Stand Strong in the Truth (5/7/12)

Shalom,

Please begin by reading Eph 1:13-14.

The implication of what you just read is that there's absolutely one truth, and also only one source of truth. Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" Many people have asked and continue to ask that question. Some have found the answer. Some have rejected the answer when they found it. There is only one absolutely reliable, totally secure, and eternally unchanging source for truth: Yahweh and his Word. If we'll remember this and stand strong in our belief, we'll prevail in the battle for the prominence over ideas. Our job isn't to convince other people of this truth, even though it's good for us to enter into worldview debates. Our task is to ensure that people know there is an ultimate truth, and seek to present it to them in the best way for them to hear it.

According to Paul's Holy Spirit inspired words, the Gospel is the "word of truth." This is the only truth that can bring us salvation. The Real Truth, which forms the foundation of all truth, is also the source from which all truth flows. Our Almighty God has given us exactly what we need to overcome the world in the battle for truth. When we're challenged to prove our point, we need to challenge right back. We have the Truth. It's those outside the Truth who must prove us wrong. We waste a lot of time being intimidated by skeptic's questions. We struggle trying to come up with answers to absurd questions from doubters. Our task is to be witnesses, people who tell what they've seen and heard. We can save ourselves a lot of anguish if we'll just report what we know or what we've experienced.

We live in a day when it's considered intolerant and divisive to say that there's only one true religion or path to salvation. To make that kind of statement invites an often violent response, sometimes even a harshly critical tirade. To call a group a cult or a false religion is frowned on. To call Islam an "evil religion," as Franklin Graham did, brings a storm of protest. But just because the majority doesn't believe we have the Truth doesn't alter the fact that Yahweh says only his Word is Truth. The matter of truth isn't determined by popular vote. A democratic majority can decide that something other than the Bible is truth, but that doesn't change its status in Yahweh's eyes. Insist on doubters and skeptics use the tolerance they demand from you as you express what you believe to be true.

A great problem within the Body of Christ is spelled out in Gal 1:6-7. "You are following a different Gospel that pretends to be the Good News." Different means foreign, false, a perversion. Yahweh considers any way of salvation other than the one he provided to be perverted. Anything other than salvation through Jesus is a pretender and is false. When any Christian begins to allow for "other" ways to Heaven, they've begun to accept false doctrine. The Bible clearly spells out that Jesus is the "once for all" sacrifice for our sins and the only means of being forgiven and set free.

Many people attempt to distort Yahweh's Word, some for their personal gain, others just because they're wicked, and some because they're deceived. In many churches today the Gospel is being retold and reinvented. It's become more of a fairy tale, leaning toward being nice and unoffensive. Too many have begun to tell a tale of universal salvation, where everyone will get saved. Some even proclaim that people will accept Jesus after they've spent some time in Hell. Gee, let me think about this. I have the chance to get out of the Lake of Fire, and I might decide to stay. Pretty ridiculous, right.

In some churches the life of Jesus is only taught as a good moral example. Salvation is offered without repentance, without lordship, and sometimes without even an acknowledgement of sin. Many people want to hear only about love and grace. They're upset when punishment or discipline is mentioned. Today some churches allow you to define the Gospel in whatever terms make you feel good. But that type of Gospel is no Gospel at all. In fact, we need to speak plainly and call it what it is: A LIE!

We're not to be tolerant of false teaching or to excuse it or to bypass it as basically harmless. We're to consider that kind of teaching or belief as worthy only of Yahweh's judgment. Yahweh won't tolerate a perverted Gospel, and neither should we. It's a matter of purity. We can't allow the false to taint the pure truth. We must be ready to stand and defend the Truth. Jesus made things very clear in Matt 12:30. "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."

According to a Barna Research survey American adults said truth is always relative to a person's situation by the following percentages: 64% to 22%. That means that most people are likely to make their moral and ethical decisions on the basis of whatever feels right or comfortable in a situation. Trusting our feelings over the solid Truth found in the Bible is dangerous. The survey mentioned that the Bible or religious teachings were the primary foundation for only 1/5th of Americans. Born-again Christians were statistically different from the general population, but the differences were minimal. A minority of Christians surveyed said that they believe in absolute truth.

Ravi Zacharias related the following story: "A few weeks ago, I did a lecture at Ohio State University. As I was being driven to the lecture, we passed the new Wexner Art Center. The driver said, 'This is a new art building for the university. It's a fascinating building designed in the post-modernist view of reality.' The building has no pattern. Staircases go nowhere. Pillars support nothing. The architect designed the building to reflect life. It went nowhere and was mindless and senseless. Ravi turned to the man describing it and said, 'Did they do the same thing with the foundation?' The driver laughed and said, 'You can't do that with a foundation.'"

You can get away with an odd infrastructure. You can get away with random thoughts that sound good in defense of a worldview that ultimately doesn't make sense. But once you start tampering with the foundations, you begin to see serious effects. Yet the foundations of our society are in danger because of that kind of tampering. The foundations of our popular culture don't provide coherent sets of answers, just more questions. Situational ethics doesn't bring consistency or stability. It always goes with what feels best at the time. Yahweh has set a solid foundation for us to stand on, and it will provide consistency and stability through all that life may bring us.

We need the Truth, the God-given absolute Truth. Our salvation is at stake. The world says there's some form of universal salvation, but Yahweh says no. Our spiritual growth is at stake. The world says any spiritual pursuit is valid, but Yahweh again says no. Christian Truth says Jesus is a historical person. Society and culture say he's a philosophy and only about mystical rituals. Our witness to the world needs to be strong to get them past the post-modern fairy tales about eternal life. If truth is relative, Yahweh is schizophrenic. Why would the Creator allow us, his creation, to decide what truth is? Yahweh has set forth that there is absolute Truth, and that he is the source of that Truth.

The true believers need to make a stand and do what's right and true, no matter what. We know our world is falling deeper and deeper under the spell of the devil and his lies. Satan is working his deception into the fabric of society in bolder and bolder ways. The only way for us to combat this is in prayer and by speaking the Truth boldly and clearly. We know America was founded on Christian principles and meant to stand as a beacon of hope and peace to the world. We can't let skeptics force their worldview on to the men who gave us our Constitution. We must stand against the rewriting of history. We're told Yahweh has no place in our government or in the public square. That's a huge lie and we must speak out against it.

Dutch Sheets said: "We have to hear from God because whoever controls the revelation controls the war." Revelation from our heavenly Father alone will give us the answers to the problems and the words to overcome the lies. Biblical principles are good to know, but direct instructions from the Holy Spirit are what will be more effective in touching our world. Study and know your Bible so you can speak well about your faith and Yahweh's Truth. But also be seeking the Spirit's guidance to handle the skeptics and doubters who refuse to accept the Bible as Truth.

According to Dan 7:25 Satan is trying to "wear down" the saints. This wearing down is mental and emotional. The root word means to fail, and is the root for the name "Belial." This is the spirit named in 2 Cor 6:15 when we're told how we can't have unity between Yahweh and the devil. People will purposely try to be annoying to get us to leave them alone. The devil will work to wear us down by the constant arguing and defiant refusal to listen to truth. Don't let the last word be "that's your truth." Make sure people know that you stand for "the Truth," the absolute and very real Truth of our Creator which was established with him before the beginning of time.

We have to be a people who stand strong for Yahweh's Truth. Don't allow others to make you doubt. Fill the air with the Truth of Yahweh and watch them fidget instead. We're greatly blessed to be led by the Spirit. Unbelievers have to depend on some very poor substitutes: their minds, their senses, or worldly wisdom.

Be a voice for Truth. Trust in the Holy Spirit's help. Speak out for your Lord and Savior. This is a task for all believers.

Blessings & Peace, Mike