Tuesday, August 30, 2005

The Peoria Journal Star editorial staff wrote an editorial today about an individual who recently died. I didn't know the individual. I had never met him. I had never heard of him. If all the editorial board desired to do was pay tribute to the man, they failed. The writers could not seem to resist the preceived opportunity to take a potshot at Christians. In doing so, they made statements that need to be responded to.

But first without trying to be too critical of the individual, the editorial board emphasized this quote which they claim was spoken by him shortly before his death. "'Religoin is great so long as it is about love instead of trying to be about truth. At its best, religion is about love.'" I'm sorry to disagree with an individual who is not able to defend his comments if indeed they are from him. However, one can not have love without truth. Here is the Biblical reason why. I John 4: 16 says "And so we know and rely on the love GOD has for us. GOD is love. Whoever lives in love lives in GOD, and GOD in him." The first truth we know from this passage is "GOD is love." An equation (and I thought I would never use all the math I was taught) of that statement would be: GOD = love.

(John 8: 54-56) "JESUS replied, 'If I glorify MYSELF, MY glory means nothing. MY FATHER whom you claim as your GOD, is the ONE WHO glorifies ME. Though you do not know HIM, I know HIM. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know HIM and keep HIS word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing MY day; he saw it and was glad.'" If JESUS is the SON of GOD as HE claims and if GOD consists of GOD the FATHER, GOD the SON, and GOD the HOLY SPIRIT as most Christians believe and accept (here is where faith comes in), then to continue our equation; JESUS = GOD and JESUS = love.

(John 14: 6-7) "JESUS answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the FATHER except through ME. If you really knew ME, you would know MY FATHER as well. From now on, you do know HIM and have seen HIM.'" JESUS said HE is the truth. Thus, we have another equation: JESUS = truth. The conclusion mathmatically is JESUS = GOD = love = truth. The only logical conclusion if all statements are true (and they must be if JESUS is GOD) is that love and truth are inseparable because love = truth. You can not have love without truth. You can not have truth without love. You can not have love or truth without GOD and JESUS!

Here is another quote from the editorial in relation to truth. "Or will he (the deceased individual) think there are as many precious truths in the heavens as there are birds in the sky?" The Biblical answer is no! There is only one truth! GOD = JESUS = love = truth. I don't know what the deceased thought as far as that question is concerned. It seems likely that the editorial staff believes that there are many truths. The only true answer Biblically is that there is only one truth! The editorial board may not like that answer. The editorial board may not accept that answer. It is the only true answer! (I've got more to say. It's taking longer than I thought it would. Part 2 will be posted tomorrow. The LORD willing.)

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home