I have been contemplating what my next letter to the editor would be focused on, and after much prayer and scripture reading, I decided I needed to write on the topic of truth.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." "Through him all things were made and without him nothing was made that has been made." (Jn. 1:1,3).
I point out these passages of scripture because they represent truth - God, the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us so that we could be free - free from sin and guilt and free to live as our creator made us to be. God's word, which is truth, gives freedom to all. This truth is being compromised everywhere we look today. Man can seemingly do whatever he wants to do as long as it is right for him. In essence, man has become his own god and thereby he has taken away the foundation by which he came to be. Allow me to share with you some of my own journey in discovering God's truth.
I sin against God more often than I care to admit. My desire is to obey him and live by his truth, but many times I fail. Thankfully, God's own Son took my sin upon himself and it is no longer mine to bear. Through God's grace I am free from my sin and guilt and I will live for eternity with the Lord. This freedom, however, does not mean that earthly discipline is taken away. Rather, "the Lord disciplines those he loves." (Heb. 12.6) Experiencing discipline and struggling through the consequences of our sins is what points us to the grace and mercy of a loving God. I rely on God's grace and mercy daily. When, if even for one minute, I doubt God's grace and mercy I struggle until my faith is strengthened. I cannot live without them.
Without discipline man ruins himself. Granted, I don't always enjoy discipline as I am sure you don't either. Discipline can hurt. Let me tell you, though, as I look back on my life and the discipline I received and still receive today I am thankful for the valuable lessons it taught and continues to teach me.
The truth of God will always be the truth of God and sometimes that truth hurts, but God speaks in love. Without truth we have no need for consequences and without consequences we have no need for grace and mercy and therefore no need for God. But man does need God. If you do not know this truth or if you do know it and do not believe it or do not live by it I urge you to please seek out someone who does - someone who can share with you the freedom they enjoy through Jesus Christ. This truth is the difference between life and death and it is the only reason for man's purpose and meaning in this life. Search for it now before it is too late. Seek and you shall find.
