The Preservation of the Truth
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him. And you have seen him.”
-John 14:6-7
The Great End of the Church for the month of December is “The Preservation of the Truth”. These Great Ends are guiding principles for the church. Our world has become increasingly polarized and divided. Much of this has to do with discerning what is the truth. As Christians, we hold the truth of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully human, the Messiah, Savior and Lord of all creation as foundational to our faith. We believe that it is through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved. This is the truth upon which we stand.
In a time when relativity prevails it can be frustrating to attempt to speak the truth to one another. We are constantly fed conflicting information as “truth” which can lead to discernment burnout. Some people refuse to hear the truth and choose to hold on to lies. Others have no interest in finding universal truths, but look to personal opinion as “this is true for me”.
Ephesians 4:15-16 states, “we will speak the truth in love. So we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body. He makes the whole body grow and build itself up in love. Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together.”
As a church, the body of Christ, we are called to “speak the truth in love”. This phrase was written in the context of resolving conflict with fellow believers in Ephesus, but it has universal application. When we see someone promoting falsehood, we can speak the truth in a loving way. We can share what we have learned in a way that builds up rather than tears down. How is God calling us to focus on what is true as a church? How is God calling us to speak the truth in love?
This past Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent, as we look to the birth of Jesus, may we encounter Christ as the way, the truth and the life. In my sermon we shared a responsive prayer, “Hope is the Rope”. The text of that prayer is below.
“HOPE IS THE ROPE”
When we feel lost, HOPE IS THE ROPE, helping us find our way home.
When things are beyond our control, HOPE IS THE ROPE, keeping us secure.
In the darkness of the night, HOPE IS THE ROPE, giving us something to hold on to.
When we feel alone, HOPE IS THE ROPE, with strands that bind us together, helping us comfort and strengthen one another.
Thank You, God, for the gift of hope. Amen.
