Last time, we began with the question, “What is truth?”
Satan’s goal is not to get you to turn 180 degrees away from the truth. The goal is to move you just a few degrees, maybe as little as just one degree from the truth. One degree away from the truth can dramatically alter the trajectory of your entire life.
I read recently that for every single degree a pilot flies off course, he or she will miss their targeted landing spot by 92.15 feet for every mile they fly. Let’s say you decided to start at the equator and fly around the Earth, one degree off would land you almost 500 miles off target.
And the longer you travel off course, the farther you will drift away from the intended target. One degree off could be the difference between seeing your family at the other end of your journey or using your seat as a flotation device in the middle of the ocean.
In flight and in life, we need an accurate compass (source of truth) to guide us. We need something that is stable when the shifting winds of culture blow. We need a dependable point of reference that will hold us steady.
Here is why this is so important: During the course of a lifetime, if you forfeit truth for beliefs that are “close” to the truth, you will end up a long way from the truth. The danger is, if you are not careful, you will exchange the truth of God for a lie.
Paul spoke to this hazard in Romans 1:18.
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Then, in verse 22 he said, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”
People today claim to be wise. We see this in our culture every day.
It is just like Rome. We’re enlightened. We know more than our parents. We have all kinds of information at our fingertips.
More knowledge is available to us than any generation to have lived.
“Although they claim to be wise,” Scripture says, “they became fools.”
And here is where everything fell apart.
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised.” (Romans 1:25)
Next time, we will take a look at two of Satan’s greatest weapons in the battle for truth in American culture today.
You can read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].