THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

John Chapter 14

I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE . . .

The Way:

As we traverse this world of sin we often stumble spiritually because we lose our way.  As followers of Jesus Christ our way should always be led. Too often we lead or look to others or other things to lead us in the way we feel we should go.  In many cases our motivations are good and we mean well but when we stray from being led by our Master, He ceases being our Master and something else supplants Him. It can be a social conscience, it can be a noble agenda but in all cases WE become the master and WE begin to choose the way.

It begins almost imperceptibly, let’s dedicate ourselves to this cause; our membership is waning, let’s try this; or this other thing.  The way of Christ is obedience.  If you will follow Him you are to pick up your cross, you are to put on your armor, you are to put on Jesus Christ. The path is clear but it conflicts with our human nature and many times our societal vacillations. 

When we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, we will continue to respond to the higher calling that is Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3: 13 & 14 ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

If your church is struggling, if your life is empty, you may have lost your first love. Dear Lord help us to evaluate our plans and schemes in the light of your Spirit. If our plans be outside of your WAY, give us the courage and conviction to put our feet on the path led by You.

The Truth:

What is truth?  A question asked of Jesus by Pilot, a learned man. This statement has been the mantra of many theologians and philosophers throughout the ages and could be the anthem of the modern tolerance movement. If truth cannot be demonstrated, then any statement of fact, beyond those that can be empirically proven, are arbitrary at best.

But if there is a truth, as the Christ claims there is, then this truth would be a powerful thing. This truth would define many more perceived truths to be untruths.  This truth would also constrain us to validate what we do, how we think and what we say in relationship to this truth. The truths of physics would force us to call a person a fool who says the window won’t break if I throw this rock against it. We know the truth is far different even though it has not been empirically proven in this instance.

Jesus claimed to be the truth and if that is so, then we are called to measure ourselves according to that truth. Not the most comfortable thought. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  Here’s a few of His commands courtesy of “Institute of Basic Life Principles”.

•Repent  •Follow Me   •Rejoice    •Let Your Light Shine  •Honor God’s Law   •Be Reconciled   •Do Not Lust   •Keep Your Word   •Go the Second Mile   •Love Your Enemies   •Be Perfect  •Practice Secret Disciplines  •Lay Up Treasures   •Seek God’s Kingdom •Judge Not (with exceptions)  •Do Not Cast Pearls  •Ask, Seek, Knock  •Do Unto Others  •Choose the Narrow Way  •Beware of False Prophets  •Pray for Laborers   •Be Wise as Serpents  •Fear Not  •Hear God’s Voice  •Take My Yoke  •Honor Your Parents   •Beware of Leaven (sin)  •Deny Yourself  •Despise Not Little Ones  •Go to Offenders  •Beware of Covetousness  •Forgive Offenders  •Honor Marriage  •Be a Servant  •Be a House of Prayer  •Ask in Faith  •Bring In the Poor  •Render to Caesar  •Love the Lord  •Love Your Neighbor  •Await My Return  •Be Born Again  •Keep My Commandments  •Watch and Pray  •Feed My Sheep  •Receive God’s Power  •Make Disciples

No wonder many of those who call themselves "Christian" deny that exclusive (as if there is another kind)basic truth exists. The list is not only impossible but overwhelming. When we lose our first love we become incapable of keeping His commands, even comprehending that such an endeavor would be possible.

We as Christ followers would say, “exactly”.  Jesus said that when He goes to the Father that He will send us a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) The Spirit causes us to be Born Again, born of the Spirit.  The Spirit creates in us a new perspective; a God perspective. Instead of running from good towards evil we now run from evil towards the good. When we read Romans Chapter 7 the incredible thing about Paul isn’t that he continues to struggle with sin and admits it, but that he does not want to sin.  God through the Spirit initiates a 180 degree perspective shift from evil to good.

When we no longer teach the TRUTH that God transforms individuals, via the New Birth, we lose the ability to see the things of the kingdom and to be part of the kingdom.  We are left to seek the Kingdom relying on our own strength and good works. We try to recreate God’s TRUTH by feeding the poor, and supporting the United Way.  The good we do no longer comes from our relationship with God and ultimately the power of the Holy Spirit, but the good we do becomes our god.  We become frustrated and ultimately give up.

The Life:

Once we have lost THE WAY and we no longer believe THE TRUTH how can we expect to have THE LIFE.  The Way, The Truth and The Life form a symbiotic relationship. If you lose your way you will never find the truth and if you can’t find the truth because you don’t know the way you will not attain the life. 

If you need an operation to save your life and you have directions to the hospital but you are not familiar with the streets and you get lost, you will die.  If you need an operation to save your life and you know the streets quite well and someone gives you un true directions, you will not be able to find the hospital and you will die.  Knowing the streets and having truthful directions will get you to the hospital and you will live.

Why are so many of our church pews and souls empty today. We have chosen a more enlightened way, we no longer stand for the truth and the result is we are lost and cannot find the life.

Blood, Guts, Death and the Winter Blahs

Blood, Guts, Death and the Winter Blahs

Isaiah 60: 17-22

¹⁷ Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron.  Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones.  I will make peace your governor and well-being your ruler.
¹⁸ No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
²⁰ Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.
²¹ Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever.  They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.
²² The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation.  I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Winter blahs? An unbeliever once told me that Christian music is depressing, all they sing about is sin, blood and death. The crucifixion, blood atonement, sin estrangement, these are fundamental truths of the faith but are they our hope?  I suppose so in a sense, but I would propose that they are more like truths than hopes. The truths are the foundation of the conversion experience and are never to be minimized or forgotten but as with everything, once experienced we must move into further revelation.

Hebrews 6:17-19 ¹⁷Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ and nothing less. We were redeemed to dwell in heavenly places. Titus 3:7  So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. If the joy of the Lord is our strength it may be time we begin to stretch our spiritual muscles.

We are Christ’s workmanship, created for good works in Christ. Our hope should be reflected in our countenance and our daily walk.  We are not those who have no hope, we have the only hope for the world. Why do we hide our hope under a bushel? What are we so worried about?

In John 17 we see that Jesus is not of this world – we are not of this world, yet we affirm that Christ’s home is heaven and don’t see it that way for ourselves.

If it is possible

Philippians 1

"If it be possible, let this cup pass", we pray if it be possible don't demand ALL of me, let me keep some.  Some of the things that bind me to the world are my fears and insecurities. I trust in the things of this world more than I trust God. 

When we are "all in" with God we look to Him and His promises for our security. We look less and less to the things of this world. Our initial declaration, “You are Lord” is a denial of self and a reliance on Him. Does the Holy Spirit cause this to happen instantaneously? No, this is precisely what sanctification is; the process of Christ becoming the Lord of our life. 

Jesus concluded His prayer with, not my will but your will be done".  I on the other hand rarely truly conclude my prayers that way.  How can we crucify the world to ourselves and us to the world (Gal. 6:14) when we are so tightly bound to this world by our fears, insecurities and desires. I feel that I have released most of who I am to Christ but I still envision the tentacles of the world grabbing and clinging to me and I know this holds me back from all I could be. 

“He who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it”.  Notice two things, God initiated the good work and God completes the good work. We can claim until our face falls off that Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives but I am afraid that will not be fully a reality until we are on the other side. A more accurate statement is, Jesus Christ, by His mercy and grace, is becoming the Lord of my life.

What pitiful weak wretches we are. Spiritually speaking, we are as dependent on our Lord as a new born.  But what about spiritual maturity? When we are truly mature we realize how truly weak and helpless we are.

 Lord take the words from my mouth and put them in my heart.