Knowing God - John 18:38, 14:6

(fp)

Your Name is TRUTH

Lord, you are the way and my life.

Teach me your truth — and more of it — today.

What’s the hard or nagging truth that you know you’re called to embrace?

 

Pilate asked him, "What is truth?"

John 18:38

Jesus said, "I am the way,

and the truth, and the life.

John 14:6

 

When I was taught to do Bible Studies, I was taught to ask, "What do you think?"

 

It's good for people to be curious, but I've learned over the years that this is a deadly approach. "What do I think?" tends to give "my own personal opinion" much too much power.

 

When I'm honest, I need to admit that I'm sinful ... and opinionated. Like a typical kid, I tend to make decisions based on "I want" rather than "I ought." I tend to determine right, wrong, and truth based on my politics, my priorities, my philosophies, my desires, and my opinions -- and then I go in search of writers, scholars, and commentators who agree with me. In essence, my natural human tendency is for me to tell the Bible what it really says.

 

Now that just doesn't sound right, does it? But it's common ... and understandable. Indeed, that's how our world constantly trains us to be. We call it independent thinking or open-mindedness or self-actualization. But when we do it with scripture, it's creating God in our own image.

 

Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" And Jesus, in the course of his Gospels, made essentially two claims: 1) There is truth; 2) truth is knowable; and 3) it is found in him.

 

I cannot find the truth if I stand over the Biblical text and try to shape it. I can only find truth when I submit to the Word. Therefore, instead of "what do I think?", I prefer to ask people, "What does it say?" and "How does this call me, myself, and my worldly opinions to change?"

 

Indeed, here's a good question for today: What’s the hard or nagging truth that you know you’re called to embrace?

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants a God who looks

a whole lot better than me or you

(so let's not make him in our image)

---------------------------------
What truth am I called to embrace? Honestly, I don't want to write what it is. Or say it outloud.  That would be admitting it and require submitting to it.  I don't know if I can face admitting that I KNOW what the hard and nagging truth that I am called to embrace is and then not act on it. ignore it.  So - for now, I am going to continue to pretend that I am oblivious to it and keep my head in the sand. Keep my fists clenched (yes - again). And pretend pastor isn't trying to challenge us a little. Thank you.