To My Generation

Biblical fidelity: an unwavering commitment to the authority and sufficiency of the Bible. Just as marital fidelity means total faithfulness to one’s spouse, biblical fidelity is a resolute faithfulness to Scripture. It is to direct all of your words, actions, and thoughts according to the Bible. As Christians in America face a growing wave of animosity, biblical fidelity is the most important commitment we can make as young people.

In the past, Christians were dismissed on an intellectual level. We were ridiculed for believing in the resurrection of Jesus or the triune nature of God. Yet, Christians were still perceived as moral people. Now, though, we are regarded as both intellectually and morally wrong. Christians are increasingly regarded as bigots for holding biblical views on marriage, gender, and race.

Employees are fired for holding a biblical view of sexuality. Artists are ridiculed for refusing to celebrate same-sex marriage and transgenderism. Clubs are removed from campuses for requiring Christian leadership. Public officials are charged with racism and bigotry for believing in the exclusivity of Jesus.

Attacks like these are peeling away the veneer of Christian morality that encases American culture. As cultural Christianity fades, we are increasingly tempted to appease the world by modifying our faith. But if we do so, we will exchange God’s Word for worldviews that are antithetical to the Bible. We will trade the pure truth of our Lord for worldly wisdom. But worldly wisdom cannot protect us from a hostile culture.

Instead, we must lay the foundations of our faith now so that when the gathering storm arrives, our generation will stand firm. The right response to attacks on the church is not to capitulate to what the world peddles as truth. We shouldn’t co-opt worldly ideologies and “sanctify” them for our use. Instead, we must reject anything that combats the Bible and propagate that which submits to Scripture as the highest authority. The right response is to commit ourselves to the study and application of God’s Word—to live, speak, and think in submission to Scripture. For this reason, we need a right view of the Bible.

The Bible never errs

The Bible is an unshifting bedrock upon which we establish our whole lives (Matt. 7:24). We will all wither like grass, “but the Word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:6-8). Because God’s Word is eternally true (Ps. 119:160), we must have unwavering confidence in its infallibility and inerrancy. It contains no mistakes, no falsehoods (Ps. 119:137-138). It is perfect because God is perfect (Ps. 18:30). Thus, attacks on Scripture are profanity against God Himself.

When we encounter challenges to the Bible, when those around us want to chip away at the truthfulness of Scripture, we must remain steadfast to the perfect Word of God. If we are to stand firm as a generation, we cannot compromise on the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.

The Bible is enough

As young people, we must recognize that the Bible is totally sufficient for “life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). The sufficiency of Scripture means that God has provided in His written Word everything we need to know to receive salvation from sin and to live a life “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1:27). There is no other standard of moral truth, no other source of spiritual wisdom. Every aspect of our life is governed by the authority of God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

We don’t need supplemental truth. We don’t need an emotional high. We don’t need to replace the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a social gospel. All we need is the sufficient Word of God.

A test of truth

To stand firm in our faith, we must have discernment. Destructive ideologies are vying for our support. We cannot give them ground nor make futile attempts to integrate them with our faith. Instead, we must expose their errors by analyzing them from a Christian worldview.

A worldview is an overarching understanding of the world that comprises fundamental beliefs about reality and humanity’s purpose. A biblical worldview understands the world as God has revealed in Scripture. Because a Christian worldview is primarily concerned with fundamental biblical truths, two people can share a biblical worldview even if they disagree on finer points of theology.

To determine if an ideology is biblical, carefully examine the claims it makes, testing them against Scripture. Even when an ideology seems to speak truthfully, it may be hiding error behind familiar language or extrapolating beyond the bounds set in Scripture.

When an ideology makes a fundamental truth claim, there are three tests you can use to determine if it agrees with God’s Word. Ask yourself,

1. Do the words align with Scripture?
2. Does the meaning behind the words align with Scripture?
3. Does the application of the words align with Scripture?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then the ideology should be rejected.

1. Do the words align with Scripture?

When presented with a truth claim, verify that a simple reading of the words agrees with the Bible. For example, the statement “Jesus is a created being” is in opposition to Scripture since Jesus is the uncreated Creator of all things (John 1:1-3). Because a reasonable understanding of the words opposes a foundational truth about the nature of Jesus, any ideology making this claim is incompatible with a Christian worldview.

2. Does the meaning behind the words align with Scripture?

Often today, words that denote one thing are given a meaning contrary to their original definition. As discerning Christians, we cannot be quick to accept something that sounds true merely because it uses familiar language. We need to go the extra step of defining the terms.

The statement “Jesus is the son of God” sounds perfectly agreeable. But behind that statement might lie a perversion of biblical truth masquerading as familiar orthodoxy. Say someone were to define “son of God” such that Jesus is not equal to the Father, but instead is the highest created being.

By defining “son of God” in this way, the statement “Jesus is the son of God” no longer holds the biblical truth we initially assumed. Because this redefinition undercuts a fundamental biblical truth, it is incongruous with a biblical worldview.

3. Does the application of the words align with Scripture?

If both a simple reading of the words and the meaning behind the words agree with Scripture, we still need to go one step further. We have to verify that the way these words are applied also aligns with Scripture.

Here we need to make a distinction. Whether or not the words are applied rightly does not change the veracity of the statement. The truth of a statement is not determined by the way others choose to use it. Nonetheless, we still analyze how a truth claim is applied to determine if Christians should support the ideology making that claim.

Take the statement, “Jesus is a friend of sinners.” A simple reading of the words presents what appears to be a biblical truth found in Luke 5:30-33, 7:34, and 15:2. Say someone were to define the terms in a way that also seems accurate—that “friend” simply means that Jesus spent time consorting with sinners throughout the Bible. If we stop here, then this sounds like it aligns with Scripture.

But if that statement is used to justify a lifestyle that never calls others to repentance, then the worldview claiming “Jesus is a friend of sinners” is false. It goes against a fundamental understanding of the role of Christians modeled by Jesus, who not only spent time with sinners but also called them to repent of their sins (Matt. 4:17, Luke 5:32, Luke 13:3).

When test 3 fails, it usually indicates that either test 1 or 2 also fails. If we were to probe what someone really means by “friend” and who that person thinks “Jesus” is, we would find an inconsistency with the Jesus of the Bible.

These three tests are tools we can use for discernment. To wield them most effectively, we need to train ourselves to guard biblical truth.

How can we train ourselves?

Saturate yourself in Scripture

We must be a generation steeped in the Word of God. Store up God’s Word in your heart (Ps. 119:11). Meditate on it “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). Cover a breadth and depth of Scripture that both soars through the great expanse of God’s work and sets anchors deep in His Word. Reading and studying the Word of God must become a habit and delight that draws us to the throne room of our King day after day.

Establish Biblical Convictions

We must build unwavering convictions on everything ranging from the Gospel to biblical marriage to our role in the church. When worldly wisdom is used to tear down biblical truth, we need to stand firm in our faith, ready to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5).

Commit yourself to a local church

When we commit ourselves to a church, we are binding ourselves to a body of believers. We are committing to spurring one another on (Heb. 10:24-25), bearing each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), and building each other up (1 Thess. 5:11).

We cannot stand alone against attacks from the world. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to stand firm with us. Serve in your church. Lead in your church. Protect your church from error. Our local churches must be fortresses for biblical truth.

Cultivate boldness for the Gospel

Guarding biblical truth is not an insular task. Rather, we are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20). We have been given the Gospel as a gift to steward, and we should proclaim its truth to the world. In the face of hostility, we cannot shrink back in fear. We cannot let the world dictate what we profess.

We have what people are looking for. We have Jesus Christ. Everyone is created a worshipper, and everyone adopts worldviews to worship something. We need to show the world that Jesus is the only right object of our worship. Though it will be increasingly dangerous to our livelihoods, families, and reputations, proclaiming the Gospel must be our commitment.

A final word

We are the next generation of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, employees and managers, community leaders and church leaders. It is paramount that we commit ourselves to biblical fidelity.

Pressure on Christians is mounting, but we have a Father who is sovereign over all. We have a Lord whose love will never depart from us. We have a Spirit who will empower and embolden us. Do not depart from the truth. Remain faithful to the Word of God.