When Paul begins outlining fallen man’s condition in Romans 1, and explaining why it will bring God’s wrath, he begins by pointing out their suppression of truth. Here, the “truth”
is God’s revelation in general and the Gospel in particular, but fallen creatures reject all kinds of truth, not merely what pertains to doctrine.
This reality is especially important to understand in our culture right now, because we are witnessing wholesale rejection of truth and the right to speak and write about it freely. This is being done under the auspices of so called “Big Tech” corporations which control media outlets and social platforms, but it is being supported by political leaders and much of the populace as well.
Christians should pay careful attention to this movement because, more than anything else, our own freedom to share the Gospel openly is at stake. If political dissent can be cancelled, and all opposing viewpoints squelched, how long will it be before religious expressions of certain “intolerant” kinds will be forbidden. If conservative political dialogue is suppressed, can conservative religious expression be far behind?
It is alarming to see that even institutions of higher learning no longer tolerate views outside their own closely guarded, political correctness. Again, if those who have been most tolerant of any and every viewpoint are now intolerant, what does this say about freedom of expression and dialogue in our nation, and indeed, the world?
Paul warns his younger associate Timothy that eventually many professing Christians themselves will “turn away from listening to truth, and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:4). Let’s not allow ourselves to be spoon-fed myths in the name of “love,” or think that freedom of expression should be reserved for those who think like we do. Paul’s engaging the idolaters in Athens (Acts 17) shows how powerful the truth is, and also how threatened people are by it.
And remember that Jesus claims to be The Truth (John 14). The Gospel itself is wrapped up in that reality, and eventually, all will see and acknowledge him as Lord of all. We need not fear what others say, and in fact, we should be supporting their right to say it, since our own right to speak truth is on the line as well.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5