We are living in a postmodern age with a vastly different view of the world. For the postmodernist, truth and knowledge are not obtainable. That flies in the face of our Christian worldview. For the believer, truth is the words of our Savior. We hold to that. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is truth.
Whose Opinion Are You Listening To?
And they came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For You are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” (Mark 12:14)
Mark has an important lesson for us. If we are seeking other people’s opinions for validation, we are listening to the wrong voices in our lives. If we are seeking our self-worth on social media, we are letting others define our identity. I understand that temptation. Those likes on Facebook can be an addictive drug. I must admit, likes are satisfying, but they may give you a false sense of importance and acceptance.
Follow the Voice of Jesus
Are those the goals of the Christian walk? Did Jesus say we would be liked by the world? Jesus warns us that the opposite is true. You will not be loved by the world—in fact, the world will hate you because of Jesus. He says, “I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).
With that foundational truth in mind, whose voice do we follow? Where does the believer find his or her sense of purpose? Jesus lays that out clearly:
I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:14–19)
Jesus left us in the world not to take on the values and beliefs of the world but to be sanctified—set aside or apart for a divine purpose. To accomplish this divine purpose, our message must be grounded in the truth of God’s Word. We continue in that truth as we continue to be connected to the vine, Jesus Christ. While the world will not give us likes and thumbs-ups for that truth, we are sent still to be messengers of truth. But fear not—we are not sent into the world alone. The power and might of Almighty God go with us.
Scripture: ESV®.
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