Can You Trust Yourself More Than God?

The most explosive arguments in families and culture often look like they’re about sex, identity, or morality, but the real fight is deeper: who gets to be the authority. When scandals and distrust rise, it can feel “obvious” to crown the self, to let feelings and personal logic rule. But how often has that inner compass led you somewhere you later regret?

We keep pulling that thread and ask a hard, clarifying question: where do you locate authority, knowledge, and trustworthiness when you make decisions. Dr. Timothy Mann takes us to the opening words of Scripture, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” and shows why creation means God has the right to speak into every part of life. Then the message moves from God’s power to God’s character, arguing that we can trust his commands because the Creator proved his love through Jesus Christ. Proverbs 3:5–6 becomes more than a familiar quote, it becomes a roadmap for anyone tired of leaning on their own understanding.

We also connect this authority question to today’s most contested conversations, including sexual morality, homosexuality, and transgender identity, and explain why Bible-believing Christians land where they do. The aim isn’t to win a shouting match, it’s to expose the foundation beneath the conclusions and to call each of us to honest self-examination: is Jesus Lord over the whole life, or only the parts we’re comfortable handing over?

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Transcript

Ministry Mission And Series Setup

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You're listening to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Timothy Mann. Our mission is to help you build your life on the unshakable foundation of God's Word, rooted in Scripture, anchored in the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each week, Dr. Timothy Mann opens the Bible to bring clarity, conviction, and encouragement for everyday

Book Resource On Salvation

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life.

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Hey, this is Dr. Timothy Mann. I want to mention a resource that I believe will strengthen your walk with the Lord. My new book, Saved, Understanding God's Work in Us, is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Zulon Bookstore, just about anywhere you buy books. It is a careful, biblical walk through what salvation means, written to deepen your understanding, strengthen your assurance, and equip you to share the gospel. Just search Saved, Understanding God's Work in Us by Dr. Timothy Mann. I pray that it is a

The Authority Crisis And Self-Trust

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blessing to you.

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Today on Foundations of Truth, we continue our series on divine design. Here now with part two of the message: How you arrive at the answer matters is Dr. Timothy Mann.

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If we differ in our answer to the source of authority, to the source of knowledge, to the source of trust in our decision making, if we differ in those areas, then we shouldn't be surprised if we're actually miles apart once we reach our destination. Once we reach our decision on a particular issue, particular belief, or particular action. There has been a crisis of authority building over the last 60 years. It has reached a crescendo. Abuse, scandal, and rebellion have been the order of the day for the last several decades. And so where are we to look for a trustworthy, knowledgeable authority? So the answer is me. Myself. That's where I'm to look. Myself. I mean, it seems so obvious, doesn't it? I mean, who has more right to tell me how to live than me? Who knows me better than me? Who can I trust more to want what's best for me than me? And you know what's so surprising and so jarring is many professing Christians think this way. Our churches are filled pervasively with people who think this way. And the world system agrees with that, by the way. Because that is the world system. The sexual revolution. If you don't know what that is, you've not been paying attention for the last 60 years. Which basically the motto of the 1960s was if it feels good, do it. Whatever it is, with whomever, whenever you want. Marriage doesn't matter. Go for it. And so the sexual revolution tells me that the highest goal is self-fulfillment through following my feelings. And relativism makes it possible for me to pursue those goals without anyone being allowed to say, no, that's wrong. You can't say that. Because this is my truth. So what do we do? Well, we decide, usually, according to our reason, or more normally, our feelings. Or both. I mean, think about how often you hear others say of a decision or an opinion. Well, I feel like, or I think that. Maybe you even catch yourself saying this all the time as well. Well, this is how I feel. This is what I think. It's so much a part of the prevailing culture that we don't even hardly notice it. The problem with that is this. The problem is that we've all acted on our feelings in a way that we later regretted. Can I get a witness? We can all, when we think about it, when we're honest about it. Look, if you're honest, if you're a liar, you know where liars go. Washington. No, I'm kidding. The Bible says they go to hell. We can all, if we're honest about it, if we think about it, we can point to moments when we did something that not only did not improve us or fulfill us, but it actually did the reverse. We've all reasoned something out. We've all acted on logic and then found out that what seemed so reasonable wasn't. Am I telling the truth in here this morning? Yeah, so it turns out that self is not such a good place to look to for authority. Self is not such a good place to look to for knowledge. Self is not such a good place to look to for trustworthiness.

Creation Grounds God’s Right To Rule

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The Bible tells of a different story. For it gives a different script on where, on which to understand where to look for perfect authority, for perfect knowledge, and for perfect trustworthiness. The very first line of the Bible that we read a little bit ago is familiar to most, but it is no less fundamental. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. If you get that wrong, you get everything else wrong. You are not a product of chance. You are not a this world is not an accident. I don't know about you, but I just don't have enough faith to be an atheist. I don't have enough faith to be an evolutionist. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This world has a creator. And what is made belongs to its maker. So the creator has authority. What is made is best known by its maker. And so the creator has knowledge. And since I'm a part of the creation and alive still today within creation, the creator, God, has the right to tell me what to do. And he has the knowledge necessary, always, to understand what I should do. In other words, what is best for me and for the world? There is a creator, ladies and gentlemen. There's a creator, and he is all powerful, he is all-knowing, and he is all-wise. But alone, that does not mean that he is good. That by itself. So why should you and I trust our creator to tell us what is really best for us?

The Crucified Creator Proves Trust

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Because of what he has done for his world that he created. For God so loved the world that he created. Even though it's fallen, even though it rebelled, mankind. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. There is a creator who can be trusted to know what is truly best for you. He wants your best so much that he came in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, and he died for you to pay the debt of your sin. The Bible tells us of a crucified creator. I want you to understand this morning that God loves you much more than your mother loves you. God loves you much more than your father loves you. God loves you much more than your spouse loves you. God loves you much more than your children love you. God loves you much more than that person you're in love with. Hey, God loves you more than you love yourself. That's why you can trust him. And so, a passage such as Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6 are not only commands, which they are, by the way, it's not just a good suggestion. It's a command. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 is a command. But it's also a promise. It's also a promise. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Well, we found out why. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. It's a command and a promise. A crucified creator is God who has the authority to tell us what to do, who has the wisdom to know what is best for us, and who has proved that he can be trusted to tell us what is best for us. And so, the Bible reveals to us a God, a creator, who has the authority to demand your obedience, but also has the character that deserves your respect. He has the character that deserves your reverence. He has the character that deserves your worship. And this God really does know what's best for me. And he really does want what's best for me. He's provided for my salvation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, the Savior. And when the creator, God, who has authority, who has knowledge, and has trustworthiness, tells us to do something, that something is actually what gives us liberty. Because its source is the crucified Creator who has proven that he knows and wants what's best for us. Look at James 1.25. But he who looks into, that's you or me. He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. This one will be blessed in what he does.

Why Christians Submit To Scripture

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Thanks so much for listening today to Foundations of Truth as we continue our series on divine design with Dr. Timothy Mann. We strive to continue teaching biblical truth, and we cannot do it without your help. This radio show and podcast are entirely funded by our listeners and supporters. If you'd like to support Foundations of Truth financially, you can do so. You can give a gift at our new website. Check it out at foundationsoftruth.net. That's foundationsoftruth.net. You can also find more biblical resources there. And thank you so much for your support. Now let's get back to today's message with Dr. Timothy Mann.

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So when we say to ourselves or to others, when a preacher like myself says to you, you should obey God, what we mean is we want what God deserves, and that's your obedience. We want what God deserves, your obedience, and we want what is best for you, which is your obedience. That's what that is. This is simply, ladies and gentlemen, this is simply why Bible-believing Christians, you know there are a lot of bunch of people running around today who label themselves Christians who don't believe this book. This is why Bible-believing Christians actually hold views and believe things that go against what might come to us naturally or instinctively. It's because Jesus followers have found a better source for authority, have found a better source for knowledge, have found a better source for trust than our own reason and our own feelings, or even our own traditions, our own assumptions. Statements like, well, because that's the way I've always thought, or that's the way we've always thought, or it's just wrong, isn't it? Those kinds of answers are no better answers than answers like, because that's the way I feel, or how can something that feels so right be wrong? That's no better. It's crucial. It is essential. And in truth, it's m it's a matter of life and death in some cases. Especially when self and scripture disagree. It's crucial to know why we are thinking and why we are deciding what we are deciding. Or to put it another way, it's crucial to know what our source of authority, our source of knowledge, and our source of trust is for that decision or for that opinion.

Sexual Ethics And Competing Authorities

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And this holds for all issues of life. Every single issue of life. But particularly those that are the most controversial, including issues of sexual morality, homosexuality, and the discussion of transgender identity. I mean, after all, when all the noise is stripped away, what is driving our culture's ideas about sexuality and gender and other issues? When all the noise is stripped away. I believe fundamentally the biggest issue that drives a wedge between an increasingly secularized culture and the genuine Christian worldview, and between individuals who place themselves in those areas, is the question of where we actually locate authority. Where we locate knowledge, where we locate trustworthiness. If your daughter or son has a different source of authority and knowledge and trustworthiness than you, there's going to be conflict. If your sibling, sister, brother has a different source for authority, knowledge, and trustworthiness than you, there's going to be sparks. It's going to be hard to talk about those things. Unless you can point to the validity of the source of your authority and the source of your knowledge, and the source of your trust. The biblical Christian answer is to locate authority and knowledge and trust where it can find a firm, stable, unchanging, fulfilling foundation, and that is in the crucified Creator and His Word. He may not always agree with our feelings, he may not always agree with our reason. But I'm telling you, he can be trusted. He can be trusted, and he knows what he's talking about, and he has the right to tell us how to live. And his words are good to listen to. And his words are good to obey.

Hard Self-Examination And Real Lordship

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Maybe in your heart you are living far from God. Maybe in practice you are living far from God. Maybe you're trying to straddle the fence and have one foot in the world and one foot with the Lord. Maybe you're caught up in something you don't know if you can walk away from. Maybe you have burdens and decisions to make. And you don't know what to do. Maybe you're trying to compartmentalize it all out. You say you love Jesus. You say you're a believer. You even like to get a good dose of religion every once in a while on Sunday. But the rest of your life does not match up. I just need to say this as plainly as I know how. If Jesus is not Lord of every area of your life, he's not your Lord. I'm talking about me. On any given day. Partial obedience is still disobedience. You may say, Yeah, I want to go to heaven. I want to be saved. But you don't really care much about your integrity. Yeah, I believe in Jesus. I like Jesus. I said that prayer many years ago. But his word about how your life is to be governed as it relates to sexual matters. It's not really all that important to you. I can live with somebody, it doesn't even matter. I can have sex with who I want to when I want to. I can be a pornography, it's no big deal. It doesn't hurt anybody. I want to remind you that the Creator, Almighty God, has all authority. And he is all-knowing. And you can absolutely trust him. While you were still at odds with him. Think about that. While you were still at odds with him and rebelling against him, he loved you so much that he gave his only begotten son to die for the penalty of sin. And if you would truly believe on him, if you would truly trust him, you won't have to perish eternally. Instead, you can have the gift of everlasting life with him in his presence forever. And if you live his way, if you live his way according to his perfect law of liberty, you will experience his blessing. You'll experience God's best for you. Again, his words are good to listen to. And his words are good to obey. And over the next few messages, this is what we'll be doing about this topic. And we'll continue to walk our way through these other issues. And it may be uncomfortable. But God is a lot more concerned about our sanctification and the future of our children and our grandchildren. He's a lot more concerned about that and making his name great and his church bringing glory to him and his word being honored. He's a lot more concerned about that than he is your comfort.

Regeneration Means A New Trajectory

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Are you following Christ? It won't be perfect. I'm grateful that my salvation is not based on my performance and how well I do on the standard, right? But the truth of the matter is, if you've been saved by God's grace, I'm talking about born again. The fancy theological word is regenerate. If God has placed his life in you by the power of the Holy Spirit, then things begin to change. No, you're not suddenly super saint. You're not suddenly glorified in your glorified body, never to sin again, and you'll never reach that state in this life. But a trajectory will begin of change, new creation. Yes, you'll battle. Yes, we have the flesh. Yes, you may stumble and fall and sin. Sometimes you may even deliberately rebel. You may be like a prodigal that goes into a far country for a while. But here's the thing the prodigal will come home. Because you belong in the family. So this idea of I can accept Jesus, I can be a believer, and his word doesn't matter. What he says in his word doesn't matter. I can do what I want to and still be accepted by him. That doesn't square with the word. So I urge you, examine your life, examine your heart. I'm going to take it a step further. Don't make excuses for yourself. Don't make excuses for your loved ones. Don't make excuses. Don't rationalize it. There's a creator. And he has all authority and he has the right to tell us and them what to do. We need his salvation. And then he begins a work in our life. Are you looking into the perfect law of liberty and are you continuing in it? Or are you a forgetful hearer? If you're a forgetful hearer and not a doer of the work, you have no guarantee of blessing from God. The guarantee of blessing comes when you do what it says.

Support, Contact, And Final Resource

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Thank you for joining us today for Foundations of Truth, the biblical teaching ministry of Dr. Timothy Mann. If you'd like to support this ministry financially, you can give a gift right now at foundationsoftruth.net. That's foundationsoftruth.net. You can also find more biblical resources there. And thank you so much for your support. Until tomorrow, have a great day. And remember, the grass withers, the flower fades. But the word of God stands forever.

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Hey, this is Dr. Timothy Mann. And if you are a regular listener to the program, I would like to speak specifically to you right now. I would appreciate it if we could hear from you. Send me an email at Timothy Mann at FirmDash Foundations.org. That's Timothy Mann at Firm Dash Foundations.org. I would love to know what has been a help to you, what you'd like to hear more of, and just get to know you a little more. So feel free to reach out. I'd like to hear from you very much. God bless you. Before we close today, I want to tell you about a resource that I believe will be a genuine help to you. I've recently published my first book, Saved, Understanding God's Work in Us. In over 30 years of pastoral ministry, one of the questions I've encountered more than almost any other is this: How can I know that I am truly saved? It is a question that deserves a careful, biblical answer. That is exactly what this book is designed to give. If you want to understand salvation more deeply, stand on firmer ground in your faith, or be better equipped to share the gospel with someone you love, then this book was written for you. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes Noble, and Books a Million, and pretty much anywhere you buy books. I pray it strengthens your faith. Thanks for being with us today. God bless you.