The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 13:8,
"For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth."
Paul asks his readers to examine themselves, to test themselves to see if they are "in the faith", verse 5. As he does so he invites them to test him and his apostolic team to "discover" that they do not fail that test, verse 6. This forms the background for reflecting on making choices, for doing "what is wrong" versus doing "what is right", verse 7.
Paul then presents his clarion call for determining the difference based on what had driven him and his team: "we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth."
Truth seems in short supply, particularly in the culture of our day. Our culture is swiftly devolving into a morass where transcendent fundamental realities are rejected in favor of anything that comports with truth. And, sadly, many churches and denominations are riding on the backs of those who lead the way.
"For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth."
Paul asks his readers to examine themselves, to test themselves to see if they are "in the faith", verse 5. As he does so he invites them to test him and his apostolic team to "discover" that they do not fail that test, verse 6. This forms the background for reflecting on making choices, for doing "what is wrong" versus doing "what is right", verse 7.
Paul then presents his clarion call for determining the difference based on what had driven him and his team: "we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth."
Truth seems in short supply, particularly in the culture of our day. Our culture is swiftly devolving into a morass where transcendent fundamental realities are rejected in favor of anything that comports with truth. And, sadly, many churches and denominations are riding on the backs of those who lead the way.
How can anyone possibly follow Paul's lead when he says, "we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth"? As Pilate asked Jesus in his retort to him, "What is truth?" John 18:38.
Our Creator is well aware of the deceitful condition of the heart of man. And, out of his great love for us, he has provided everything we need in order to know absolute truth, and to know it absolutely. In Jesus' own prayer to the Father he said, "your word is truth." John 17:17. He also told his followers, "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Our Creator is well aware of the deceitful condition of the heart of man. And, out of his great love for us, he has provided everything we need in order to know absolute truth, and to know it absolutely. In Jesus' own prayer to the Father he said, "your word is truth." John 17:17. He also told his followers, "I am the way and the truth and the life." John 14:6.
We live in a day where we have a Supreme Court justice who cannot tell us what a woman is or when an individual "becomes" a person (when do the protections of the law apply?). We have people who pretend there are many genders and that we can be fluid between them all. We have churches who have no idea that God finds homosexuality detestable (Deuteronomy 18:22) and that no one can enter into the kingdom of God as a homosexual (1 Corinthians 6:9).
You get the drift... humanity is set adrift on falsehood. How wonderful our God provides us all we need to act according to truth. However, as pointed out above, only in Jesus Christ can we know truth, because he is truth. Only by knowing, reading, studying, immersing ourselves in the Scriptures can we know truth.
May we all find our way to Jesus Christ and avail ourselves of God's word today!
By the way, the next time someone tries to tell you there is no absolute truth, that we all have our "own truth", just ask them if that is an absolute truth. (I couldn't help myself...)
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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