 |
|
An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
|
"In Search of Truth" What
is truth? Is
truth relative? Is
it that which seems right to each individual?
Or, is there an objective source of truth? What
is the truth of the matter? The
Scriptures warn:
“There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death" (Proverbs
14:12). Certainly,
all would agree with this statement; it is true!
Sometimes a person can be sure that he is right
– that he knows the truth about a given situation
– yet, in the end he may find out that he is wrong.
Therefore, truth cannot be established based
upon what "seems"
right to an individual. God’s
word informs us that not only does a body of truth
exist but also that truth may be found! How
can we find truth? First,
we must LOOK TO the
right source.
Even nature
alone does not reveal truth in its entirety; nature
does not tell us who God is nor does it inform us of
His will for our lives.
Jesus, in His prayer to His Heavenly
Father, said, “Your word is
truth” (John 17:17).
If we will study God’s word openly, honestly,
and carefully, we will find that it is THE truth.
God has revealed truth through His word. Secondly,
we must LONG FOR (search
for) the truth.
A group of people called the Bereans provide a
worthy example. "These
[the Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word [which
the Apostle Paul preached] with all readiness, and
searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether
these things were so" (Acts 17:11).
The Bereans did not simply accept what the
Apostle Paul preached without question; they examined
Paul’s words in light of what the Scriptures stated.
We, too, must not accept someone’s teaching
as truth until we find that it is consistent with the
Scriptures. Thirdly,
we must LOVE the
truth.
The Apostle Paul wrote of some who were
perishing “because they did not receive the love of
the truth, that they might be saved” (2
Thessalonians 2:10).
If we do not love the truth, we are susceptible
to believing lies (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:11). Finally,
we must desire to LIVE
the
truth.
Jesus said, "If
anyone wants to DO
His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine,
whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own
authority" (John 7:17).
Only if we desire to live the truth will we
ever learn the truth. As
we apply these principles to our lives, we find that
in regard to our salvation from sin, we must believe
in Jesus, repent of our sins, confess His name before
men, and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the
remission of our sins. Don’t
take my word for it!
Study these Scriptures and see for yourself:
Acts 2:1-47; 8:26-40; 16:25-34; Romans
10:9-10. Jesus
said, "And you shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free"
(John 8:32). Have
you found the truth? May God bless you in your search for truth!
David A. Sargent,
Minister To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchsearch.org Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org |