Summoned By Jesus

Excerpts and paraphrase from GiveHim15, Dutch Sheet’s blog, 1/19/2024 (https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-19-2024)

A tactic used by satan and many on the left, is to mock and ridicule those with whom they disagree. The purpose of this is to try and silence them. This is one of many reasons we Christians must be confidently anchored in God’s unchanging truth, found in His Word. We must know what we believe, why we believe it, and stand steadfastly on it.

Beliefs regarding God, salvation, morality, marriage, family, gender, etc., are fluid to many people, making their spirits and souls foundation-less; for them, all truth is relative and, therefore, changing. Do not be intimidated or silenced by these misinformed/misguided people. Love and pray for them, but do not be intimidated or influenced by them. Stand for truth!

There is no greater teacher than God. He was Adam’s instructor in the ways of life. The Creator taught the created about creation, imparting portions of His own divine wisdom into the soul of Adam. Man’s understanding and logic originate in God. Our Creator never intended for us to function intellectually apart from His influence. We were never to be ‘independent thinkers,’ never to have independent knowledge. The reasoning process of our souls was not to be strictly human; it was always meant to have a supernatural element. Of course, the Fall changed this, but that was the plan.

Biblically speaking, truth isn’t just factual information; facts aren’t necessarily synonymous with truth. And knowledge in and of itself doesn’t lead to biblical truth. One can learn volumes of facts and information, yet completely miss the truth. Many highly educated people are skeptics, when it comes to believing in God and spiritual truth. Satan will even use facts, but his facts will never lead one to truth. In fact (pun intended), they can even lead to deception—a distortion of truth.

Biblically, truth means ‘the reality that existed in the original norm’; the reality lying at the basis or essence of something; true and genuine reality! With words such as reality, original, norm, and essence used to define truth, it becomes obvious that the Creator, God, is its Author. If truth is the ‘original norm,’ then there is an origin and an originator. There can be no truth without a creator. And if truth is defined by ‘norm or normal,’ then truth cannot be relative, always changing. It is absolute and unchanging, like its Creator, God.

Since fallen man doesn’t want a norm, a standard, an original, he must deny the existence of truth. But when the standard is denied, as when God and His absolute truth are denied, anarchy is inevitable; the bar is lowered to the point of insanity, and man can justify anything.

But truth does exist and can be summarized as the absolute standard found in God, from which all wisdom, logic, and knowledge proceed. It has always existed in God, and it never changes. Like God, it is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God-birthed truth— the only truth—was always intended to shape humankind’s perspective. This is critical because Jesus said knowing the truth would make us free (see John 8:32) and “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

<Me – So, yes we are to love others and ‘as much as possible’ be at peace with all men, but we are not to compromise the Word of God, truth, and exchange it for a lie. We need to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.)

Blessings