It is not an easy task to tackle the conversations surrounding correction, affirmation, or chastisement the godly way in an age where worldly affirmation and positivity have become lord over people’s minds.
Understandably so, for long the problem with religious chastisement is that it has often wounded many unnecessarily, over-censoring what has no eternal bearing while offering no remedy. Meanwhile, affirmation that is not rooted in biblical truth encourages self-reliance and promotes flattery, even when it leads to hell. The grace of God and the wounds of truth found in His Word do not merely offer an alternative, they are the only path to a discipline that embraces, heals, and transforms. The challenge we face is that the worldly approach has not only permeated social platforms but is now a robust and deliberate agenda, thrusting people, from young children to adults, into a wickedly immoral state of mind that denies God daily. From Disney to school curriculums, from workplace censorship to the redefinition of ethics in the name of inclusivity; the truth that once upheld the foundations of the world is now despised, even considered hateful and divisive — yet nothing created can stand long or well apart from its Creator.
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV
We cannot speak about correction in truth without first defining truth itself. Philosophically, truth corresponds to reality or fact—for example, “water boils at 100°C at sea level” is true because it is demonstrable and constant. Practically, truth is that which remains unchanged regardless of feelings, trends, or opinions. But ultimately, the Scriptures define truth as not merely propositional; but personal, relational, and revelatory. It is rooted in the very character of God and revealed in the person of His Son Jesus Christ.
In light of that, Paul reiterates the peculiarity of creation, the divine light called out of darkness under which everything else was formed (2 Corinthians 4:4). The spiritual realm carries a distinctive light that is of God, but also includes deceptive elements unless they are discerned by the Holy Spirit. Simply put out of every darkness, there is light that can arise. Heavenly truths require such heavenly light to be rightly perceived. The carnal man may witness heavenly things, but always through an inferior lens. Yet in every truly converted heart, God places a spiritual light that matches the depth of truth He reveals. Modern philosophy has embraced a reality where girls can feel like boys, boys like women, and roles between them are interchangeable, as long as one feels comfortable and happy. Paul had a name for this in Romans 1:28: “a reprobate mind,” which is the result of refusing to retain God in one’s knowledge. Whether biologically, anatomically, hormonally, mentally, or emotionally, men and women are distinct by divine design. The rejection of these distinctions, or feelings that attempt to override them, do not alter the original order set by God.
Truth, if it is to challenge these philosophies, must be acknowledged as something the carnal eye can never fully grasp. Spiritual light, even in small measure, has the power to oppose the strongest desires of the flesh and lift the soul above temporal attractions, revealing their inferiority when compared to the beauty of eternal realities. Any light not birthed by the Spirit lacks the strength of sanctifying grace, easily yielding to temptation, especially those temptations that affirm personal desires. There is a spirit in man, the very breath of God, which gives him understanding – if he is willing. This same Spirit can subdue the heart to reveal truth and place a divine sweetness in the will that longs to obey. Anything less creates enmity between flesh and Spirit. This is why the battle for identity, be it gender, sexual orientation, or self-definition is not merely cultural or political; it is deeply spiritual. When man seeks to redefine what God has already spoken, he does not gain freedom, he inherits confusion and more bondage. As Proverbs 14:12 declares, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
The chaos we see is not accidental. It is the fruit of a generation taught to consult their feelings more than their Creator. When children are told they can be anything but what they were created to be, when truth is labeled hate, and deception is cloaked in affirmation, we are no longer dealing with ideological shifts. We are witnessing a crisis of the soul, one that firmly echoes the first temptation to man “Did God really say?“. Yet, even here, the grace of God still wounds well for the purpose of divine truth is not to shame, but to save. The wounds of the Lord are not meant to destroy, but to awaken. Jesus never condoned sin, but He also never turned away the sinner who came willing to be made whole. The Samaritan woman, the tax collector, or even the adulterous woman – were all exposed, yet embraced. Why? Because grace reveals in order to heal. So we must speak the truth in love—not to prove a point, but to point to a Person. Not to win arguments, but to win souls. It is not loving to affirm what God condemns. It is not compassionate to remain silent while someone walks blindly into ruin. We must pray, speak, and live in a way that reintroduces Christ not only as Savior, but as the Standard.
Let us not be ashamed of the gospel. Let us teach our children to know the truth, love the truth, and live the truth. And let us remember that the greatest kindness we can offer a confused world is not more affirmation, but the bold, brokenhearted proclamation of this: Jesus is the Truth who sets us free.
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ and feel that this is the right time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank You because You died for my sins, and You were raised for my glory. Today, I receive You as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”
