One of the myriad of things I miss about having my wife CJ with me now is her joyful personality! CJ enjoyed just about everybody, and they enjoyed being around her. I benefited from being with her all the time. Because people loved her and were comfortable around her, they also seemed to be more comfortable around me as well. Now, since my personality isn’t as outgoing and social as hers, I have to work a lot harder at those relationships, something I don’t naturally enjoy. Something else I noticed about CJ and her friendships: they included folks of every political persuasion, every economic station in life, and even many different expression of faith or even no faith at all. And as we would talk to those folks, I noticed that that they all wanted pretty much the same things for their family and friends, and deep down certainly preferred that we could all get along and live in peace. So, why is it today that we are so anxious, stressed, divided, forced to see each other as opposing camps of belief, and reduced to labels that we can dismiss as “those people” who are always wrong and don’t deserve our respect?
I certainly don’t have the wisdom to answer those questions completely, and looking at the chaos of our culture, nobody else does either! But I do think one of the keys to our dilemma is the answer to the question “What is your source of Truth?” Most people would answer that question today by saying their truth comes from major news or cable networks, pundits, educational elites, scientists, “fact checkers”, and God forbid, Facebook or Twitter! We are told to follow one political party or another, or one system of finance such as capitalism or socialism, and on and on. And, because our choice is “true and right”, everybody else is now wrong, evil, and not to be trusted!
Well, we Christians ought to know better, but we too often fall into those same traps above. Let me suggest an idea that should be obvious, but is missed even in the Christian community today:
God is our source, and only source, of life and Truth!! There are many “resources” around us, and God may use some of them, but God is our only Source.
The Bible teaches that God created the universe from nothing, and created us on earth as the crowning achievement of his creation, made in his very image. We were designed to live with him and love him and enjoy a wonderful relationship with him and each other, forever. It also says that God is infinitely smarter and wiser than we are (go figure!):
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
Jesus, God come to earth in human flesh, told us:
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the Truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7 (ESV)
God also gave us a written instruction manual, called the Bible today. It was inspired by God, and tells us how he relates to us in the past, present, and in the future, and how we are to live in relation to him and each other. The Bible has the power to expose our hearts and motives, showing us where we need to repent and turn back to him for restoration and peace. Hebrews 4:12 says,12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
So, what does this mean for our culture of “fake news” and “misinformation” today? It means that God’s thoughts and ways are the only real truth. Everything else is just human opinion, and where it differs with God’s truth, it is false. It means our first source for truth should be God and his Word, not politicians, pundits, professors, doctors, media, entertainers, or even your favorite local pastor. So, READ YOUR BIBLE DAILY! That’s not to say that all human ideas are wrong or bad. Some are better than others, and some are evil and destructive. That’s one reason why free speech is a blessing is this country. And this present trend of “cancel culture” and censorship is dangerous for us all. If all human ideas are less than God’s ideas, and some are good or bad, we need to hear all sides in order to discern the best ideas and those closest to God’s ideas, which bring hope and peace. Plus, historically, whenever there is an effort to control speech (like the Nazis or Communists, for example), one of the first books banned is the Bible. Why? – because God’s truth is antithetical to any movement to control and manipulate people into a path leading to evil and destruction.
I want to leave you with two major thoughts in this struggle for truth today. (Yeah, they’re just my thoughts, but I think they are Biblical as well!)
1) WE ARE NOT EACH OTHER’S ENEMY!
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
We are barraged daily with deceptive lies that our battle is conservative vs. progressive, Republican vs. Democrat, black vs. while, poor vs. rich, America vs. China or Russia, and on and on. The Bible says we are in a much deeper spiritual battle, beyond what we can see, that affects us on every level and dictates how we see all these divisive issue today. This battle is a battle for our very souls, and is between God and Satan, who is a powerful but fallen and evil angel that God allows, temporarily, to manipulate and control this sinful world and us. The Bible clearly teaches that Satan wants to kill us all, physically and spiritually, and that he is the father of lies. (He must have been a politician at some point- just kidding!) This means that the “systems” of this world, politics, education, and everything else, including our thoughts, are under the influence of Satan. That is where this conflict, hatred, confusion, and division come from.
It’s interesting that Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Russian Communist party, used the term “useful idiots” to describe his youthful, energetic followers in the west who wanted to promote Communism in America and Europe. I’m sure they sincerely thought these ideas were good and would create a better society, but Lenin probably already knew better and just wanted power, control and domination and was fine with the idea of using these “idiots” to get what he wanted. In today’s culture, I fear we Christians can sometime unknowingly become “useful idiots” for Satan when we fall into these camps of hatred, division, and accusation. I am guilty of that myself from time to time. We Christians need to remember who we belong to and that Jesus wants to give us the power and wisdom to effectively be his ambassadors in this dark, broken and struggling world.
2) CHOOSE TODAY WHO YOU WILL BELIEVE AND SERVE!
The Bible makes it clear that the ultimate battle is not all the ones we hear about daily, but the one between God and Satan, God’s Kingdom verses Satan’s rebellion. Make no mistake about it, God has already won this battle when Jesus defeated Satan and death on the cross. Satan, his demons, and all humans who refuse the free gift of grace and salvation through Jesus, will all be banned from God’s future Kingdom and spend eternity separated from God in Hell. All of this division, hatred, rancor, mistrust, anxiety and fear we see today are all Satan’s distractions to keep us away from God and his forgiveness, redemption, and power to be transformed and live as we were intended to live!
The Bible has numerous passages that describe the gulf between these 2 opposing views of life, but let me share one of the best from Galatians 5. Here the word “flesh” doesn’t mean our bodies, because God created them to be wonderful, originally. Here “flesh” refers to the sinful state and thought pattern of sinful human beings, often presented as evil power in opposition to God’s Spirit. Read this passage and decide which way you would rather live. I think the choice is obvious!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. – Galatians 5:13-26 (ESV)
Jesus’ Kingdom is sometimes described as the “upside-down Kingdom”, because it is opposite to the values of today’s world. We read daily of people who want control, power, money, and domination, and will use any means and hurt anybody to get it. Jesus calls us be like him: humble, gentle, forgiving, a self-sacrificing servant leader, putting others’ interests above our own, offering God’s mercy (not getting what we DO deserve) and God’s grace (getting his salvation, new life, and eternal life in the Kingdom, that we DON’T deserve!).
There are times since CJ died that I look at this world and grow weary of the daily headlines, day after day, of the same hatred, divisions, blame for the “other side”, and blood-thirst for power and control at any cost. Sometimes I long to take the easy way out and just die in my sleep and join CJ in Gods’ Kingdom in the next phase, free of the sin of this world, basking in the light, beauty, power and love of God’s presence forever. But then God seems to give me a “spiritual slap up-side the head” to remind me of why I’m still here. It’s not for me; Jesus has already rescued me from sin, forgiven me, and given me a place in his eternal Kingdom! No, I’m here to serve him and try to show others the amazing option of accepting God’s gift of forgiveness and new life in his Kingdom forever, where there will be a new Heaven and Earth and we will have new bodies that will never get sick or die.
Jesus said,
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? – Mark 8:35-37 (ESV)
Christian friends, it’s time we stopped playing by this world’s rules of power, control, and death. Jesus has rescued us from this world, and we will live forever with him on a new earth, restored to the way it was meant to be, and even better. We have nothing to fear from this world, and nothing to lose. We will never die! So, will you join me in trying my best to live like Jesus, being humble, gentle, self-sacrificing, putting other’s needs above our own, praying for those who wish us evil, and loving our perceived enemies? And most of all, telling them about Jesus, the God-man who loved them so much that he died for them, so that they can have new life? This strategy has changed the world for 2000 years, and it can again today. Will you join me in being part of Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom? Our broken, fearful world really needs to hear from us, and that’s why we are here!