When a society loses its standard, the people lose their footing.
When clear boundaries collapse, everything becomes relative. Emotion and personal interpretation take the place of truth. This is the exact current of our age. In the past, nations, traditions, morality, and conscience served as anchors. Today, self-conviction has become the new authority.
But even self-conviction is often built on shifting emotions. As a result, everyone speaks, acts, and decides from their own perspective. And the first thing to vanish in such a climate is absolute authority—the authority of the Word. When the authority of Scripture is lost, faith, the Church, and society itself become suspended in air, disconnected from any grounding. Today’s culture isn’t overtly denying the Bible—it’s quietly undermining it.
In the past, Scripture was at the center of debate—about its original text, proper interpretation, and reverence even within seminaries. Now, it is not outwardly rejected but inwardly twisted. People claim to “know the Word,” but distort its meaning, emphasizing selective verses while ignoring the whole truth.
Verses people want to hear are highlighted. Difficult or uncomfortable passages are hidden or symbolized. Messages of repentance and judgment are excluded. The result? The Word becomes a collection of “optional sayings,” no longer a guiding authority but a source of comfort at best.
A Society Without the Word’s Authority Breeds Confusion
The final verse of Judges states: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” When the standard of the Word is lost, so is the rule of God. People begin to live by their own judgment, which leads to disorder and division.
Modern society has disarmed absolute truth under the banner of “my truth.” By insisting that “it’s right from their perspective,” we render truth and falsehood unjudgeable. But Scripture says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Without the Word, we lose our way. When the Word is shaken, the destination disappears, and life becomes aimless wandering.
Even within the Church, this pattern is increasingly evident. People speak of Scripture but don’t live by it. They quote the Bible, yet their values mirror the world. The Word is consumed as “inspirational quotes,” not as the ultimate authority that determines our decisions. A true believer isn’t just one who reads the Word, but one who submits to it.
Today, simply “knowing the Word” has become an end in itself—while the life-changing, soul-governing authority of the Word is no longer recognized.
God Still Governs Through His Word
God created the universe by His Word, calls humanity through His Word, and has written the course of history through His Word. Even now, He calls people, builds His Church, and trains believers through the Word. To diminish the Word is to reject His rule—it is a shortcut to a collapsed faith.
We cannot know God apart from His Word. We cannot discern His will outside of it. The Holy Spirit works through the Word, and all spiritual discernment must be measured against it.
What must be recovered today is this: the authority of the Word. Not obedience based on understanding, but obedience because it is God’s Word. The world asks, “Why live like that?” The believer must be able to answer, “Because the Word says so.” Scripture is not suggestion—it is command.
The Word is not something to merely interpret, but something to obey. God promises to reveal truth to those who obey and to guide those who align their lives with His Word.
The Word Is the Timeless Standard
Even thousands of years later, the Bible remains alive. Technology may advance, culture may change, and perspectives may shift—but the Word of God never changes. That is the very mark of truth. Times come and go, but the Word endures forever. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
Therefore, we should not try to adjust the Word to fit our times—we must discern the times through the Word. The Bible is not outdated. It is timeless truth. It is the only standard that can revive souls.
Many believers today hear the Word. But true faith is not measured by how much we hear—it is revealed in how we live. The life that confesses, “The Word is above my thoughts, my emotions, and my experiences,” is the life where God begins to work.
When the Word becomes our standard, we will not be shaken. When the Word becomes our direction, we will not be lost. And when the Word becomes our center, the Kingdom of God will take root in that very place.
Written by: Sion Lee
Maeil Scripture Journal | Today’s World, A View Through the Word
