Title: Bits and Pieces of Truth
What is Truth
Your Ideology, True or False, Part One
Jesus said, For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?'” (John 18:37-38)
Pilate asked the question that is often asked today, "What is truth?" So many, proclaiming what they perceive as truth. All driven by the familiar phrases, "I think," "I believe," or the real truth, "My two cents." No organization, group, or belief system can proclaim a life guiding truth made up from their own point of view. Here is why. No motorcycle club can race through a 65 mph speed zone running 90 mph, thinking it's ok, because it is hard to detected them on the radar. That is a false-hood, an idea some bikers would like to believe. No inmate in a correctional facility can decide what is contraband, the overseers of the facility decide what is contraband. No one can choose to live a lifestyle based on personal opinion, preference, or self-delusion and expect their Creator (Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:16) to be pleased with them. That is the heart if idolatry, the very ideology of Satan, which got him cast out of heaven.
For example: Let us consider an extreme lifestyle that led to barbaric acts that all us would agree would anger God, Human Sacrifices. The Bible and world history records a very sad fact, human sacrifices offered for some reason or another. The Rev. Samuel Burder (Oriental Literature) listed thirteen nationalities that offered human sacrifices, Egyptians, Arabians, Romans, and ten others. In the Bible you read of several occasions were the idolatrous Israelites offered up human sacrifices. God says this about His people who followed the examples of the Phoenician, who sacrificed their own children, "They [His people] have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal - something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter My mind." (Jeremiah 19:5) That sad fact is, the thirteen nationalities written about by Rev. Burder and idolatrous Israel felt they were in the right and were doing a good thing for the people in their nation they lived in. The people of God in the Bible did a barbaric act, sacrificing their children because they did not think it worthwhile to seek the whole counsel of God's Word, nor obey His commands.
There a people today who proclaim opinions, they desire their own preferences and love to serve the god of self-delusion rather than seek the whole counsel of God's Word. Paul writes about these people in 2 Timothy, "....[people who] are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:4) They are "...always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." "...They are men of depraved minds..." (2 Timothy 3:7-8) God surrender's these people over to the desires of their own hearts, they are overcome with different kids of sin which are listed in Romans 1:18-32, Galatians 5:19-20, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Just as the Israelites, in the Old Testament rejected the truths of God, people today reject the truths in the Word of God. Being influenced by false teachers who delude the minds of those who do not love the Lord, nor live for the Christ who died for them.
Are you like Pilate, drawing question about truth?
What is Truth
Part Two
Jesus said, "...for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.” (John 18:37) The "truth" (ἀëÞèåéá alḗtheia): "What is true in itself, purity from all error or falsehood..." Absolute truth is given to those who hunger and thirst for the Lord's righteousness.
The Bible gives all of mankind stern warnings, "The heart is deceitful above all things..." (Jeremiah 17:9) "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25)
We live in a day were people are questioning Biblical truth. Jesus made a statement that gives all a clear direction for life, "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6) John, in his Gospel used the Greek word Logos as a title for Jesus, "God's revelation" for mankind. (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament)
In the Farrier Trade (the art of shoeing horses) there are absolute truths. These truths are learnt from horseman of the past, given to horseman of the present and passed on to the horseman of the future. All horseman know: 1.) A horse's foot lands to height. 2.) A horse's foot flies to weight and 3.) A Horse's leg must have the proper line of support. No matter what task the horse is asked to do, racing, working cattle, jumping, etc. - avoiding these truths will certainly lead to the horse becoming lame, making it ineffective to perform at its peak level and possibly crippling the animal for the rest of its life..
There are three absolute truths to sound Christology: 1.) God the Father, (John 6:12) 2.) God the Son (John 14:9-11) 3.) God the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:11). The only way to God, is through the Son, Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) Salvation is found in no other Name, Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12) "...If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ [the Holy Spirit] they do not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:9)
Jesus said, "...everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice." To Jesus, truth in not merely some intellectual concept of correct teachings, it involves life-oriented integrity that please the God who created mankind. Many can quote the Bible, speak religious precepts and tell others what Jesus said, yet they lack Biblical integrity in life. "Listen to My voice" means to hear, giving attention, causing one to strive for obedience to God's Word.
The Psalmist wrote, "All Your commands are true." (Psalm 119:151) "All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal." (Psalm 119:160) The Gospel of John tells us, "...whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly what they have done has been done in the sight of God." (John 3:21)
People with a false ideology use as their resources, teachings outside of God's Word, often quoting celebrities, politicians, or studies not based on absolute truth. Born again Christians strive to live by true ideology, their philosophy of life is birthed from, guided by and substantiated by the whole counsel of God's written Word.
Each person has an ideology, does yours move you to live a life of integrity before the Christ who died for all of mankind?
Choose This Day
The God You Will Serve
God has a clear choice for all who live in America, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers... or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) The heart of the Lord on this Scripture is the choice between true and false worship, following the indulgence of lust, our own ideas or the ideology of today. (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible) It must be understood, the appeal made through Joshua is rhetorical; from God's perspective there is only God, it is Him, no other god. (Psalm 1:1; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; John 1:1) Therefore, moving straight to the heart of mankind, if serving God is undesirable, choose this day between the Lord and the many man-made substitutions.
It has been well said, "A god is whatever gets your extra time, money and adoration." (unknown) While working in Kansas City, MO. I had the privilege to get to know a private detective. He always said, "You can always find out what is in a man by discovering were he spends his extra time, what he spends his extra money on and by noticing what he gives attention to." When people are off of work, what are the places they hang out in or were do they go, how much money do they spend while there and how much attention do they give to the cause they are investing in. Just as in the time of Joshua, there are prejudices and objection which keep people from wanting to live and walk in God's perfect will for them. There is a coolness and indifference toward service to the Lord, in comparison to the pleasures of self-indulgence and loving the world view.
God does not make anyone serve Him, His challenge, "Choose this day..." Just like you have the choice to do your work as unto the Lord, enjoying the benefits thereof. Or you can be a poor employee and suffer the long term consequences. Just like you can choose to drive, obeying the driving laws, enjoying trouble free from law enforcement. Or you can drive as you please, eventually suffering judicial chastisements. Just like a sky diver can choose to live under the natural law of gravity wearing a parachute when he jumps out of a plane. Or he can defy what he knows to be truth, jump out of a plane without a parachute, causing him and his family to suffer the eternal aftermath of his choice. You can choose to serve the Lord, live under His watchful providence. Or you can continue to live for the god (the substitute) you have chosen this day to serve.
The Bible says our lives are like living letters, known and read by all of mankind. (2 Corinthians 3:2) Everyone can see the God or what god we have chosen this day to live for.
Heard an absolute truth the other day - love requires sacrifice. - What are we sacrificing in order to serve the Lord, this day?
Let us pray!
