⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 8 min read
When Culture Calls Evil Good: Standing Firm in God’s Truth (Isaiah 5:20)
Author: Dave Jenkins Podcast: Contending for the Word Series: Weekly Watch Date: May 2, 2026
Show Summary
Our culture is rapidly redefining truth, love, and morality. In this episode of Contending for the Word – Weekly Watch, Dave Jenkins examines the growing moral confusion of our time through the lens of Isaiah 5:20 and explains why Christians must remain anchored in the unchanging truth of God’s Word.This episode explores how cultural shifts often begin with the redefinition of language, how confusion becomes normalized, and why clarity in the church is essential for faithful Christian living. Dave also contrasts cultural ideas of love with the biblical understanding of love rooted in truth, holiness, and the authority of Scripture.As the church faces increasing pressure to soften biblical clarity, believers are called not to fear, retreat, or compromise, but to stand firm in the sufficiency and authority of God’s Word.Audio Player
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Key Scriptures
- Isaiah 5:20
- Ephesians 4:15
Episode Highlights
- Why culture often shifts by first redefining moral language
- How confusion becomes normalized in society
- Why truth, identity, and morality must be grounded in God’s Word
- The danger of silence, ambiguity, and compromise in the church
- The difference between cultural affirmation and biblical love
- How Christians can stand firm when moral categories are reversed
Full Article
Our culture is rapidly redefining words like truth, love, and morality. Scripture warns us that when good and evil are reversed, confusion spreads quickly. In this episode, we consider why Christians must remain anchored in God’s truth when the world begins rewriting moral reality.Welcome back to the Weekly Watch, a segment on the Contending for the Word podcast. I’m your host, Dave Jenkins. Each week on the Weekly Watch, we step back from the noise of the headlines and ask a more important question: how does Scripture help Christians think clearly about the world we are living in right now?Believers today are navigating a culture that is rapidly redefining fundamental truths—truth, identity, love, and authority, and perhaps most noticeably right now, morality itself. Many of the moral shifts we see today are not happening suddenly. They develop slowly. Language changes, ideas shift, confusion spreads, and before long, what once was considered wrong begins to be described as good.This is not a new phenomenon. Scripture addressed this problem long ago. Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”That verse describes something we are seeing with increasing clarity in our own time: moral inversion—a culture that reverses moral categories. Today, we want to walk through several patterns shaping the current cultural moment and consider how Christians remain steady and anchored in truth when those shifts begin to affect both culture and the church.Language Changes First
Culture shifts often begin with the redefinition of words. Words like love, tolerance, authenticity, freedom, and justice are powerful moral words. But when culture changes their definitions, the moral framework shifts as well.For example, the word love in Scripture is grounded in truth and holiness. Biblical love seeks the true good of another person in light of God’s design. But cultural definitions of love increasingly detach love from truth. Love becomes simple affirmation, approval, and validation.If love means affirmation, then disagreement begins to be seen as harmful, and biblical conviction begins to be framed as unloving. This is why Christians must pay careful attention to language. When moral language shifts, moral reasoning soon follows. But the Word of God reminds us that truth is not determined by cultural vocabulary. Truth comes from God alone.Confusion Becomes Normalized
Ideas that once seemed obviously contradictory are now presented as reasonable, even virtuous. We are told that identity is something each person must create for themselves, that truth is something we define individually, and that moral boundaries are oppressive.Scripture presents a very different picture of reality. In the biblical worldview, God is the Creator. Human beings are made in His image. Truth flows from the character of God Himself as revealed in His Word. Morality is not invented by human culture. It is revealed by God.When that foundation is rejected, confusion inevitably follows—not because people lack intelligence, but because the moral compass has been removed. And when moral confusion becomes normal, truth begins to sound strange.When the Church Softens Clarity
Moral confusion in the world is not surprising. Scripture tells us that the world will resist God’s authority. But the deeper concern comes when churches begin softening biblical clarity. Sometimes this happens not through open rejection of Scripture, but through hesitation, silence, and ambiguity.Certain passages are avoided. Certain topics are never addressed. Certain moral teachings are softened in tone. Often the intention is to avoid offense, but the result is moral compromise. The church is commanded in Ephesians 4:15 to speak the truth in love. But speaking the truth requires something essential: clarity.When clarity disappears, confusion fills the space, and believers begin to struggle to discern what Scripture actually teaches.What Love Really Means
One of the most powerful cultural narratives today is the phrase love wins. At first glance, that sounds positive. Christians believe that love matters deeply. Scripture teaches that love is central to the Christian life. But definitions matter.In modern rhetoric, love wins often means love must affirm every choice, love must never confront sin, and love must never call for repentance. But Scripture describes love differently. Biblical love does not ignore sin. Biblical love does not celebrate rebellion. Biblical love seeks the true good of another person, which means sometimes love must speak hard truth—not with cruelty or arrogance, but with compassion and faithfulness to God’s Word.True love never asks us to abandon truth, because truth itself is an expression of the love of God.Isaiah 5:20 and Moral Inversion
Isaiah 5:20 is not merely about individual sin. It describes cultural patterns. Entire societies can drift into moral inversion. Evil is called good. Good is called evil. Darkness is called light. When that happens, the pressure to conform grows stronger.Those who hold biblical convictions may be labeled intolerant, outdated, unloving, or bigoted. But the Word of God calls believers to something different: faithfulness. Not popularity. Not cultural approval. Faithfulness to God.Christians need to remember that truth does not change with cultural trends. Truth belongs to God alone.How Christians Stand Firm
So how do believers remain steady in a culture marked by moral confusion? The answer is not merely political strategy. It is not cultural retreat. It is not fear. The answer is anchoring ourselves more and more in the Word of God alone.God’s Word gives us clarity about reality, clarity about sin, clarity about redemption, and clarity about the future hope found in Christ. This is why Christians must continually return to Scripture—to read it, study it, meditate on it, and submit to it.When culture becomes unstable, God’s Word remains unchanging. That stability is exactly what believers need today.Christians have always lived in cultures struggling with moral confusion. The early church did. The Reformers did. Believers throughout history have faced the same challenge. But the call of God has never changed: stand firm, hold fast to the truth, walk in love, and remain anchored to Christ.When the world begins to rewrite truth, the people of God must return again and again to the unchanging authority and sufficiency of the Word of God.Takeaways
- Cultural confusion often begins with redefining language.
- Truth, morality, and identity must be grounded in God’s revelation, not cultural trends.
- The church must speak with both love and biblical clarity.
- Biblical love never abandons truth.
- Christians are called to faithfulness, even when moral categories are reversed.
Reflection Questions
- Where do you see moral language being redefined in today’s culture?
- How does Isaiah 5:20 help you understand our present cultural moment?
- Have you seen confusion grow where biblical clarity was avoided?
- How can you speak truth in love with greater courage and faithfulness?
- What practical steps will help you stay anchored in God’s Word this week?
Related Resources
- Related Contending for the Word Episodes
- Dave Jenkins’ Biblical Worldview Book
- Contending for the Word YouTube.
