We are living in an age of information saturation. Saturation seems an apt descriptor because it means we’re enduring media in a manner described by one dictionary as “to a very full extent, especially beyond the point regarded as necessary or desirable.”

Such is the nature of calamity and strife. There are things we need to know about the pandemic, or Afghanistan, or the border, or any number of urgent topics, and the twenty-four-seven news cycle churns perpetually and overwhelmingly to meet this need. But along with the catastrophic, we are also deluged with the meaningless and inane.

And if that is not enough to concern us, we must also understand that even as we are saturated with stories, the stories are saturated with lies. Therefore, my thought for today is this: How do we apply Christian discernment to the information flood, when much, if not most of what saturates us, is untrue?

John MacArthur argues that “in its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong.” We then make choices resting on the truth we believe, and we trust those choices will bear fruit. Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about the truth.

But many ask, who, or what is the ultimate source of truth? Is truth objective or relative? Christians, of course, believe God is the single source of objective truth, and Scripture is the special revelation of God’s truth that believers need for all life and doctrine. The secular world increasingly sees truth as relative, believing that individuals can decide truth as they see it to be.

The marriage of such subjectivity and power has an especially problematic potential. Tyranny will soon follow when a society allows the powerful to own the privilege and authority to purvey reality. The powerful decide the moral standard for those they rule. Only an elite few, whether by breeding, beauty, education, wealth, artistic or athletic talent, or even brute intimidation, dictate to the many a man-centered truth, apart from any higher power. In short, might makes right. Truth becomes pliable and therefore valuable as a governing tool, and individual freedom dies.

Another worrisome potential when people reject objective truth is anarchy. Any legitimate organizing principle designed to restrain human impulse cannot survive the cradle because voluntary submission requires moral agreement. Anarchy was undoubtedly the case with ancient Israel in the time of the Judges as Judges 17:6 reminds:

^“ In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Basic Bible knowledge exposes the utter folly of not just everyone doing what was right in their own eyes, but also the problem of having no moral and legitimate king. Unassailable truth must rest on a foundation of legitimate authority, and the Bible teaches that only God—the true and living God—owns this authority. He is King. Man is but a vile usurper when he seeks to define truth versus error, right versus wrong.

A look at the God of the Bible’s limitless attributes versus man’s myriad limitations should obliterate any argument over the legitimacy of His authority. Give me the eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, righteous, loving, just, merciful, gracious One to be my King!

Moreover, our King promised to provide truth for daily living—real aid in our discernment—through His inspired Word and enlightenment made manifest by the indwelling of his Spirit in our hearts when we believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. He has not left us adrift in a confusing, threatening world. He has provided all we need to be discerning regarding every topic, situation, ethic, or issue.

However, this provision must come by faith. We must believe. We must be saved by faith alone, in Christ alone. Our regeneration enables a new ability to think biblically, which, as one writer put it, is synonymous with discernment. We must believe and evangelize this notion, especially in perilous times.

If you struggle to trust that the Bible is inspired and, therefore, reliable, authoritative, inerrant, infallible, clear, and sufficient, let me offer a few verses for your consideration. The Bible claims to speak to every topic, every situation, every ethic, every potential issue, or question, and that you need not look anywhere else for wisdom relating to life and doctrine.

2 Peter 1:3 promises, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence”

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 encourages, “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

2 Timothy 3:16–17 assures: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Ask yourself, do I believe this? If you do, you are discerning through a biblical truth grid, which competes well with anything man-centered more than you may know. Do not let the media or academic elites intimidate you! Armed with Biblical discernment, you can now go forth boldly and be about the Apostle Paul’s command in Romans 12:2:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

That is just lovely language—“what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We Christians have a lot we can say that will help our family, friends, and neighbors rightly discern. Believe and be bold, friends! Amen and amen.