A Look At Broken Culture: Relativism

Isaiah 5:20-21

There is no shortage of new ideas that discredit the Bible. People of influence have directly contradicted Jesus's claim that He is the only way to God. Others claim that God made them the way that they are. Some profess that the Bible is an antiquated book filled with sexist, racist, homophobic views. The attacks are relentless, and unless a person understands God's Word, they will fall for these lies. This is not something that we can simply throw our hands up in the air about. The consequences are literally life and death!

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Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!

Isaiah 5:20-21

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In the book of Judges, the writer ended with the statement "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). When every person did what was right to them (relativism), God judged the people. Idolatry, adultery, intoxication, fornication, and myriad other sins plagued the land of Israel. It is fair to say that the same is true for America today. As a nation we have rejected God and Godly values, and it shows in the lives of those we see every day. Isaiah said, "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight."

It is difficult to reason with people today because relativism is the pervasive thinking in our nation. "What's right for you may not be right for me" is how we think. I have even heard people in my own family say things like this. Truth is NEVER relative. Truth is concrete. That is what differentiates truth from opinion and truth from fiction.

So, why do people desire for truth to be relative? Verse 20 is the answer to that. Though it begins with a "Woe" (which we will come back to), we do not like to be told that our desires are wrong. We do not want to be told that our actions are sin. We therefore justify what we do by calling right wrong and wrong right. A prevalent justification in our society today is "God made me this way". In other words, we blame God for what the Bible says is sin, and then use that to discredit the Bible. There is no end to the lengths that people could take this fallacious argument. There is no action under heaven that could not be justified, and yet there is absolutely no truth to such a statement. This statement is an attack to the very character of God, and woe to those who claim such. They will stand before Him one day and give an answer for every idle (*pernicious) word they have spoken (Matthew 12:36).

* Pernicious - having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

God does not approve of such justifications. That is why this verse begins with the word "Woe". This word signifies judgment to come. God does not immediately strike us down when we sin. There is time given for us to repent. Take for instance the city of Nineveh in Jonah's day. They were wicked and violent. God proclaimed a message of judgment against them by Jonah, but then he forgave them when they repented. However, history tells us that the revival was short-lived (only one generation) and then they returned to their evil ways. Nineveh was destroyed, just as God had proclaimed. The same is true for all humanity. God allows us time to repent, but if we refuse, judgment will come and woe unto those whom God judges. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

Father, convict me when I try to justify my wrong behaviors as right. Help me to be obedient to You and to turn from those things Your word calls sin. Let my love for You outshine my love for this world.