Forever Living Truth

You need to do what is right for you . How many times have we heard this? This core cultural value has become a mantra, ever repeating the notion that truth changes from person to person, nation to nation, and  even era to era. Many people have have come to believe that they do in fact have their own truth to live by. We might even find ourselves beginning potentially controversial statements with the words "for me" to signal the version of truth that we are holding to. A quick, "you do you," can be added to assure others who hold a differing viewpoint that they are free to claim their own version of the truth. In so many ways we have been conditioned not to question this. In both subtle and direct ways we are pressured to accept that two contrary ideas can simultaneously be true, and that to call someone else’s truth into question is a form of intolerance.  The idea that truth changes depending on the person or the circumstance (relative truth) forms the foundation...

A recent poll tracked the various reasons that Christians give for not going to church. The top three reasons given were: 1.) They prefer to worship in other ways ; 2.) They don't really have a reason ; and 3.) They haven't found a church they like. Are these valid reasons for not being a part of a local church? How would you respond? How confident are you on answering this question? Is your response based on feelings or on scripture? to be a Christian is to be in community together.  Let me suggest three important reasons from scripture that show the responses above don't hold up: The Analogy of the Body Throughout the New Testament the analogy of the body used to describe the Church as a community: For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not ...

In recent months I've heard a lot of people talk about being on the right side of history when it comes to any number of social or political issues that tend to divide our nation. That certainly  seems  like a significant question. Yet there is an even greater question to be asking than this. You see, there is no way for us to currently know with certainty if our decisions will be on the right side of history. All we need to do to prove this is to look back at some of the ideas that once  seemed  right at the time, but now are recognized as absurd. Slavery once  seemed  right to many Americans. The Holocaust once  seemed  right to many Germans. The question that we need to be asking isn't are you on the right side of history, but rather, are you on the right side of Scripture.  The words of Scripture are timeless and true. They are like an anchor that can keep us from drifting towards all sorts of bad ideas that seem right at the time. The ke...