I Was Just Thinking About – Fact-Checking.
Politics can become an arena of viciousness and falsehood. It seems as though truth can be ignored and assertions made with little or no substantiation. It is not only in the area of politics where truthfulness is a major concern. The Christian Religion and the self-proclaimed Church of Jesus Christ also has instances where truth is fractured and trampled upon.
In Ephesians 4:11-17, there is a declaration of how the true Church of Jesus Christ is to function. The factual instruction is clear and basic: There are apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers whose task is to equip the saints for useful and constructive ministry. A reason is given verses 14-15, “so that we may no longer be tossed about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, SPEAKING THE TRUTH in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is The Head, into Jesus Christ.”
The devotional writer, Joseph Stowell, was using the text of John 14:6, where Jesus stated: “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to The Father except through me.” He went on to write: “Recently, I read a disturbing quote from a pastor of a large church in California. He said: I used to believe that we should ask Muslims to accept Christ as their Savior. But I don’t believe that any more. I’ve sensed the presence of God with Muslims, and I’ve come to believe that it’s wrong to try to talk them into becoming Christians. I don’t know why he changed his mind, but caving in on what Jesus has clearly said, is a betrayal of Jesus Himself. Jesus came to make a way to God by removing the one barrier that blocks everyone’s path to God—the barrier of sin. This meant that He had to die in our place to pay the price of sin. Without His sacrifice, there is no other way. Let’s face it; if there were other ways to God, then He didn’t need to die. It’s ludicrous to believe that His Father would send Him through the agony of the cross if it were only another religious option. To deny that He is the way is to deny Jesus.”
Truth is so basic to who the professing Christian is that Jesus Christ prayed to the Father in their behalf (John 17:17), “Sanctify them in truth; Your Word is truth.” The Psalmist prayed (Psalm 86:11), “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”
A generation ago, Francis Schaeffer warned: “Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.” Is it factually possible that we have arrived at that day where and when truth has died?
Prayerfully – Consider these things with me.
Politics can become an arena of viciousness and falsehood. It seems as though truth can be ignored and assertions made with little or no substantiation. It is not only in the area of politics where truthfulness is a major concern. The Christian Religion and the self-proclaimed Church of Jesus Christ also has instances where truth is fractured and trampled upon.
In Ephesians 4:11-17, there is a declaration of how the true Church of Jesus Christ is to function. The factual instruction is clear and basic: There are apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers whose task is to equip the saints for useful and constructive ministry. A reason is given verses 14-15, “so that we may no longer be tossed about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, SPEAKING THE TRUTH in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is The Head, into Jesus Christ.”
The devotional writer, Joseph Stowell, was using the text of John 14:6, where Jesus stated: “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life. No one comes to The Father except through me.” He went on to write: “Recently, I read a disturbing quote from a pastor of a large church in California. He said: I used to believe that we should ask Muslims to accept Christ as their Savior. But I don’t believe that any more. I’ve sensed the presence of God with Muslims, and I’ve come to believe that it’s wrong to try to talk them into becoming Christians. I don’t know why he changed his mind, but caving in on what Jesus has clearly said, is a betrayal of Jesus Himself. Jesus came to make a way to God by removing the one barrier that blocks everyone’s path to God—the barrier of sin. This meant that He had to die in our place to pay the price of sin. Without His sacrifice, there is no other way. Let’s face it; if there were other ways to God, then He didn’t need to die. It’s ludicrous to believe that His Father would send Him through the agony of the cross if it were only another religious option. To deny that He is the way is to deny Jesus.”
Truth is so basic to who the professing Christian is that Jesus Christ prayed to the Father in their behalf (John 17:17), “Sanctify them in truth; Your Word is truth.” The Psalmist prayed (Psalm 86:11), “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”
A generation ago, Francis Schaeffer warned: “Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes. When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died.” Is it factually possible that we have arrived at that day where and when truth has died?
Prayerfully – Consider these things with me.
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