Challenging the Church - 2 Peter 2:2

2 Peter 2:2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find the letters at the end of the New Testament to be quite discouraging and void of anything positive. It makes me wonder what was happening during those times that made the Apostle Peter to sternly rebuke people in the Church. It’s almost as if Christianity had lost its direction and that the only way for it to be put back on the right course was to confront false leaders and challenge their ‘depraved conduct.’

Peter knew all about this because he had been guilty of the same things when he denied Jesus three times and swore vehemently that he never knew Him. It was a shameful act that Peter never forgot, so when he challenged false teachers for leading the people astray, he recognized the real damage that those fake leaders could wreak on the Young Church. It was a ministry that was necessary and like most of the other true disciples, it would cause him to be martyred.

As Christians, we are meant to exemplify all that is good about God and true about Christ. If we become influenced by false teachers and charlatans, we not only endanger our faith, but we also ruin the witness of the whole Church. Peter’s stark words challenged the counterfeit teachers of his day, but they are also a serious reminder for all of our churches to discern God’s truth and Christ’s way in our own world.

Application: Do Peter’s words challenge my beliefs? How do I discern God’s truth in the world?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the words of Peter may sting us today because we are sometimes guilty of obscuring the truth and going astray. Teach us clearly what Your Way is all about and help us to follow that path faithfully. In Your Holy Name, we ask for help and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is an early drawing by John called “Sleep on, Simon Peter.” If you would like to view a larger version, click here: Sleep.

What is Truth? - Psalm 34:12-13

Psalm 34:12-13 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. (NIV)

            Someone recently said that ‘Truth is not truth,’ which although it sounds totally absurd, it is actually a reflection of the times we live in. We all operate with our own perceptions of what is real and we color truth with what we want to believe. For instance, if you have two people standing at opposite ends of a chalk drawing of the number nine, one will declare it to be “9” while the other person sees it only as “6.” Both believe their perception to be absolutely correct and from where they are standing, both declarations are true. So long as both of them stay where they are, they will not even consider the other person’s viewpoint, even though it is just as valid. Only when one or both of them decide to look at things from the other side will they see the unbelievable truth: both of them are correct!

            Truth is something that is sacred in the eyes of God and, in the end, it is His perception that decides what is absolutely and eternally true. We may think differently from Him because God gives us the gift of free will, so we seem to believe that our experience in life is what really counts. However, our time on Earth is so short compared to God’s immortality. We last for only a moment, so how can we finitely contend against what God knows to be eternally true?

            To deliberately go against the truth is to live a lie and the Bible constantly tells us that lying is not good for our health, our souls, our community, and our faith. This is different from perception – a lie is something that is deliberately told to destroy the truth. For instance, if a third person comes up to the two others who are arguing over the 9 or 6 and stridently says that the number is actually ‘3,’ that would be a falsehood. If that person kept declaring it to be ‘3’ loudly and long enough to confuse the other two until they accepted his word, then all of them would be accepting a lie. In the 20^th century, Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot used this technique and brutally bullied their people into accepting lies which consequently caused the deaths of millions of people across the world. Liars make the worst kind of leaders because eventually they destroy themselves and the people perish under their control.

            As Christians, we are meant to be religious people who side with the Truth and contend against lies, especially when falsehoods disrupt, diminish, and destroy our communities. If we, of all people, accept and spread lies, then we are no longer servants of Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life – but have sadly become purveyors of our own prejudices and traders in untruth.

Point to ponder

How do I discern the truth? Am I guilty of passing on lies?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the gift of discernment so that we may honor You by seeking, knowing, and advancing the truth. Teach us that lies destroy our humanity and falsehoods can even wreck our faith. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Truth Has Perished - Jeremiah 7:28

Jeremiah 7:28 Therefore say to them, “This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.”

            Sometimes when I read the prophecies from the Old Testament, I feel as though those ancient words could have been written yesterday. It seems to be that we are experiencing the same kind of things that were going on in ancient Israel. I guess this also means that as a species, we never seem to learn much from the past.

            Honestly, when I read today’s chosen verse, I couldn’t help but think, “That’s us. That’s exactly where we are right now.” It didn’t comfort me at all and has only led me into thinking, “What’s my part in all of this? What can I do to make things change?” I certainly don’t want to become a Jeremiah, weeping and wailing about the mistakes and misfortunes of our nation; but at the same time, I don’t want be deluded or hide somewhere safe and comfortable until God sorts things out for Himself. If I did that, I would be serving myself and not God.

            As Christians, we are called to obey God and display the truth. It’s not an easy task because most of the world wants to do neither of those things. However, if we truly seek to serve Christ then unpopular things like truth and obedience have to play a central role in how we live our lives. There are supposedly more Christians in our nation than any other religions or faiths. Perhaps if we all honored truth and obedience, things would be much better for everyone, in our homes, schools, workplaces, churches, and country.

Questions for reflection

What truths are evident in our nation today? How can we serve God by faithfully dealing with those truths?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, life is never simple and living up to God’s truth is never easy. Open our hearts and minds to what is happening in our community, our country, and our world. Grant us the gift of discernment, as well as the hearts to follow through with service and obedience. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is an abstract drawing of John’s called ‘Way, Truth, and Life.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Truth.