Part 5: Truth Has Consequences

Living as People of the Truth in a Half-Truth, My-Truth, No-Truth World

What happens when a culture mocks the truth—and God doesn’t laugh?

There’s something no one really talks about anymore: You don’t get rid of truth without consequences.

There’s a strange little story in the Bible that paints this vividly. It’s the kind of passage that makes you tilt your head and go, “Wait… what?”

It’s found in 2 Kings 2, during the early ministry of the prophet Elisha.

Elisha, freshly anointed as Elijah’s successor, is walking toward Bethel—a place that was once holy, now a hotspot for idol worship. And suddenly, a group of “youths” comes out to meet him. These weren’t toddlers throwing a tantrum. Most scholars agree they were a mob of young men—representative of a generation.

They begin to mock him.

Not just his appearance (“Hey, baldy!”), but everything he stands for.

His authority.

His message.

The truth he represents.

And then something shocking happens: Elisha calls down a curse, and two bears emerge from the woods and maul 42 of them.

At first glance, it’s bizarre—maybe even disturbing. Is this really about a prophet getting offended by bald jokes?

Not at all.

This is a story of prophetic warning. Of a culture that had hardened its heart to God’s Word. Of truth that had been replaced with scoffing. Of a generation raised in rebellion and living out the consequences.

And it’s not the only time we see it.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 gives us a New Testament version of the same warning:

“The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead… they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

Sound familiar?

Elisha’s generation rejected the Word—and paid the price.

So has every generation that’s done the same.

We are not living in a truth-neutral time. We are living in a truth crisis. And every false version of truth—whether it’s blended with sincerity or paraded as progress—comes with a cost.

Half-truths deceive the faithful.

My-truths dilute the gospel.

No-truths destroy foundations.

The enemy doesn’t care which lie you believe… as long as that lie keeps you from The Truth.

And why is this happening? Why the dramatic shift—not just in belief, but in the very possibility of truth?

Scripture doesn’t leave us wondering.

We’ve already seen it in 2 Timothy 4. “Itching ears” don’t want the truth—they want affirmation.

We’ve moved from:

👉 “Tell me what’s true”

to

👉 “Tell me what I want to hear.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 adds another layer: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers…” This isn’t just a cultural issue. It’s a spiritual one.

There’s a real enemy who doesn’t want people to see clearly. And one of his favorite weapons is confusion. If Satan can’t stop the truth, he’ll twist it. Distort it. Bury it in noise. Flood the world with so many lies that people don’t know what to believe anymore.

It’s the oldest strategy in the book—literally.

Genesis 3:1: “Did God really say…?”

That question still echoes.

That’s the seed behind every spiritual-sounding half-truth.

Behind every cultural attempt to reshape Scripture.

Behind every effort to make the gospel more “palatable.”

It’s not new. It’s just been rebranded.

And the result?

We live in a truth-starved world gorging itself on lies. It’s like drinking saltwater when you’re already dehydrated. It looks refreshing—but it only leaves you emptier.

Coming Up in Part 6: How to Live Faithfully in a Truth-Confused World

How do we stand firm when the ground seems to shift?

How can Christians walk in both truth and grace without losing either?

In the next post, we’ll look at how to live as people of the truth—without arrogance, without compromise, and without fear.