As a writer, I love words.

As a Christian living in a post-truth era, I am way over the word games this reality-optional society wants us all to play.

People seem to have accepted the ridiculous notion that if you say something, the mere act of you saying it automatically makes it true. Has this ever worked in the past? I mean, you can call a cow a chicken, but good luck getting eggs!

And yet…when William Thomas chooses to call himself by a different name, he is able to compete in women’s swimming and steal the victory from the actual top female swimmer.

If a gunman shoots and kills a pregnant woman, it is considered a double homicide, yet if the baby is unwanted and the mother takes it’s life, we call it “reproductive rights.” A child is suddenly a “clump of cells”, even though, with ultrasound technology, we know that’s not true at all.

Even Christianity is not safe from linguistic theft. The progressive church (or “last stop on the road to deconstruction” as I like to call it) likes to mess with words, too. In fact, in a world that calls good “evil” and evil “good”, progressive Christians can hang with the best of them. They love to use Satan’s tried and tested line: “Did God really say?”. The Hatmakers and Doyles of the world speak of truth and love in contexts completely opposed to the actual Word of God, but itching ears sure do love to hear them!

Words are also weaponized these days to shut down any opinion that raises itself against the “truth” people want so desperately to hold onto. Anyone who doesn’t agree with their version of reality can now be labeled “racist” or “phobic” or “intolerant” and the conversation is effectively finished. It’s really quite brilliant, because most people are not those things and don’t want to be thought of in such a way. This is how they are silenced: by untrue, unkind words shot at them like so much artillery.

You see, the driving force behind the hijacking of words, terms, and definitions is one simple desire: people really just want to be feel justified in doing whatever it is they want to do.

But they never will be. Because although words are powerful, they don’t change reality. And sin by any other name is still sin.

Words matter, but truth reigns. And God defines truth, not us.

Some people would say these words are hate, when in fact, they are love.

Anyone who tells you that God’s truth is outdated; that it doesn’t apply to this situation or that circumstance is lying. Anyone who says your identity is malleable challenges the Creator who gave that identity to you in the first place. Anyone who calls a precious life formed in the image of God an expendable blob of tissue conspires against the King. These are the words of our disgusting, wicked, truth-hating enemy, not good and right and righteous words of the God who knows and loves us beyond comprehension.

After all, doesn’t the God who is love get to define it? And shouldn’t the God who is truth have the final say? He does. And he will.

One day we will stand in front of him and give an account for every word we’ve ever spoken. Choose carefully what you say, and even more carefully what you believe.

Angela

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. ~Proverbs 27:6