One of the prime reasons for biblically integrated teaching is to help students see the world as it is: the real world. Biblical integrators are invested in telling truth. These truths include the following facts: 1) God is the Creator and Owner of all, 2) Jesus is Lord, 3) People are created in the image of God, 4) Our actions matter, 5) There is right and there is wrong, 6) Those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved, and 7) We are created for his glory. This list of facts could continue to fill volumes, but I simply want to illustrate that we are in the truth business. And we do not want the One who is the way, truth, and life left out of the teaching of his world. However, the wider culture often has a different view of what truth is. Take a moment to watch the following video where a well-known politician states vehemently, “Truth isn’t truth!” (Note: the purpose of posting this video is not related to political ideology, but a more foundational set of beliefs.)
Integrators need to note two things: we are on the side of truth and of the truth. First, truth is a concrete thing. It is not relative or variable. Truth actually is truth. Second, the Bible is clear that we must be honest and tell the truth. Those who are on the side of truth do not need to take time to get their story straight. They are free to just tell it like it is.
In Total Truth, Nancy Pearcey says that biblical worldview is “the imprint of God’s objective truth on our inner life.” Objective is defined as “not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.” Objective truth is the way things actually are. It is reality. And, as Pearcey points out, objective truth belongs to God because He is the Author and Sustainer of all things. He is the prime reality. He is the realest of real. He is the foundation of everything. A culture that chips away at the concept of truth is chipping away at an accurate understanding of God, ourselves, the world, the meaning of life, true pleasure and joy, relationships, and everything else.
Think about it. If there is no truth, there is no right or wrong. There are no laws of physics or mathematics. There is no true love. Therefore, biblical integrators must contend for truth. It is what we do. We want God’s objective truth imprinted on the lives of our students. When culture-shapers (like the politician in the video) make a case against truth, they are making a case against God and godliness.
In addition to contending for truth as a concept, we contend for the truth in real-world situations. This means that we teach and model honesty to our students. Honesty means aligning our words with the way things really are in the world: telling it like it is. For example, when we share the gospel, we are being honest because the truth is that mankind is dead in sin, but Christ came to save sinners. We are spreading the Good, true News. Proverbs 14:25 says, “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.” Truth is life-giving because it rightly represents God, and He is a life-giver.
So in our world that maligns the idea of truth and says that many options could be “truths,” we need to stand up and say that truth is truth. Then we must demonstrate the truth of that statement by living lives of honesty.
