Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of knowledge. It asks, “How do we know that we know?” And whether we consciously construct it or not, we all have an epistemological starting point by which we survey all of life. It establishes our moral baseline, delineating between right and wrong. For some, it fluctuates as much as the latest fad. For others, it’s as fixed as the scientific method. For me, it’s as tried and true as the Bible. And I make no apologies for that. The Bible is not just my starting point; it’s the final authority when it comes to matters of faith and doctrine. I believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God—Truth with a capital T.

The challenge is that we live in a culture where tolerance has been elevated above truth. It’s considered wrong to say that something is wrong, and I think that’s wrong. I certainly want to be known more for what I’m for than what I’m against. And truth shouldn’t be used as a weapon. But to think that everybody is right and nobody is wrong is as silly as pretending that everybody wins and nobody loses. Come on, you know the T-ballers are keeping track of the score! And even if not keeping score works for one season in Little League, it doesn’t work in the real world. When truth is sacrificed on the altar of tolerance, it might seem as though everybody wins, but in reality everybody loses. God calls us to a higher standard than tolerance. It’s called truth, and it’s always coupled with grace.

Grace means I’ll love you no matter what. 

Truth means I’ll be honest with you no matter what. 

That’s my principal meridian.