How Important is Truth?
I am the Way, the Truth,, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father except by Me.
50 odd years ago there was a church in I think the city of Indianapolis called the Peoples Temple. The minister there was a gifted and charismatic preacher, hugely popular, endorsed and recommended by some very important and influential people including congressmen and senators and J Edgar Hoover himself (of FBI fame).
The people of his congregation were ordinary people like you and me, searching for a spiritual home in which to worship and bring their families.
One such person presented to the minister one day some concerns over a particular doctrinal matter. It appeared to the parishioner that the minister’s teaching differed somewhat from the Bible and the church member was asking for an explanation. The minister’s response was something along these lines: “Don’t worry about that, what is really important is people. Here in our church we believe that loving one another is more important than a few doctrines. Love is what we are about here.”
The minister’s name was the Rev. Jim Jones. Most of the 900 members of his congregation died in Guyana after a mass suicide from drinking poisoned cool-ade.
Folks, truth is important.
20 years ago I shared my faith with my brother-in-law. For 3 hours we poured over the scriptures, which brought answers to his every objection to my faith. Not long after he went overseas with his family chasing a dream. He returned 10 years later penniless, the dream unrealised, in debt, and blind. Yet stubbornly cleaving to the dream.
Folks, truth is important.
20 years ago an uncle and aunty of mine came to stay with us for a while. They witnessed our lifestyle, heard our prayers, saw what God had done for and in us. Within a few weeks of leaving my uncle had a heart attack and died.
Folks, truth is important.
18 years ago I was discussing doctrinal differences with my Christian employer. He agreed that my and my churches’ understanding of scripture made sense and was biblically consistent. Two weeks later he had a heart attack right in front of me, and despite over two hours of CPR , he died.
Folks, truth is important.
12 years ago I was invited by a neighbour to participate in a series of Bible studies at their home, based on the well known and popular ‘40 days of purpose’ by Rick Warren. Early on I noticed some teachings of Warren’s with which I disagreed. I prepared a bible study and shared this with my hosts on another evening. He and his wife both agreed with my view, but asked that I not bring it up with the other participants, saying “what is important is people, let us just love one another”. Sound familiar? One month after the end of the series, my neighbour had a heart attack, and died.
Folks, truth is important.
Apart from perhaps the Jim Jones saga, I am not suggesting in any way that those deaths were a result of rejecting truth. The point I wish to stress in this thread is two-fold. One, we must embrace truth to it’s absolute fullest while we can-for we do not know what tomorrow may bring. Not only in respect to our mortality here on earth, but also in respect to the soon coming of our Saviour to bring an end to this sin-sick world. Second point is by way of a challenge. How important to you is truth? Have you received a love of the truth, such a love that falsehood has become offensive to you? Such a love that a lie becomes an abomination? Do you love truth as an eternal principle, or do you love that which you believe to be true. There is a huge difference between loving TRUTH, as a principle of life, and loving the doctrine, practice, or tradition you currently believe in, thinking it to be true. Because unless you love TRUTH, your doctrine which you hold so dear could very well be a lie. ( 2Thess. 2:10-12.)
This is a salvation issue folks. The doctrines I was discussing with those now deceased were important. They are hotly debated on these forums every day. Let me state unequivocally, that if the weight of scriptural evidence is not in your favour with respect to any particular doctrine, you are wrong not to at least investigate the possibility that you could be in error. And if on concluding your investigation the weight of evidence still stands against you, then you are wrong if you do not accept and adopt a different stance.
British philosopher W.K.Clifford once said,” It is always wrong, everywhere and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”
Folks, truth is important. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You reject truth, you reject the author and foundation of truth. Unless you are sincerely and honestly willing to give up any current belief if the scriptures so direct, then you do not love truth, and the very real danger there is, as Paul warns in 2 Thess., you will accept a lie, even the antichrist himself.
How important is Truth?
It is the Cornerstone of the church. It is the Foundation upon which rests everything we build. It is the Rock which is immoveable and supports our faith. It is the Vine through which we are fed. It is the Bread which nourishes us and sanctifies us.
TRUTH. Embrace it. Love it. Cleave to it.
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Regards
Brakelite.
