TNG What is Truth?

What is Truth?

That might sound like an overly simplistic question, but it's a very, very important question. What is really true? And how can we know truth, and how can we live for truth? And how healthy, how robust is truth in today's culture? Welcome to TNG Radio.

This is Alex McFarland, along with Dylan Burrows. And you know, Dylan, nowadays the definition of truth in the minds of many people is pretty fluid. I think a lot of people want truth to be whatever they determine it to be or whatever they make it up to be. But God and his Word has a lot to say about the importance of truth. Yes, and many people are calling it a post-truth society, where whatever we feel is fact.

And that's certainly not the case as presented in the Scriptures. And as we look at the Bible, it declares God's Word as truth and gives us the facts on various aspects of our life and of our faith. And that's coming increasingly into question today, isn't it, Alex?

Well, it really is. And you know, what's interesting about our culture—and this is really different than any time previously in all of history—is the role that technology has played in the shaping of truth and in our accessibility to truth. And in fact, you know, as we've gone away from predominantly print media, newspapers have been dropping like flies, and magazines have gone out of business or consolidated, because so many people are taking in content online. But as much as the Internet can be a great tool, you know, it's interesting, digitally, people can manipulate truth. People can say things and use images and present things that are very compelling, but are lies. And another thing, not only about the Internet's ability to shape and spin and nuance truth, there's the ability, digitally, just to flat-out censor viewpoints. And so on today's program, we want to talk about the call and the commission of every human being.

Really, it's everybody's responsibility, not only before God and their fellow human beings, but frankly for the condition of your soul. Everybody has the responsibility to come to truth. As we record this, there's a lot in the news about Twitter. It's long been known that the powers that be at Twitter and Facebook have censored and deleted things that they find offensive. There's a journalist, Megan Murphy, and not really an evangelical conservative or no one could construe that she is some right-wing Christian, but she has had her Twitter account repeatedly locked, temporarily suspended, and she's been forced to delete certain tweets that Twitter said are offensive.

And Dylan, I know that she's in Canada, but people in America have had these same things too. And I know from things that we've posted online with Truth for New Generation Ministries, there can often be huge backlash if you just lay your cards on the table and say that sin is sin and Jesus is the end of the way to heaven. But Megan Murphy has said some things that any logical person would find very innocuous and safe. She has said that men are men and women are women, but that goes against the narrative of transgenderism and the sexual and gender revolutions that many are attempting to impose on the culture. So she's found out that Twitter will censor, won't they?

Yes. And the biggest difference we see in digital technology versus technology of the past, such as the telephone or television, is that the media is privately held. So Twitter is a privately held company, and as a result, it has the ability to say what is okay and what is not okay on its platform. And as a result, you're seeing all these arbitrary or sometimes very awkward and strangely selected censorship taking place. And that's what we're seeing here with this journalist, Megan Murphy. She is in Canada, where different hate crime laws apply, but the very fact that you can say a man is a man, period, and be kicked off a major social media platform should be concerning for all of us when this is something that's simply a fact stated in the book of Genesis that God made man and woman in his image. And as Americans, we believe all people are created equal, and yet those very basic facts about human gender are being censored today.

Well, exactly. And true enough, Facebook and Twitter are privately held companies, but they certainly have an incredibly strongly held grip on the public. And that's why we would encourage you, maybe there will be some other platforms that will emerge that will compete with Twitter and Facebook that will be a little more objective, but you've got to wean yourselves off of this social media platform addiction. Now, in frustration, Megan Murphy has written, quote, Hi, Twitter, I'm a journalist. Am I no longer permitted to report facts on your platform? I was promptly locked out of my account, again, told to delete the tweet in question and suspended for 12 hours. I appealed the suspension, as it seemed clear to me that my tweets were not, quote, hateful, but received no response.

Now, listen to this. She reported that, again, her account was locked on November 15, 2018. And she was told that she had to delete the tweet that said, Men aren't women.

Women aren't men. And she is not some, you know, Bible preaching right winger. And journalist Murphy says this, quote, that a multi-billion dollar company is censoring basic facts and silencing people who ask for questions about this dogma is insane.

One more thing, and then I want to get into what the Bible has to say about truth and our response to it. But earlier this week, Twitter said that it would ban users who refuse to call transgender people by their chosen gender. Now, this is called misgendering or deadnaming. In our quest to reinvent truth, they make up all sorts of just illogical terms and words. And we've talked about that some on the show.

But misgendering is the LGBTQ trans movement's word to say, if a boy identifies as a female, and you insist on calling the boy Mr. Jones, you're misgendering. Now, listen very carefully. Deadnaming. Dylan and I was working at a Christian bookstore, and there was a young man that came in, and we were trying to lead him to Christ. His name was Russ.

And sadly, he died very tragically. But he came in, and we knew he was struggling with sexual sin and gender. And he came in and he said, my name is Courtney from now on, and I'm a she, not a he. Call me Courtney. And I said, Russ, you're a male, and God made you a male. And he said, no, call me Courtney.

Now my insisting to call him by his given male name, refusing to call him by his now chosen female name, they would call that deadnaming. So you need to know these tragic, tragically illogical terms that they're coming up to blame us, who insist on living in terms of truth. We've got to take a break, and that's the truth.

But we're going to come back and we're going to continue on this edition of TNG Radio. Since Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government, abortion and war, too often we manage these disagreements by ignoring them. Yet we're called to engage the world for the sake of Christ.

How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions? In 10 issues that divide Christians, Alex McFarland challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues, such as social justice, evil and suffering, pornography and environmentalism, as he echoes the biblical invitation, Come, let us reason together. Only by engaging the scriptures deeply, thinking clearly and speaking truthfully, can we in God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose. 10 issues that divide Christians.

Find this book and many others at AlexMcFarland.com. First Peter 3.15 tells us to be ready always to give an answer for the hope we have. We're instructed to be prepared to defend our faith. This is Alex McFarland for the Life Answers Teams, students we train at North Greenville University, a leading Christian college in South Carolina. The Life Answers Teams are made up of students who will inspire and equip your congregation. These apologetics teams we train speak in churches to youth groups and train Christians of all ages to address key issues of our times from a biblical perspective. Like is there a God?

Is the Bible true? What about gender and moral issues? Call me at 864-977-2008 and we will arrange for the Life Answers Team to come to your church and give a presentation that will benefit your people for years to come.

864-977-2008 and always be ready. Welcome back to Truth For A New Generation. I'm Dylan Brose here with Alex McFarland and we are talking about the importance of truth and what it means and how it impacts you today. You know all year here on Truth For A New Generation we've been talking about the difference you can make as you get involved in changing lives among those in the next generation. That is our goal here.

It's built into our name. Truth For A New Generation and as we get near the end of 2018 we'd love for you to consider being part of what we are doing with us through prayer, through helping promote our events and activities and our media, as well as partnering with us financially as God leads you. Alex, tell us a little bit about some of the things going on at Truth For A New Generation recently.

Oh wow, well I'm just so excited. I'm kind of on just a real adrenaline rush because I just got back from California where I was in front of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of incredible young people in Southern California that are part of a great movement of churches that began, churches from Latin America, places like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and there's a pastor that has become a great friend of this ministry. In fact, you'll probably meet him at one of our future conferences. His name is George Pena and he began a church seventeen years ago in California and today they have thirty thousand members. So much so that at their church building they have services literally every day of the week and they have won so many people to Christ that depending on where you live you're in different segments and one segment goes to church on one day of the week, another segment goes another day of the week, and this man has such a great model for winning young people to Christ. And so we were out there for three days and I've spent a total of six days talking to teenagers in California, hundreds and hundreds of salvation decisions and commitments, and they're so hungry for truth and they've asked us to come to Southern California and do a major truth for a new generation national conference, and we'll be doing that.

And then we've been asked as of yesterday, we've been invited to Salt Lake City, Utah, and to do a TNG and to be on two different college campuses plus a church and address Mormonism. And so we're just so excited about The Doors God is Opening. And friend, we want to encourage you to live for the Lord, get a commitment for evangelism, and if you don't know the Lord, it's not about religion, it's not about rituals, it's not about trying to be a good person. The truth is not only that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross and rose from the dead and we can know him personally, and the truth is not only that we have God's written Word, which we do, and that is scriptural truth.

But Dylan, Christianity is so unique. For Christianity, truth is a person. In John 14, 6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And so many belief systems have said things that they claimed were true, but only Christianity can say that truth is the incarnation of God. Truth is a person, and this person is someone with whom we can have a relationship, the Lord Jesus Christ, indeed truth incarnate.

Yes, and that's such a good reminder, Alex. Oftentimes we get involved in these culture wars, so to speak, whether it's gender, whether it's other issues, and people tend to get sidetracked in everything but the fact that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. That is our number one mission at Truth For A New Generation, and we're glad you're here with us today as we talk about issues of truth.

It's interesting as we talk about some of the censorship taking place in social media today that it's actually become somewhat of a little bit of an industry, so to speak, that it's a little side business of censoring who is doing things that you do not want to see on the internet and who is doing things you do want to promote on the internet. It reminds me of Isaiah 5.20 that says, 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. It's very interesting, and I know there's some truths that we want to talk about, these three things to be constantly mindful of in times of chronic falsehood.

Why don't you get us started with some of these today, Alex? Well, the number one thing is that all people are called to accept that which is true. You mentioned the Isaiah 5.20 passage, Dylan, woe to those who call good evil and evil good.

We're in that time. The Bible has a lot to say about sin and repentance, and if you read 1 Corinthians 6, there's a long list of people who do not inherit the kingdom of heaven. I mean, that's saying people who are predominantly involved in these sins and they don't repent and they don't turn from sin to Christ, they go to hell, not heaven. But if you lay those cards on the table and are that forthright with truth, a lot of people on the internet will call you a hater, and they'll call you all sorts of names. And for those of us that, I don't know, are maybe a little older, and we grew up on the schoolyard with name calling, it doesn't matter so much. But nowadays, Dylan, wouldn't you agree that especially for young people, the pressure to not speak truth and the pressure to just get in line and go with the politically correct narrative? I mean, the pressure is intense to not be bold for the truth, isn't it?

Very much so. I mean, everybody wants to be loved and accepted. So when you're young and if someone is going to accept you, if you don't highlight certain issues versus others, there's a temptation to do that. It's very difficult when you're a young person to stand for what is true, despite what other people say or think. And that is part of why as parents or as adults who are influencing young people, that we have to model that, that we have to stand for what is right, even when there is discrimination against us, even when there are threats, even when there are bad words that are said against us, we are the ones who have to model that and set an example for the young people that we influence in our lives. But it's more than words.

A lot of times there are other ramifications as well, whether it be your Twitter account shut down, as in the case of the person we talked about earlier in the program, or whether it be something about your job or your school that changes as a result. Jesus did not say that we would have an easy road as followers of Jesus. He predicted that we would have trouble in this world just as he faced trouble.

Yeah, yeah. There's a price for living truth. And again, point number one, that we are all called to accept that which is true. And in the first segment we were talking about, they make up these fallacious terms like deadnaming.

Don't let that bother you if they say that you're a troll or that you're cisgender and you are, you know, misgendering. Look, those words are meaningless. Those words are vacuous. Proverbs chapter 8, wisdom is crying out. In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified and begging people to be wise and to follow that which is true.

And we've got to pull away. We've got two more points about being constantly mindful of truth in times of chronic falsehood. So stay tuned because after this brief break, TNG radio will continue. As we take a break, let me tell you about three tens, three books that will answer questions that come your way from others or even yourself about the Christian faith. Book number one, 10 answers for skeptics. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity and straightforward faith. And in this book, you'll learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions and dismantle the spiritual bombshells dropped by non-believers.

Those usually end up just being a puff of smoke. Number two, 10 answers for atheists, where Alex looks at the philosophical assumptions at the root of atheism and agnosticism exposing logical, historical and conceptual fallacies. Alex shares clear explanations of beliefs and biblical answers to those questions that often leave you stumped, but no more. And number three, the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them. You know, many Christians hear these objections and have a crisis of faith, but Alex and Dylan have been around. They've visited many places and talked with many people through the years and can offer straight answers that will give you confidence and understanding about your beliefs. So the three tens once again, 10 answers for skeptics, 10 answers for atheists and the 10 most common objections to Christianity and how to answer them.

Find them wherever Christian books are sold or at AlexMcFarland.com. There's been some confusion between the title of Engage Magazine and the term engaged. Alyssa, would you marry me? Oh, Todd. See, now that's what I mean.

Engage Magazine is a ministry to millennials while getting engaged is. Oh, Todd. Oh, Alyssa. Right.

The thing is, we want you to be engaged. Yes. Yes. A thousand times. Yes.

That's sweet. But Engage Magazine is about being engaged with your faith in the culture. Visit engagemagazine.net. Welcome back to TNG Radio.

Alex McFarland here with Dylan Burroughs. So appreciative of you listening. And you know, I want to thank everybody who reaches out to us because we get we're getting a lot of feedback from a lot of people who say that the ministry they appreciate. We're doing three things. We're broadcasting, we're publishing, and we're doing events.

And as I said, we've got if it all comes together, and I believe it will, we'll be doing four, four TNG events in 2019. And so please keep that in prayer. And again, your financial support is what enables us to do the things that God's called us to do.

And it is making a difference. You know, three of my books are in Spanish. And Dylan, we're working right now to revise a Hispanic gospel tract that I wrote a few years ago. And when I was out there in California, we had a number of our books that are in English. But the books that are in Spanish, we spent and had one of the publishers do a special press run of the book Ten Answers for Skeptics that's in Spanish. And I mean, when I got there last week, within the first hour, all the books were gone.

Goodness, that's amazing. And I would say at this particular conference, there was nobody there older than 25, 26. So young people are hungry for truth. And they want to know what is really real.

Yes. I mean, students have questions today, young people are seeking and searching. And so when you offer something that can give them purpose and meaning to their lives, they are often willing and eager to listen. That's why what we do is so important that we are the ones who are bringing the biblical message of hope through faith in Jesus Christ, rather than finding it through some gang, through some negative social influence, some other source that would lead them into actions that would have difficult and dire consequences both now and in the future of their lives. So number one, all people are called to accept that which is true. And we ask you to look into your heart and your soul and ask yourself, have I believed that which is true about life, about God, salvation, morality? Secondly, we are to commit to that which is true. We are to invest our lives in truth.

And as we said, that often comes with a high price. In Psalm 15, 1 and 2, it asks the question, O Lord, who will sojourn in your tent? In other words, who is going to really be in the presence of the Lord? Who is going to dwell on God's holy mountain? And that's a reference to ultimately being with Christ in heaven forever. Okay, the Bible answers, who is going to be with the Lord and who is in the presence of the Lord?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth, truth in his heart. Psalm 15, 2. Okay, the way you become blameless and righteous in the eyes of God is through a relationship with Jesus. And the good news is that though we are sinners and we've disobeyed God, and by birth and by choice we have guilt before God, however in Christ our sins are washed away. And if you become a believer, God doesn't see our sin or our fallenness.

God looks at the believer and sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ as His own Son. And so that's Romans chapter 4. But then, even as a born-again believer, we are called to know truth, to grow in truth, to role model and exemplify truth, and to proclaim truth. And that's point number three. We are to promote and spread, to propagate that which is true.

I love Zechariah 8, 16. It says, These are the things that you shall do. Speak truth to one another. That's pretty plain, isn't it, Dylan? We are to speak truth to one another, aren't we? Right, and there is a balance there. Sometimes people say, Well, you're so mean in the way you present your information. Well, that's not necessarily the goal.

The Apostle Paul was clear in Ephesians 4, 15. We are to speak the truth in love. So there is that balance between communicating biblical truth and to do so in a loving manner. And when it comes down to it, we don't hold back on the truth. We don't stop speaking truth. We seek to communicate it in a positive way, in a compelling way, in creative ways, and to do all we can to help other people know this love that we have found through Jesus Christ our Lord. Well, isn't it interesting that a lot of what the Internet calls hate speech is really some of the most loving speech that we could give, to say that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior, and it's through the Lord Jesus that we find forgiveness and restoration. And conversely, all other ways are not the way of salvation.

That's not hate speech. That's just reality. You know, our thirty-third president was Harry Truman. He was known to be very, very forthright, and they called him, Give them hell Harry. And Harry Truman said, I don't give people hell. I simply tell the truth, but they think that's hell. And so for a lot of people, the stark reality of facing truth is a hard thing to do. But friend, the wisest thing you'll ever do, the most mature, the most sensible thing that you'll ever do, is to humble yourself before God and accept the truth that He has really revealed, because in revealing truth and in calling us to repent and in trying to get us to turn from sin to Christ, God wasn't being cruel, in fact, offering us the truth and the pathway of salvation through Jesus.

I mean, that was the most loving thing God could ever do for the human race, wasn't it? Yes, and that's the key goal in all that we say and do as followers of Christ. The Great Commission is so clear that we're to make disciples of all nations, and that starts with you.

And if you're listening and if you're not clear on where you're spending eternity, you need to settle that first to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord, who rose from the dead and loves you and wants to forgive you and have a relationship with you. And once you have, our goal, our mission is to share that with others. We don't hide the truth.

You know, this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine is the song that we hear as a little child in church if you grew up in church hearing those songs. And there is so much truth to that concept that we let our light shine, and when we do it draws people not to us, but to the light, Jesus Christ. You know, it's been said that truth is that which corresponds to reality. I mean, truth is the way things really are. In fact, the first word in the name of this ministry is truth for a new generation.

This generation certainly needs truth, and we pray that you are committed to it. And to helping people find—you know, Dylan and I was sharing the gospel with a man, and he was telling all these life circumstances, and I was trying to work pretty hard to keep him on the subject. And sort of in desperation he said, What does God want out of me?

You know, what does God want from me? And I shared with him 1 John 3, 21 says, This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave his commandment. God commands the human race, believe. And that's not a cruelty or hate speech, John chapter 3, verse 16.

It's love. God loved the world so much that he sent his Son. And for the human race, for all people, and yes, for each one of us and for you, the fact that God sent his Son Jesus that you can know personally, that's love, and that's truth. Truth for a new generation, in association with Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, exists to equip Christians with a biblical world view through conferences and camps. For information about upcoming events, visit truthforanewgeneration.com, or give us a call at 877-YES-GOD-1. That's 877-YES-GOD and the number 1. TNG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland Evangelistic Ministries, PO Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina 27404. Or give online at alexmcfarland.com or truthforanewgeneration.com. Thanks for listening and join us again next time as we bring you more truth for a new generation on TNG radio.