of sin or lack of faith.

[00:10:49] Jesus promised we would suffer in this world, but he told us to take heart in John 16 33

[00:10:57] because he had overcome the world.

[00:11:01] All of our suffering pales in comparison to the inheritance awaiting us in heaven.

[00:11:06] In this life we experience abundant life through Christ with a peace that transcends

[00:11:12] understanding as mentioned in Philippians chapter 4 verses 4 through 7.

[00:11:17] And finally, we come to the fourth tip.

[00:11:20] It may be the hardest for us in the digital age.

[00:11:25] Speak the truth in love.

[00:11:27] As you share God's love through sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ,

[00:11:33] pray before speaking.

[00:11:35] Ask for God's help and direction as you engage in meaningful conversation.

[00:11:41] Invite people into conversation.

[00:11:43] When you ask them questions, they will naturally return the favor

[00:11:47] as you first listen respectfully to their ideas.

[00:11:52] Follow 1 Corinthians 13.

[00:11:55] Speak with patience, kindness and humility.

[00:11:59] And remember that the gospel is good news.

[00:12:04] I hope these tips help you navigate our culture through the lens of Christ.

[00:12:09] You know, I often get asked how to handle different cultural situations as a Christian,

[00:12:14] and that's exactly what Candid is all about.

[00:12:17] With over 264 episodes, we have tackled many of these issues from a biblical perspective,

[00:12:24] often featuring powerful testimonies from people who've lived them firsthand.

[00:12:29] So the next time you have a question, take a moment to browse our podcast library.

[00:12:35] You're likely to find an episode that equips you to share the truth in our diverse world.

[00:12:42] My prayer is that the Lord will help us all stand firm

[00:12:45] in our faith until the day Christ Jesus returns.

[00:13:10] Thank you for listening to and sharing this episode.