“Is Truth Worth Fighting for?” – John MacArthur
Matthew 3:7-10, Galatians 2:11-14, 1 Kings 18:27, 1 Corinthians 4:8-10
John MacArthur,
No idea is more politically incorrect among today’s new-style evangelicals than the old fundamentalist notion that truth is worth fighting for–including the essential propositions of Christian doctrine. In fact, many believe that arguments over religious beliefs are the most pointless and arrogant of all conflicts. That can be true–and is true in cases where human opinions are the only thing at stake. But where God’s Word speaks clearly, we have a duty to obey, defend, and proclaim the truth He has given us, and we should do that with an authority that reflects our conviction that God has spoken with clarity and finality. This is particularly crucial in contexts where cardinal doctrines of biblical Christianity are under attack.
Incidentally, the core truths of Scripture are always under attack. Scripture itself clearly teaches that the main battleground where Satan wages his cosmic struggle against God is ideological. In other words, the spiritual warfare every Christian is engaged in is first of all a conflict between truth and error, not merely a competition between good and wicked deeds. The chief aim of Satan’s strategy is to confuse, deny, and corrupt the truth with as much fallacy as possible, and that means the battle for truth is very serious. Being able to distinguish between sound doctrine and error should be one of the highest priorities for every Christian–as should defending the truth against false teaching. . .[continue reading]
