Stand for Something?

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” We’ve probably all heard this saying, or its variation, “If you don’t believe in something, you’ll fall for anything.” This saying has been attributed to everyone from Malcolm X to Alexander Hamilton.

This is a true statement, but I have an issue with it. The issue is the word something because something can be anything. And anything is not always something you should stand for.

Standing on the Truth

When we stand for something it should be for the truth. We should either be defending a truth that is under attack because it is no longer popular, or going on the offense when the truth is being suppressed.

This can be a tricky subject in the world today. We live in a time when people believe that just because something is true for one person, it doesn’t mean it’s true for another person. Many people believe in the concept of subjective truth. You do you and I’ll do me.

Quid est veritas? Pilate asked that question to Jesus, and people still ask it today.

Green is Blue

I may believe that green is blue, and I may stand my ground on this issue, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. It simply means I’m mistaken. People shouldn’t justify my belief so that my feelings aren’t hurt. You shouldn’t tell me that if I say it’s blue that’s okay, it’s blue to me.

The truth is that green is not blue and you aren’t helping me by affirming my error. Somebody needs to teach me what the truth is. It’s for my own good. It’s the loving thing to do.

This, of course, is a small and absurd example, but it makes the point.

Tossed to and Fro

The world is being tossed to and fro because worldly truths are always evolving, but the simple truth is that truth doesn’t evolve. Our understanding of what truth is may evolve, but truth remains the same. Truth isn’t truth if it can change. If it can change, it is opinion or belief.

For centuries, people believed that the earth was the center of the universe. Eventually we discovered that the earth revolves around the sun. What changed? It wasn’t the truth that changed. Man’s understanding of the truth evolved.

The same thing can happen when we look at the truth of Scripture. Scripture is unchanging. We can stand for something worldly, but we should be standing on biblical grounds.

As Christians we need to defend the truth of Scripture when it is under attack and go on the offensive when biblical truths are being suppressed. If we don’t stand for biblical truths we will fall for anything.

Drifting With the Culture

When we start to put worldly truths ahead of biblical truths we become like driftwood on the sea that is “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14 ESV). As cultural truths drift, so can we. This is the scriptural equivalent of “if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”

Solomon was considered the wisest man in the world while he was alive. People came from all across the known world just to listen to his wisdom. Yet for all of his wisdom, his footing was not set solidly on the truth of God. He broke free from God’s foundation and became like driftwood floating on the waves. He drifted away from God and it had disastrous results for him and the nation.

Standing for biblical truth doesn’t make us popular in the secular world. But like a father correcting a child because he loves the child, if we love others we will “put away falsehood and speak the truth to our neighbors” (Ephesians 4:25 ESV).

Public opinion changes over time. What people think is right and wrong changes over time. The one thing that doesn’t change is God’s word. What was a sin centuries ago is still a sin today. Our tolerance for sin may have increased, but sin has not decreased.

We have drifted away from the truth. If we don’t stand with the truth we will drift with the culture.

What is Truth?

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus taught us to love one another, but Jesus did not tolerate sin. He forgave sinners, but He expected change from His followers. Jesus came to earth to call sinners to repentance. He gave us the truth, but the decision to abide in the truth is ours.

As the author of Hebrews says: We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away (Hebrews 2:1 ESV). We won’t drift away if we are standing on the rock, and that rock is Christ.

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