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8. Christian Truth
Concerning Jesus Christ
Christian truth is a "wonderful message." Christian fact concerns Jesus Christ. This beautiful message is "Truth" and means "being faithful to a standard like the Ten Commandments, being in accord with a fact or a reality, or even authenticity" in a modern sense. Truth slices through religious and moral confusion but is unfortunately warped by our contemporary consumer society, even by some Christians and Churches. ✞
Fake Truth
The only thing more dangerous than fake news is fake truth. As Justin P. McBrayer puts it, "the world is swimming in misinformation." Some people prefer fake truth or their own perceived version of the truth rather than Christian or Biblical truth. Fake news lines up with what we are supposed to believe in conformity with our society's standards and politically correct norms. Some people say, for example, that murder is wrong, but to murder an unborn child in an abortion is not. On the contrary, Christians find their truth, not in the accepted norms of society but God's Word, the Bible. ✞
Moral Confusion
It is exciting at any age to be gripped by the power of the Christian Gospel. Jesus says about Christian truth in John 8.32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." "Truth" sanctifies or makes holy the believer, according to John 17.17, where Jesus prays for his disciples and says, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is the truth" or, "Sanctify them to live by the truth." Our call from God is to adopt Biblical standards in our lives and live by them no matter the consequences. Christian truth strengthens Christians and holds them together. Ephesians 6.14 states, "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place." Truth also establishes us in the Christian Faith. Saint Peter in 2 Peter 1.12 writes, "So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and God has established the truth you now have." God established Christians in truth and the Word of God. The fact should not hurt others but, we are encouraged to "speak the truth in love" as in Ephesians 4.15 where Paul writes, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." ✞
Guide Examine Obey
We are guided and led by the Spirit of truth, according to John 16.13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will only speak what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." Furthermore, we are examined by the truth in Psalm 51.6, as the New Century Version translates it, "You want me to be completely truthful, so teach me wisdom." We are purified when we obey the truth. According to 1 Peter 1.22, "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart." Some early manuscripts read "love one another deeply, from a pure heart." ✞
Rejoice Share
According to 1 Corinthians 13.6, we are to rejoice in the truth, for "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." Furthermore, we should share God's truth freely and widely as in 1 Thessalonians 1.8, "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it." ✞
Global Conscience
The late Dr. John Stott (1921-2011), an eminent English Christian author and leader, saw evangelism from a broad perspective. He wrote, "We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God." Dr. Charles Price, the Senior Pastor of People's Church Toronto, further defines evangelism and the TV program "Living Truth." Incidentally, he studied at the same Bible Training Institute in Glasgow that I did. He writes that evangelism is "A committed Christian sent by a guiding God to a seeking soul." An old Church Army definition adds beautifully, "People are wonderful, Jesus is wonderful, and bringing them together is most wonderful of all." ✞
"Christian Truth"
by Ron Meacock © 2021
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