I look forward to the end of this current election cycle. Wait, isn’t it a bit early to be talking about this? Not in today’s 24/7 uninterrupted, always-connected world. I love the ability to vote and to participate in government, but I do get tired of the relative lack of truth. The attacks, lies, and outright slander are tiresome. And it comes from every side of the political aisle.
How can you be sure something is true? If it’s on TV, does that make it true? (Shudder…) If it’s on the Internet, does that make it true? (Horrors…) Does it matter if something is proclaimed by a Republican, Democrat, or Independent? It should, but there’s plenty of truth-trimming on every side.
How would you rate the following sources in terms of being true and trustworthy?
Always true/reliable? Hmm… The truth is out there somewhere, but how can you be sure?
How about spiritual truth? Is the Bible true, really, and if so, is it enough? God’s Word is under attack more than ever today. Many say, “Enough with the Bible. It’s old. It’s outdated. It’s not relevant. And, are we even sure that it’s true? The stories, the teaching, the message? Jesus as man has a ring of truth to it, but Jesus as God? God’s Son? Virgin birth, crucifixion, resurrection, God’s Son as sacrifice for sin? What kind of God/truth is that?” Pilate’s question still rings out across two millennia – “What is truth?”
Toward the end of his life, in the mid-60s AD, the Apostle Peter took pen in hand, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote two letters which are recorded and preserved for us in the Bible. The first encourages Christians in the midst of persecution by an unbelieving world – very relevant. His second letter encourages Christians in the midst of another kind of persecution, this from within the church – false teachers and their teachings.
Peter appeals to his readers, “Don’t be led astray by these storytellers and revisionists. You have the truth. You know the truth. ‘We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.’” (2 Peter 1:16) In other words, “Don’t let anyone convince you that Jesus Christ, while true man, is something less than true God. He is both God and man.”
Peter offers firsthand evidence, something we certainly can’t claim. But he, as do all the Biblical writers, points to God’s Word as the only source of absolute truth. His final words: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
Such knowledge is found only in the Word. And frankly, it will be only by the grace and knowledge of Jesus that I/we make it through yet another mud-filled news cycle, let alone the election season of 2022.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
How can you be sure something is true? If it’s on TV, does that make it true? (Shudder…) If it’s on the Internet, does that make it true? (Horrors…) Does it matter if something is proclaimed by a Republican, Democrat, or Independent? It should, but there’s plenty of truth-trimming on every side.
How would you rate the following sources in terms of being true and trustworthy?
- Wikipedia.
- Politicians.
- A 5-year-old.
- Government agencies.
- Preachers – online, local, TV
- Science.
- Snopes.com.
- The flat earth society.
- The media including news outlets, commentators, bloggers; i.e., FOX/CNN/MSNBC/ABC/NBC/CBS/Wall Street Journal/New York Times/ad nauseum…
Always true/reliable? Hmm… The truth is out there somewhere, but how can you be sure?
How about spiritual truth? Is the Bible true, really, and if so, is it enough? God’s Word is under attack more than ever today. Many say, “Enough with the Bible. It’s old. It’s outdated. It’s not relevant. And, are we even sure that it’s true? The stories, the teaching, the message? Jesus as man has a ring of truth to it, but Jesus as God? God’s Son? Virgin birth, crucifixion, resurrection, God’s Son as sacrifice for sin? What kind of God/truth is that?” Pilate’s question still rings out across two millennia – “What is truth?”
Toward the end of his life, in the mid-60s AD, the Apostle Peter took pen in hand, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote two letters which are recorded and preserved for us in the Bible. The first encourages Christians in the midst of persecution by an unbelieving world – very relevant. His second letter encourages Christians in the midst of another kind of persecution, this from within the church – false teachers and their teachings.
Peter appeals to his readers, “Don’t be led astray by these storytellers and revisionists. You have the truth. You know the truth. ‘We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.’” (2 Peter 1:16) In other words, “Don’t let anyone convince you that Jesus Christ, while true man, is something less than true God. He is both God and man.”
Peter offers firsthand evidence, something we certainly can’t claim. But he, as do all the Biblical writers, points to God’s Word as the only source of absolute truth. His final words: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
Such knowledge is found only in the Word. And frankly, it will be only by the grace and knowledge of Jesus that I/we make it through yet another mud-filled news cycle, let alone the election season of 2022.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
RSS Feed
