Alternative View - October 19, 2017
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - (John 1:1)
We often complain about what unbelievers do. And in 2 Chronicles 15, we see that the Israelites did not seek the true God. That was their first problem, and it is our problem in our nation as well. The second problem Israel faced, which led to their decay, was a lack of teaching priests. Again, the text doesn’t say there were no priests at all. But the priests had stopped teaching the truth. They had traded enlightenment for entertainment. Worship had degenerated into a social club. The church was no longer the epicenter of all life and conscience of the culture, calling people to take God seriously.
Israel was suffering from an absence of spiritual leaders who took seriously the authority of Scripture for all of life. Too often today, pastors preach to please. They fear that someone might say, “Well, I didn’t like that sermon.” But if the pastor preached God’s Word, that’s the wrong response.The issue is whether it was true, not whether it was popular. Politicians need to be popular. Preachers need to tell the truth.
The issue of truth is all-important. The lack of truth leads to a “conscienceless” society. People become anesthetized in their conscience, losing their sense of right and wrong. In such a society every person becomes a law unto himself or herself, so chaos rules.
Yet in a world where everybody’s truth is true and everyone’s answers are right, no- body’s truth is true and no one’s answers end up being right. When a society loses truth, it loses meaning, because people are never really sure about anything.
There’s only one standard of truth: the changeless word of the one, true God.
Reflection: What alternate standards of truth vie for your attention? Why is God’s Word important to the Christian life? How can we keep our hearts focused on the truth of God’s Word?
All truth comes from You, Lord. Your Word is the standard by which all is to be measured. I praise You and thank You for Your Word and for the ability You have given each of us to know You and to understand Your teaching.
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