“I
still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When
the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will
not speak on His own but will speak whatever He hears, and He will declare to
you the things that are to come.” John 16:12-13
“Every
kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin, and every city or house
divided against itself will not stand.” Matthew 12:25
“They
speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people
who have just escaped from those who live in error.” 2 Peter 2:18
Even
while so many celebrate “diversity”, it is still a strange thing that those who
consider themselves devout Christians can be so radically different in their
beliefs and practices from others who also believe and act completely
differently; especially when John records Jesus as teaching that the “Spirit
… will guide you into all the truth”. One cannot help but to
wonder exactly what “truth” Jesus (or John) is referring to.
We
live in a culture that has completely redefined “morality”, and we witness far
too many churches actually following that lead and offering its own stamp of
approval ostensibly in the name of that same Truth. Adultery has
completely redefined the marriage covenant, abortion has been virtually
celebrated as a basic human right, and homosexuality is lifted up as a way of
living (yet we typically blame them for attempting to redefine marriage).
Withholding the tithe from the Church has been deemed “ok” by the many who have
bought into a false notion of prosperity, and even attendance of and
participation in worship has been declared unnecessary by the many who claim to
be “spiritual but not religious” (whatever that means). We blaspheme the
Holy Name in the name of “divine grace” because it suits our personal purposes
and individual desires; and when we do not get our own way, we “blame” the Lord
for ignoring us, for not being our personal genie, for not popping out of the
bottle whenever we summon Him. Ultimately we reject the authority of
Scripture and the Church when these do not go along with what we desire for
ourselves. And when we don’t like “this” preacher’s truth, we seek “that”
preacher whose truth aligns with our own. In other words, we do not seek
to learn; we only want to affirm what we think we already know.
I
do think we all seek “truth”, but I also think we confuse “relative truth” with
“fact”; that is, what we can physically see. In this, then, we have
forgotten that the Truth to which our Lord refers is not “truth” (or fact)
which can be seen with our eyes or even understood with human minds. We
pit the Truth of the Old Testament against the Truth of the New Testament by
way of “old truth” vs. “new truth”; and in so doing, we create for ourselves a
new “god” whose name is Jesus and whom we lift above the One whom Jesus Himself
calls “Father”.
The
“Truth” to which Jesus refers is not something that pops into our heads as we
are driving down the road. This “Truth” cannot be imparted to us while we
are “multi-tasking” our many burdens and responsibilities and are essentially
distracted. The Eternal Truth to which Jesus refers will come only to
those who “diligently” seek by casting aside all else. This does not mean
we walk away from our responsibilities, but it does mean selfishly making time
to spend only with our Lord in solitude just as we should set aside regular
“date nights” for our spouses to reconnect in that necessary, intimate
relationship. Sometimes when we are too busy with life, we are distracted
from that which really matters and which has enduring value beyond the moment.
Let
us make time for our Lord in solitude. Let us rediscover and reclaim what
“Sabbath” really means. In this, then, let us discover Truth. His
Truth … and no other.
Blessings,
Michael
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