Meditations in the Time of the Virus

Truth

We hear the phrases. “My truth”; “your truth”; “truth to power”; and pretty soon truth becomes relative.  That is the sad reality about our disagreements and arguments, that truth becomes relative way too quickly and then our disagreements are simply different sides asserting "their truth" at the other.  Even more sadly, that is not rare in human history; and once we go down that road it hard to come back.  I’ve noticed something.  We humans appear to be stubborn. 
 
There is a whole different idea and standard of truth.  It has been there all along; and it is still there no matter how often we ignore it.  This is the Truth that God has spoken.  He has His own ideas, His own opinions, His own sense of what is right and good.  And He is not taking sides in our disagreements.
 
Truth comes in the Word of God.  He speaks and it is.  It just is.  So God says, “Let there be light;” and there is light.  God says, “Let us make man in Our Image;” and we are formed in the image of God.  That kind of truth is absolute.  It isn’t just unchanging; it causes what it says.  The creation has to conform to the words that come out of the mouth of God.
 
There were challenges to the truth.  The devil said, “You will not surely die …”  Eve saw that the fruit looked good, and ate.  Adam ate and then blamed God, “The woman You put here …”  But the Truth that God speaks cannot be set aside.  It reasserts itself, “dust you are and to dust shall you return.”  And we ended up living on the wrong side of truth.  When you read or hear the 10 Commandments, realize that they are not just commands; they are Truth spoken by God.
 
The Jewish people had a saying. “When Messiah comes He will write the Law new.”  That was the hope God spoke through Jeremiah, “ … the days are coming … when I will make a new covenant …. I will put My law within them and I will write it on their hearts. …” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Jesus came into the world.  He began to preach.  And He started His Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are … .“ Nine times over Jesus spoke the Word. (Matthew 5:3-12) “Blessed are …” He says, and the creation has to conform to the words that come out of the mouth of God.
 
Jesus brings Truth and in His words He begins to rewrite the entire creation.  Jesus IS the Truth and in His saving work he becomes the restart of God’s creation and His kingdom.  This Sunday we will hear Jesus’ words, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6)   Everything comes together in Him.
 
When Paul talks about Jesus being obedient “to the point of death even death on a cross” and then says “Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and … at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow”. Philippians 2:8-11) this is because Jesus IS the Truth.  He is the beginning, the foundation, and the restarting of the new creation.  He is the pattern for the entire world to come, and God the Father desires that every one of His people should “be conformed to the image of His Son”. (Romans 8:29)
 
The resurrection of Jesus is the truth that changes everything about our existence.  Who we are is Christians, connected to the one who defeated death.  What our future is, is to share Jesus’ life and His blessings forever.  The forming of our soul and inner being is this, “When He appears we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)
 
Lord Jesus, call me to know You, and in knowing You to find the Truth that is eternal.  Be to me the eternal Truth that dispels my doubts and errors.  Be the unchanging Truth that changes everything about me.  Be the glorious Truth that I may see Your glory. And lead me more deeply into the Truth of Your Word that I may know You ever more fully.  Amen.

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