John 18:37
…for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.
Shadows of deceit, falsehood and duplicity fall across our land, our homes, and our souls. Everywhere there is a breakdown in honesty and it exacts a terrible toll upon us.
Jesus says something here that’s utterly fascinating. He says that His entire life was to bear witness to the truth. Of course, we don’t often think of this because we live in an age of relativism, skepticism and emotionalism. Warm, fuzzy feelings too often replace the sweet, precious purity of truth. Jesus would have none of this and our churches should bow their heads in shame that do not hold up doctrinal, systematic truth. Our Lord has previously said that he is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” He also has said that the truth will set you free. Too many of our churches dismiss such talk because they are carnal, given to the world, and far too lazy. We’d rather not think of things like truth because that invariably leads us to confront error and such clashes make us uncomfortable.
What is a disciple of Christ but a lover of truth? How can we call ourselves followers of Jesus if truth doesn’t concern us? How can we call ourselves disciples of Christ when it isn’t Christ himself that’s our guide but the shifting sands of emotion and worldly wisdom? Should we not be concerned with truth, over above not just error but also truth’s most sinister challenger – near-truth – than we’re on dangerous, dangerous ground. Perhaps we will hear someday, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” We must examine ourselves lest we are deceived.
Is this too harsh? Are you offended? Remember the hard sayings of Jesus throughout the gospels and remember the hordes that flocked to him for the food and health but abandoned him when he spoke of things that were hard to hear. Remember our Lord turning to the disciples and asking, “Will you abandon me too?” Peter replies, “And go where? You alone have the words of life.” Peter says, in sum, “The world hates the truth. The world loves the darkness of error. You alone speak the truth. I want you, not the world. I want truth, not merely the bread and the miracles.”
And what of it for us today? Do we say, “…ah, I’m about Jesus, not doctrine.” But we’ve just spoken doctrine – wrong doctrine. Jesus isn’t speaking only in the red letters, but all throughout the holy Scriptures.
Or, “…doctrine divides…I’m all about love.” Again, this is but wrong doctrine. How will we know what love is unless it’s revealed by God through his holy Scriptures? Are we so vain that we dare assume to judge good and evil, love and hate, sin and righteousness without His perfect counsel? Don’t we know that it’s exactly this sinful pride that has plunged the human race into death in the first place? If what the Bible says leads to ignorance or error and this is the Bible that Jesus speaks in, then throw it all away and go on with your life. It is all useless and we’re still dead in our sin. But the Scriptures are all God-breathed and profitable for every good work. Real doctrine is the systematic understanding of the Christian life, which is the life of love and gratitude for the grace given to us by God in Jesus.
Or do we say, “I’m too busy to study the Scriptures.” Really? We’re too busy to learn of the God of our soul? Are we so busy trying to lay our paws upon every earthly material blessing that we’ve no time for his Word? Are we so fixated upon the passing trifles of the temporal life that we’ll forfeit our eternal soul? The Scriptures are God speaking. Will we play God for a fool and claim His grace and then wander back into a life of spiritual apathy and deadness? “Oh, but I feel all Christian and cozy…so what if I never read the Bible or go to church to hear real teaching of the truth.” This is a dreadful error. Jesus commands us to love God with all of our minds, not merely our warm and fuzzy feelings. Grace is much more than a love ballad, it’s not a tear-jerker. It’s within the Scriptures. A Christian that has a cold heart for the Bible and the truth is like a wounded soldier trapped behind enemy lines.
If you’re cold to the truth, if the holy Word doesn’t set your heart on fire like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, then pray. God alone will do this for you. It’s a supernatural issue; our efforts won’t suffice. Sometimes we go through spiritual coldness to teach us discipline. Other times it’s because we need to learn to truly seek and rely on the Lord, not ourselves, our emotions and talents. Jesus is the truth – and the way and life. Ask and you’ll receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door to loving the truth in Scripture will be opened. Awake from your spiritual lethargy. Pray that the Spirit of God will renew your mind and grant you all wisdom to receive the truth.
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