by John MacArthur
It is common in the evangelical church today for people to
verbally acknowledge that the Bible, as God’s Word, is the final authority for
both what they believe and how they live. Yet in reality, a clear connection
between that public confession and personal conduct is rare.
Instead of looking to the Bible, many professing Christians
look to psychology and sociology for supposed solutions to personal needs and
social ills. The rise of postmodern thought has similarly skewed the church’s
understanding of right and wrong—as an unbiblical tolerance (in the name of
love) has weakened churches to the point where they are as soft on truth as
they are on sin. Popular television shows, from Oprah to Leno to the average
sitcom, have had a tangible effect (and not for the better) on how American
Christians think through everyday issues. The political arena, too, has played
a major role in shaping an evangelical understanding of morality, as words like
“Republican” and “Democrat” or “liberal” and “conservative” have come to
redefine the difference between what is good and what is evil.
