The War in America
The United States is in the midst of an internal war. The news media claims it is a cultural conflict. But the cause runs much deeper. It is a clash of two worldviews and their concepts of wisdom.
The Biblical Worldview
The biblical worldview has as its source the personal, sovereign God of the Bible who created the universe. Its starting point is the belief that the God of the Bible exists, is ultimate reality, is the source of ultimate truth, and is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and all that is in it.
This worldview is also founded on the premise that God gave divine revelation to mankind concerning His existence, nature, authority, and will.
Three key words relate to this divine revelation: true, truth, and wisdom. Many biblical references indicate the God of the Bible is exclusively the true and living God and that His words are true, even from the beginning, and will endure forever. (A few examples are 2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 19:9; 119:160; Jeremiah 10:10; John 17:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:9.)
The primary Old Testament word translated “true” refers to what is firm, certain, and dependable—something all people should recognize and respect as reality. Thus the God of the Bible is real-ity. God actually exists, in contrast to other gods; and every word He has given to mankind from the beginning is true and will endure forever.
God also declared that He is “abounding in…truth” and “the God of truth” (Ex. 34:6; Isa. 65:16). Therefore, truth is an essential aspect of His nature. He is the fountainhead or ultimate source of truth. Jesus declared that God’s “word is truth” (Jn. 17:17), indicating it is reliable and dependable because it presents ultimate reality to mankind.
Proverbs 8:22 reveals that God created wisdom before He created all of the universe. So He is the source of ultimate wisdom, creating the heavens and earth by His wisdom (Ps. 136:5; Prov. 3:19; Jer. 10:12).
God created the universe with a fixed, unchanging, inflexible order that conforms to and embodies the ultimate wisdom He created in eternity past and that He used to bring the universe into existence. Human experience and scientific research both have demonstrated that a fixed, unchanging, inflexible order of natural law exists and that it is no respecter of persons, regardless of their positions or status in life. Furthermore, any violation of that order can exact a high price.
Proverbs 1:2—9:18 emphasizes that God, through wisdom, also created the universe with a fixed, unchanging, inflexible order of moral law that also is no respecter of persons. Anyone who challenges the fixed, unchanging law of sexual morality that God established will suffer such serious consequences as enslavement by sin, severe harm of soul, loss of honor, and even premature physical death (Prov. 2:16–19; 5:3–23; 6:24–35; 7:7–27; 9:13–18).
The only sexual relationship that does not violate God’s established law of sex-ual morality is exclusively between a man and a woman within the bonds of marriage. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are an example of the serious consequences of violating that law. STDs have plagued mankind for much of history, but today there are more than 30 new ones; and 30 percent of them have no cure.
Authorities estimate that 19 million STD infections occur every year in the United States alone. One of these, HIV/AIDS, has claimed the lives of 20 million people since 1980. And it is estimated that an additional 70 million people will die from AIDS by 2025.
Objective truth exists for mankind, whether or not people acknowledge it. The God of the Bible included moral absolutes in His revelation of truth to mankind through His Word. There is an objective standard by which to determine whether beliefs, practices, and lifestyles are right or wrong. People who turn their backs on God reject ultimate reality—the only God who actually exists—and inevitably will reap the consequences.
The Secular, Humanistic Worldview
The humanistic worldview has Satan as its source. He questioned God’s Word: “Has God indeed said…?” (Gen. 3:1). He challenged God’s truthfulness: “You will not surely die” (v. 4). He perverted God’s motive, saying God doesn’t want mankind to be like Him, with authority to distinguish between good and evil (v. 5).
Satan prompted the first humans to reject God’s authority, asserting that doing so would make them like gods—sovereign, with authority to distinguish between right and wrong for themselves (vv. 1–7).
The starting point of this view is the belief that the God of the Bible does not exist and, therefore, is not ultimate reality, the source of ultimate truth, or the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and all that is in it. The universe is a closed system that came into existence exclusively through natural means.
This view is founded on the premise that mankind is on its own to discover ultimate reality and truth through a combination of the human senses, ability to reason, and the scientific method of research.
People holding this view believe no objective truth exists. Truth is subjective, determined by each individual for himself or herself.
They claim there are no moral absolutes binding on all mankind. Since there is no God who has established moral absolutes, the traditional moral absolutes are reduced to purely human inventions. And since they are human in origin, humans have the right to reject, change, or ignore them.
Furthermore, no objective standard exists by which to determine whether beliefs, practices, and lifestyles are right or wrong. So all religions are considered inventions of mankind and, therefore, equal. The claim there is only one true religion is viewed as intolerant bigotry. This view also contends that all attempts to convert a person from one religion to another should be abolished.
In addition, since there is no God who created mankind as male and female and revealed distinctive roles for the sexes, the traditional and distinctive roles may be rejected or changed because they were “merely manmade.”
An Awesome Implication
Today America is deeply divided. Once a nation that believed in God and prayer, it has fallen into the hands of secular humanists who reject the Almighty and His Word and work tirelessly to convince others to do the same. But with the decline in true, biblical faith also comes degeneracy.
People who reject the God of the Bible and His revelation to mankind reject ultimate reality and truth. Their worldview is contrary to reality, so they are building their lives—and that of their country—on lies.
They may insist they are wise to do so (Rom. 1:18–25); but in reality, they are blinded by God’s ultimate enemy, Satan, and are subject to his power of spiritual darkness (2 Cor. 4:3–4; Col. 1:13).
Satan also rejected the ultimate reality and truth of God. As a result, Jesus said Satan does not abide in the truth, and “there is no truth in him” (Jn. 8:44). Satan’s end will be the Lake of Fire, which is also the ultimate destination of all who follow him.
