7 “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:7–8 (ESV)
The Scriptures place great importance on truth. This is because God is the God of all truth (Ps. 31:5; 108:4; 146:6). It is the LORD who speaks and judges truly (Ps. 57:3; 96:13). God is the real source and cause of the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:1-4)).
“Scripture also focuses on the revealed truth in the gospel of God’s redeeming grace through Christ. This is the truth Christ and the apostles proclaimed (Jn 8:44–46; 18:37; Rom 9:1; 2 Cor 4:2), which was foreshadowed in the OT (1 Pt 1:10–12), and witnessed to by the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:13). The OT teaching was never false, but it was shadowy and incomplete in comparison with the revealed truth of the NT. So, Christ brought spiritual reality (John 1:17), and the Holy Spirit leads believers into the experience of all that is real in Christ (John 16:13),” explains Dr. Walter A.; Elwell in the Tyndale Bible Commentary.
“Christ is the truth because, being God, his words carry divine authority. They are truth and life (Jn 6:63). In addition, the life of Christ epitomized truthfulness and utter reliability. When people live in obedience to the truth, they themselves are true and reliable. Scripture calls upon people to “do the truth” (Jn 3:21, kjv). Those who have experienced God’s reality in Christ know, by experience, that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6).”
Even this small sampling from the Gospel of John testifies to the importance of the Lord’s objective and revealed truth. God’s truth discloses who He is and what He has done.
John 4:24 ESV / God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 8:32 ESV / And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 ESV / Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 16:13 ESV / When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
John 17:17 ESV / Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
In a recent broadcast devotional, Dr. R. C. Sproul shared insights on the nature of objective and biblical truth. In his message entitled A World Without Truth Dr. Sproul stated, “We’re living in an era in the history of the world where we have witnessed an unprecedented denigration of the very concept of truth. Truth is reduced to the level and status of a personal preference, where truth may be bent and distorted and twisted to suit our own desires.”
Dr. Sproul’s observations of the current culture in general, certainly apply to the sexualized culture in particular. Sexuality is reduced to the level and status of an individual’s personal preferences, bent, distorted, and twisted to suit humankind’s own desires. This was recently illustrated in the May 23, 2025 issue of Christianity Today.
In an article entitled “Fuller Seminary Reaffirms Historic LGBTQ Stance” by Daniel Sillman, he reported that recently some at the evangelical institution wanted to allow same-sex relationships, but the seminary’s trustees voted to maintain its “historic theological understanding.”
Sillman wrote, “After several years discussing and debating the evangelical institution’s stance—and considering changing policies impacting LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff—trustees voted to reaffirm Fuller’s “historic theological understanding of marriage,” while noting the school’s position that “faithful Christians” can hold other views.”
“Fuller Seminary has historically shunned ideological polarities,” president David Goatley wrote in an email summarizing the May 18-19, 2025 board meeting. “We continue to seek another way—a Fuller way—that is a critical contribution to the church and the world.”
This settled, at least for the moment, an ongoing debate occurring at Fuller regarding its stance on the LGBTQ movement. Board chair Shirley Mullen said the decision, to affirm traditional and biblical heterosexual marriage, was made “after years of long, thoughtful discussions about issues dividing Christians and about Fuller’s core identity.”
Sillman wrote, “An academic task force considered other “third way” solutions to the ongoing conflict over sexual ethics. One proposal, circulated widely in 2024, opened the possibly of allowing same-sex relationships at Fuller.”
“A draft of revised standards for sexual ethics said everyone at the multidenominational seminary would be asked to “live with integrity consistent with the Christian communities to which they belong.” Faculty and staff would be further required to support Fuller’s position and “contribute constructively to nurturing the seminary’s relationship of trust with global evangelical theological communities.”
Sillman stated, “If the school had decided to adopt that stance, members of the United Methodist Church, the Disciples of Christ, the Mennonite Church USA, the Metropolitan Community Church, American Baptist Churches, and mainline Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Episcopal denominations would have been allowed to work and study at the school while in LGBTQ relationships.”
“Fuller will assume that Fuller faculty and all those involved in mediating the educational experience will be committed to respecting and articulating the institution’s position on sexuality without feeling either morally or intellectually compromised,” Mullen said. “
Sillman concluded, “The decision is unlikely to satisfy Fuller’s critics on either side. Mullen said that’s to be expected and is part of Fuller’s calling and identity.”
Several quotes in Sillman’s article resonated with me. First, the seminary’s trustees and their statement “noting the school’s position that “faithful Christians” can hold other views.” regarding biblical sexual ethics. Scripture allows for no other views. The varied perspectives of people’s preferences cannot be the determiner of biblical truth. To be a faithful Christian is to be trusting in, depending upon, committing to and worshipping Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and obediently conforming our lives to the Word of God. This particularly applies to sexual relationships and gender identity.
Second, president Goatley’s statement, “We continue to seek another way—a Fuller way—that is a critical contribution to the church and the world,” concerning Fuller’s stance on sexuality. Shouldn’t any biblical institution, church or para-church organization, be first and foremost concerned with God’s way and not their own? It is the LORD who sovereignly assigns gender, who designed marriage between a binary husband and wife and the spiritual, relational, social and physical relationships within marriage. This should be continually taught and explained rather than constantly debated.
Finally, Sillman’s observation that Fuller sought to publish a draft of revised standards for sexual ethics wherein everyone at the multidenominational seminary would be asked to “live with integrity consistent with the Christian communities to which they belong.” Fuller’s faculty and staff would be required to support Fuller’s position and “contribute constructively to nurturing the seminary’s relationship of trust with global evangelical theological communities.” Shouldn’t Fuller’s mission be consistent with biblical truth, regardless what other theological communities think or say?
The battle for biblical truth in general, and biblical truth regarding sexuality in particular, rages on within colleges, seminaries, churches and homes. The goal at His Word Today, and for the church, is to know what the Bible says, what it means and how it may be applied in our lives. This is especially true concerning gender identity and sexual ethics.
2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (ESV) says, “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 