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The World We Want?

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Girls just want to have fun, we are told. Raunchy comedians just want their tantalizing fantasies to give us a good time. Hollywood just wants to make a buck.  None of this will impact anybody.

Yet people, often these same people, also want to influence others. Sinful urges promotes a world where it can feast on whatever it desires without responsibility, yet it simultaneously can wield power to lessen the grip others have on godliness.

Can deniability of consequences and causality coexist in a world where we can effect social change, alter attitudes and coax consumers’ spending patterns? The flesh would have it both ways.

Yet, a recent scientific study, once again, shatters the illusion that ideas are inconsequential. What happens when people listen to another’s claim that behavior is nothing more than genetic programing?

Azim Shariff and Kathleen Vohs discovered, “We see signs that a lack of belief in free will may end up tearing social organization apart.”  In this Scientific American article focused on studying the impact of a belief in free will, they provide several reasons for their conclusion.  These included: “diminished belief in free will also seems to release urges to harm others” and “people whose free will beliefs had been weakened were less able to inhibit impulsive reactions during a computerized test of willpower” (Sci. Am., June, 2014: 78,79).

Although the flesh thrives upon ideas being both conveniently inconsequential and simultaneously influential, scripture never wavers. Ideas matter. They come in two forms: truth and lies.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:2).

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4: 22,23).

How can the Christian navigate their world?

  1. Your words make a difference. Speak the truth in love to those around you.
  1. Don’t buy into the lie that you are immune to digesting ungodly ideas. Today’s media choices influences tomorrow’s living.
  1. Focus your thoughts upon whatever is true, noble, godly, pure, right or admirable.

Jesus said his disciples should be like salt in the world. To fulfill our role, we must be the influence, not those who are being changed.

–by Barry Newton

A sermon on truth

“Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Have you ever noticed that a lot of sermons are preached on the subject of “truth?” Of course you have. And I’ve written several editorials on that subject in the past. I believe that the reason we hear sermons about “truth” and I know that the reason that I’ve written about it is because it’s very important to our salvation. Guess what, we’re going to look at it again today because of that importance.

And, talking about preachers and sermons, I’ve also noticed that many of them are delivered in the “standard three-point and a conclusion” format. If it’s good enough for preachers, then it’s good enough for me, so that’s how we’re going to consider this lesson today.

If you look up the definition of “truth” you’ll find that it means something like “a representation of things as they are.” That’s generally what Webster and Merriam and other dictionary writers say that it is. As far as our lesson today is concerned, the best definition is what Jesus says that it is: “Thy word is truth.”

I mentioned earlier how important “truth” is and I’ll back up that statement by citing a passage to you from 1 Tim. 2:4 where it says: “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” That simply tells me that “truth” is necessary for salvation and that makes it pretty important, doesn’t it? And, backing that up, Peter says that we “purify” our “souls by obeying the truth…” (1Pet. 1:22)

OK, let’s get to our three-point lesson and it’s going to come to you in the form of three messengers, their messages and the results of their efforts. Following that, we’ll draw a conclusion and see if I can produce a scriptural lesson that, hopefully, will benefit us.

Our first point and our first messenger is none other than Noah, identified by Peter as being a “preacher of righteousness.” (2Pet. 2:5) When we read the 6th chapter of Genesis we see that Noah lived in a wicked and evil world. A world so bad that God says that “it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth…” and that He was “grieved in His heart” over this situation. (Gen. 6:6)

But, in the midst of all this evilness, we find that Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (6:8) This shows us that there had to be knowledge of God and His “truth” in the world at that time, it’s just that Noah and his family were the only ones believing in that “truth” and obedient to it.

So, what did Noah “preach” to the world around him? He did so by doing the same thing we are supposed to be doing today. He showed his faith, his belief in God’s “truth” by doing what God said for him to do. He built an ark, exactly how God said to build it and while the construction was taking place he “preached” to all of those who watched and heard him all those years spent in it’s building.

The results of his “preaching” was the saving of himself and his family when the deluge came and everyone else perished. I just wonder how many people must have seen and listened to Noah during those many years and rejected his teaching. Who had the opportunity to believe and change their ways. To believe the “truth” right in front of them and refused to do so.

My second messenger is another famous Biblical preacher by the name of Jonah. He was sent by God on a mission to “preach” the “truth” to the city of Ninevah. The Bible says that it was a “great city” but that it was also a very wicked city. God wanted the people living there to repent of their evil ways and save themselves from being destroyed.

Of course, Jonah wasn’t keen on doing this at first and tried to avoid the mission and, well you all know the story, God had a special way of persuading him to do his duty and it worked. He got to Ninevah and immediately began preaching (Jonah 3:4) the “word of the Lord.” At this point I want to remind you of the thought that we started with? – that God’s word is “truth” and then we’ll look at the results of Jonah’s preaching.

Did his message work?” Absolutely! The whole city repented and turned from evil and guess what happened then? God “repented” from His plan to destroy the city. Here’s my next question: What saved them? Answer – they heard the “truth,” believed it, repented from their evil ways and were saved. Don’t you think that if Noah’s “congregation” had believed his preaching they would have been like the “congregation” at Ninevah – SAVED? I do.

Now for our 3rd point and messenger. That, of course, will be Jesus Christ and His preaching to the Jews. To say Jesus was a preacher doesn’t adequately describe the scenario of what took place. He was the living, breathing, walking, talking visible example of God and His Word. He was the long-promised and long-awaited Messiah. He was God’s “Truth” in the flesh.

The results of His “preaching” to the “congregation” of the Jews can be summed up in the sad epilogue found in John 1:ll, “He came unto His own and His own received Him not.” Why didn’t they receive Him? One of the reasons is told us in John 9:29 where we find Jesus performing a miracle by healing a blind man and the Jews still not believing Him. They said, “We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is.”

Don’t you find that revealing? That they could believe in Moses, whom they hadn’t seen and yet not believe in Jesus who had just proven that He was from God by His miracle. Here’s why I think this was so with the Jews. To believe in Moses and the other prophets of their past didn’t require any repentance or change of ways on their part. But, to believe in Jesus would require them to make some changes and they weren’t willing to do that. Jesus was preaching a “truth” that they refused to believe. They rejected the actual “Truth.”

What a sad footnote is seen regarding their lack of faith in Jesus’ comments as He lamented over the city of Jerusalem. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not. See, your house is left to you desolate. For you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt. 23:37-39)

Now, as promised, the conclusion. Who is the messenger today? If you said, “The Church” you’re absolutely correct. And, who is the Church? Right again – Us. Proof of this conclusion is found in Eph. 3:10-11: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are to continue the preaching of Noah, of Jonah, of Jesus Christ to a wicked and evil world. We do this by showing the world the evidence of our belief, our faith, by doing as God’s Word (The Truth) tells us to do. And by doing so, we might have influence on whatever little part of the world is ours, with the result that souls will be “sanctified” by the “Truth.”

Respectfully submitted,

Ron Covey

Why Am I Afraid of Truth?

 Martha and Mary urged the Lord to check on their brother’s welfare (John 11:3). Instead, Jesus tarried for two more days before leaving for Bethany (11:6) to check on his ailing friend.


When He finally did arrive on the scene, Lazarus had been “grave-yard dead” for four days (11:39).

 

 The Lord made His way to the tomb where Lazarus had been buried. He asked that the stone be rolled aside and then shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!” (11:43).


Scripture records wondrously, “And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth…” (11:44).

 

 Some of those who witnessed this awesome scene reported the event to the Pharisees (11:46). What is striking to me is that even the avowed enemies of Jesus admitted His miraculous works. They pondered, “…What shall we do? For this Man works many signs” (11:47).


Did you catch that? The truth of the resurrection was so self-evident and undeniable that even those who hated Him couldn’t deny what He had done.

 

 What is especially telling to me is the fear and concern that the Pharisees experienced. They said, “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation” (11:48), so they conspired to murder Him (11:53).


Let that rattle around in your brain for a while. Why would folks want to kill a Man with the ability to raise the dead?! Why were the Pharisees afraid of Jesus–the embodiment of truth? The answer to these questions also explains why many people fear truth today.


1. Truth threatened their POWER base. The Pharisees said, “If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him…” These men realized that if folks kept seeing what Jesus could do and hear His message then they would forsake their oversight and follow the Lord.

 

 2. Truth exposed their ERROR and SIN. “…From that day on they plotted to put Him to death” (11:53). If there had been no corruption within the Jewish leadership of the day, they would have welcomed Jesus as the Promised One. One of the reasons the Pharisees rejected the Truth was because they were living in a state of unrepentant sin. These “religious” men had murder in their hearts! Had they been living within the will of God they would have had no reason to fight against what the Lord taught and practiced.

 

 3. Truth threatened the STATUS QUO. “…The Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” The Jews were afraid that the excitement from the news of Lazarus’ resurrection would incur Rome’s heavy hand down upon them and lead to the loss of what national life still remained in their possession. They weren’t ready or willing to change. Note the phrase, “…Our place…”


Good reader, how do you feel when truth of Jesus Christ is taught and practiced? When the preacher urges you to die to self and “walk in newness of life” (e.g., resurrection– Rom. 6:3-4), do you get upset? Do you feel threatened? Are you worried that your sin may be discovered? Do you feel the need to fight and keep things “as they are”?


Give it some thought.


–by Mike Benson