Stopping “Truth Decay”?

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NIV)

We are experiencing a crisis of credibility in our culture. We can find corruption pretty much everywhere—in politics, business, sports, academics, entertainment—and even in churches. 

What is the cause of this decline in moral values? It can be said in two words: truth decay. 

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV). Freedom comes from the truth. The more I know the truth, the freer I'll be in my spirit, in my life, in my family—in every way! The opposite is also true: The more I give up on the truth, the more I'll forfeit my freedom.

This phrase “truth decay” exemplifies what’s been happening in our society. Slowly, little by little, there has been an erosion of the value of truth. We don’t value truth like we used to—and it’s slowly eroding the world we live in.

It’s the same with your teeth. When tooth decay begins, you don’t even notice it. You can’t feel it; you can’t see it. But it’s happening—and if you don’t stop it, you’ll eventually lose your tooth.

In recent decades, there has been a shift away from truth as the foundation of our society. At one point, most people genuinely agreed on what was right and what was wrong. If people didn’t do right at least they knew right. But today many people claim they don’t even know the difference between right and wrong—or that there’s no such thing as right and wrong.

This idea that there is no such thing as truth is called postmodernism. It’s built on the idea that there are no absolutes. But that’s an unworkable, irrational philosophy. Everyone depends on absolutes.

When you go into a pharmacy, you trust that the pharmacist will absolutely give you the correct prescription. When you approach a stop sign, other drivers expect that you’ll absolutely stop. When a rocket heads into outer space, there are thousands of absolute calculations to keep it on course. The whole world, every single day of life, operates on absolutes.

In postmodernism, people value tolerance more than they value truth; all ideas are equally valid. But that’s nonsense. If I say, “The moon is made out of rock,” and you say, “The moon is made out of Swiss cheese,” those ideas are not equally valid. There are a lot of things in life that are absolutely and always true—and there are a lot of things in life that are absolutely and always false. 

In a world that values tolerance over truth, it’s easy to let truth decay into our hearts and life. In the coming days, I'm going to look at how I can know and hold on to what’s true so that I can live in the freedom Jesus promises.

In summary:

Our culture is facing a crisis of credibility rooted in “truth decay”—a gradual erosion of the value of truth that undermines moral standards and freedom. Just as tooth decay is slow and often unnoticed until serious damage occurs, truth decay quietly weakens society when people abandon absolute standards of right and wrong. Postmodern thinking, which rejects absolutes and elevates tolerance above truth, leads to confusion and instability, even though daily life depends on absolutes for safety, order, and progress. Jesus taught that knowing the truth sets us free, so holding firmly to God’s unchanging truth is essential for living in the freedom He promises.

Bottom Line:

When truth erodes, freedom is lost—so I need anchor my life in God’s unchanging truth to remain truly free. I need to commit to regularly reading and reflecting on God’s Word so that I can clearly recognize, hold onto, and live by the truth in every area of my life.