If one is bold enough to talk about truth, one first has to define what truth he is talking about. And there are many truths (or laws), such as the law of gravity, mathematics, physics, aero-dynamics, electricity, nature…even truths of life (ie. if you place your hand on a hot surface, you will get burned; if you disturb a hornet’s nest, you’d better run). And why are they truths (or laws)? Because they never change!
But for my purpose, I am talking about God’s truth as found in the Word of God. The derivation of the term “Word” comes from the Greek word “logos”, which means logic or rational thinking. In other words, the Word of God is God’s truth; it tells us who He is, how He thinks, what he thinks about us, what his standards are, what his promises are, and how we can achieve those promises. And truth be told…without opening the Book, we will never be able to grasp with our finite reasoning the magnitude of God’s love, truth and amazing Grace. And He was specific about this when he spoke through the Prophet Isaiah and stated, “My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts. As high as the heavens are above the earth, my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways.” (Isaiah 55:8)
In John 8:32, Jesus told his disciples, “if you follow my teachings, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” As I read that powerful message, I see four distinct parts: 1. “If you”...are you willing to participate in the process of following? It all starts with our willingness to participate. 2. “follow MY teachings”…Jesus was very specific about what teachings we are to follow. 3. “you will know the truth”; Jesus was the perfect representative of God’s word in everything he said and did. John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He was full of grace and truth.” 4. “and the truth will set you free”… it is KNOWING GOD’S TRUTH that sets us free.”
And what did Jesus teach? He taught about loving and honoring God; loving our neighbor; forgiveness, mercy, grace, servant leadership, and the pathway to eternal life. Jesus was very specific in John 14:6; “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Is that exclusive? No…the invitation is open to all mankind. But the choice is ours.
Now that I have defined the “truth” I want to write about, let me share another truth with you. Ready? NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR THE TRUTH! And why is that? Because it is contrary to the way they have chosen to live their life. Remember the rich man that asked Jesus what he had to do enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Once he heard the sacrifice required, he turned and walked away. That same mindset exists today. If the truth becomes inconvenient and conflicts with a lifestyle, or perhaps an agenda, sometimes people walk away, or sometimes they begin the process of redefining or manipulating the truth.
Let’s look at our social climate today. In terms of Jesus’ teaching as outlined above, let’s compare that with the current anger and hatred of other people and other ideas; the name-calling and labeling; the finger-pointing; the lack of personal responsibility; the lying, cheating and stealing at all levels; the vilifying of achievement and success; the increasing sense of hopelessness; the decline of honor and integrity in our leadership and our pathetic acceptance of that as, “just the way it is today” by a culture that has been both numbed down and dumbed down! Then there is the constant bombardment by a liberal-progressive agenda that calls into question the fundamental principles on which our country was founded and shrouds moral and ethical questions with a hefty “grey area” thus permitting particular agendas to move forward by questioning the value, validity and cultural relevance of “the Truth” as outlined above. Think about it. What used to be revered and held as sacred is now mocked, ridiculed and vilified. What used to be tasteless, shameful, or even down-right disgusting is now center stage and basking in the spotlight.
For a specific example, let’s look at the sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. Those four words are not hard to understand. It’s even hard to misinterpret the intended meaning. So how does that Commandment line up with the supported view of abortion? Well, they begin by taking the emphasis off of “killing” and put it on the object of abortion. “Does life really begin at conception?” “When does it progress from a mass of cells to actually becoming a baby?” “Will this mass inside of me feel the abortion process?” The greater the “grey area” around the issue, the more room to redefine and manipulate the issue.
Since I believe our culture’s problem is a spiritual problem, I believe the answer can only be found in a spiritual awakening founded on the truth of God’s Word. But that will take an incredible commitment and more than a modicum of courage, because the unfortunate trend in many church communities today is to preach a message that “feels good”, but steers clear of the controversial issues that have contributed to our moral decay. In fact, some well-known preachers have spoken freely about the need for scriptures to be up-dated to be more culturally relevant. I can only refer to Matthew 24: 35; “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will endure forever.” It seems clear to me that God’s intention is for a culture to adapt to His Truth rather than His Truth being modified to accommodate a culture.
If you belong to a church community that preaches the full Gospel of Grace and has the commitment and courage to stand strong on the truth of God’s Word, consider yourself blessed. I am a member of Grace Church St. Louis and that church exemplifies the truth of the first sentence. I believe our culture is ready for – no, even desperate for – The Truth. That is why I am so proud to be part of that church family.
So the question frequently asked by our culture is, “What is truth?” It is interesting to note that was the same question Pilate, the Roman governor, asked Jesus. Jesus’ answer was, “I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” (John 18: 37) Acts 4:12 will put the period at the end of this posting. “There is salvation in no one else! (but Jesus) There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”
So my question to you is…have you accepted the truth of Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior?
May God Bless ya, and feel free to share this with other social media friends.
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
I applaud these bold statements. Doing Gods will may not be easy but the guidance is available to anyone who seeks to learn the way. I believe listening to that still small voice inside each of us helps.
Thank you, Wayne. I appreciate your support. We’re called to stand on the truth of God’s Word, even in hostile times.