Words Matter, and Here is Why

It seems that so many people, nowadays, like to mince words and confuse conversation with arbitrary definitions, and want to get in to minutia to justify their positions on various subjects. In my time, I saw formerly reputable dictionary makers change definitions in real time online to support an ideology under the guise of compassion. We see people bandy about words like “love” but relegate it to a feeling or emotion and “tolerance” but relegate it to “you must tolerate me, but if you disagree with me, you’re a hateful bigot,” or will say “that is YOUR truth, but it’s not mine.” Why? Because he who controls the terms controls the argument. That’s the idea anyway.

People who do this make everything absolute until they are opposed, and then truth becomes subjective. Going back to the Garden, it’s how the great deceiver led our forbears in to tasting that fruit that they already had desired. In the same way, Satan tried to tempt Jesus. He made statements like “if you’re the Son of God…” to goad Jesus in to betraying His purpose, question His Father’s love and abandon His mission. But Jesus stood on the Scripture, even as it was being twisted by the Accuser. He didn’t let Satan define the terms, he stood on the truth, and Satan left him for a more opportune time.

Loved ones, people WILL change definitions, and take absolute objective truth and twist it to be subjective to fit their own desires. Why? Because, as Adam and Eve, they’re chasing their own happiness, and to continue to chase that happiness (though they never truly find it), people will continue to bend the rules for themselves and not excuse it for others. But there is only one Truth. And, as Johnny Cash once said, if you’re really seeking the Truth, you’ll always end up at Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. With a word He spoke all things in to being, and what He has spoken cannot be unspoken. Stand on the Truth. Make your home with, and in, Him. Live every day seeking Him out, and you’ll find in a world of constantly shifting sand, your house is built on solid rock.

Matthew 7:21-27

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Matthew 15:1-9

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Philippians 2:1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.