What is Truth?
“I am the way, the truth, the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
How many people believe in Jesus but ignore this statement which he made?
Most recently, I nearly had an altercation with someone dear to me who is a committed follower… of the Church. He believes in Jesus, and values religion. The Church, for him, holds the keys to his faith (if I understand him correctly).
Imperfect Church / Perfect Word
Where the Church does not bring people to a personal relationship with Jesus, the Church has failed. We who follow Jesus must have fellowship with one another and this fellowship is the church. But a problem arises if a denomination or a particular fellowship is prioritised above Jesus. If that happens, and it so often can, it reveals that we have lost the purpose behind the concept of the church and have lost sight of the chief cornerstone: Jesus.
Purposes of the church are to keep us accountable to one another, to fellowship as family, and to lift up GOD in corporate worship. But what do we do if we are confused or troubled or simply make a mistake?
How we keep on course
The rudder which keeps us on a true course is the Word of GOD: the Bible. The Bible encapsulates Jesus: who was, in the beginning, the Word “who became flesh.” (John 1:1, 14)
Everything we do, all we are and believe, points to Jesus. If not, we have missed the point!
Knowing the Word keeps us from error, or helps us toward correction when we make a mistake.
We must not compromise
“The word of GOD is living and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. .”(Hebrews 4: 11-12)
How reliable is experience?
All of us who have become born again have a testimony. This testimony is our authentic experience of discovering GOD, our developing our relationship with Him. It is true and powerful because it is uniquely ours and cannot be refuted. BUT as an experience, it is still not as reliable as the Word. And should anything in our walk with GOD or our experience of Him contradict scripture, it is possible we have been deceived. GOD does not change. He will not contradict His Word. The Word is our rudder.
The Bible is not only our rudder but also our anchor
We who are born again (John 3:3) grow through fellowship in the church, through prayer and praise, through our experiences and relationship to GOD, and through knowing His Word.
It is the Word which keeps us from stumbling, keeps us on course, and ensures we have a firm foundation. These sayings are merely cliches unless we are rooted and grounded in Jesus, who is the Word made flesh.
What is Truth?
Jesus is Truth.
Bless your reading and study of scripture. It will never fail you.
Shalom and GOD bless.