Bruce's Blessing
PASSING IT ON: Speaking Truthfully
Dear Church Family and Friends,
We are in week two of the “Passing It On” mini-series. Last week we focused on “Living Graciously”, and next week we will end with “Leaving a Legacy.” This week we will consider “Speaking Truthfully.”
What does it mean to speak truthfully? Before we can answer that question, we must examine what is TRUTH.
On the night before Jesus was crucified, He was brought before the Roman governor Pilate. A conversation ensued, and Pilate asked why Jesus was there. In other words, what was His purpose? His response in John 18:37b was; "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the TRUTH. Everyone on the side of TRUTH listens to me." (Emphasis is mine)
This Sunday we will consider truth and what it means. And we will consider what our role is in speaking truthfully.
Blessings,
Bruce
Dear Church Family and Friends,
We are in week two of the “Passing It On” mini-series. Last week we focused on “Living Graciously”, and next week we will end with “Leaving a Legacy.” This week we will consider “Speaking Truthfully.”
What does it mean to speak truthfully? Before we can answer that question, we must examine what is TRUTH.
- The culture around us says you make up your own truth. The culture would say that truth is what works for you or truth is how you feel.
- Or maybe truth is what the masses determine. Truth is consensus. It’s found in the passed legislation, opinion polls and surveys.
- And finally, there are those who believe there is no truth. Truth is just a lie.
On the night before Jesus was crucified, He was brought before the Roman governor Pilate. A conversation ensued, and Pilate asked why Jesus was there. In other words, what was His purpose? His response in John 18:37b was; "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the TRUTH. Everyone on the side of TRUTH listens to me." (Emphasis is mine)
This Sunday we will consider truth and what it means. And we will consider what our role is in speaking truthfully.
Blessings,
Bruce
Speaking Truthfully
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS TRUTH?
Personal story about truth. When my brother and I were in elementary school, we would sit outside at night here on the mountain and look at the stars. Our conversation was all about what was up there. Were we looking at stars or planets? Was there life our there? How far away was everything? We had this intuitive interest in knowing and understanding something that was way outside of our understanding. I believe we, as little boys, were seeking truth.
In the social media post, I noted some ways we define truth. The culture around us says you make up your own truth. The culture would say that truth is what works for you or truth is how you feel. Or maybe truth is what the masses determine. Truth is consensus. It’s found in the democratic process through passed legislation, or in opinion polls and surveys. And finally, there are those who believe there is no truth. Truth is just a lie.
But is any of this true? Is truth really just what we decide it should be?
IS TRUTH SOMETHING WE MAKE UP?
Do we, as a human race actually believe that truth is relative? I mean… We believe in the reality of our day-to-day activities. What time do you need to be at work or school on Monday? When is that biology test? Did you fill up your car gas tank yesterday? We believe in SCIENCE and that it reveals truth. We trust that the sun will come up every morning and set every night. We trust that gravity will keep us planted on the ground. We believe in history and that we actually live in a country named the United States and that it has a representative government. And that we get to vote for those that represent us. We actually believe in TRUTH when it’s based on science or history or day-to-day life. What’s true for you is also true for me.
MY TRUTH AND YOUR TRUTH
When the topic changes to moral values and ethics or to religion, we often change what’s meant by truth. Christianity may be true for me, but you may think that what it says is foolishness. The moral absolutes of the Bible may be good for me but you may think they are outdated and don’t apply to the modern world.
WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT TRUTH?
As a Christian, my first reaction to a challenging topic is to seek God’s perspective. Let’s look at John 18:33-40. These verses describe a part of Jesus’ trial before He was crucified on a Roman cross. This was the 6th and last stage of an overnight trial mostly held in secrecy by the Jewish high priest and 70-member council. These religious leaders had condemned Jesus to death on religious grounds. But only the Roman government could grant the death penalty. So the religious leaders placed Jesus in front of the Roman governor Pilate and charged Him with treason and rebellion. Pilate knew immediately that Jesus was innocent. But he was afraid of a backlash from the people if he freed Jesus. He passed Jesus off to Herod Agrippa, the Roman ruler of Galilee. Herod wanted nothing to do with Him. So he passed Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate solved his dilemma by executing Jesus. Pilate’s self-interest was stronger than his sense of truth.
Read John 18:33-40
DEFINE TRUTH
Philosophers use the concept of “The Correspondence Theory of Truth.” A statement is true if it matches up with reality. This is common sense. When you describe in words how the world actually is. Webster’s 1828 dictionary mirrors “The Correspondence Theory of Truth.” And it adds: Conformity of words to thoughts, which is called moral truth. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament defines the word TRUTH that Jesus spoke in the John verses as: The manifested, veritable (authentic, absolute and genuine), essence of a matter. But it goes much further. The meaning is not merely ethical truth, but truth in all its fullness and scope, as embodied in Jesus. Jesus was the perfect expression of truth. Could it be that there is actually an objective truth that is written on our hearts? And could it be that we have a desire to seek truth because of this?
TRUTH IS SELF-EVIDENT
It’s written on our hearts. Read Romans 2:14-15. "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." The law referred to here is the truth of God’s Word. And the Bible assumes that objective truth is written on our hearts. For instance, when the 9th Commandment says, “Thou shalt not lie.” It assumes its readers know that one should tell the truth.
Dr. Shawn McDowell has been writing and speaking on truth for years, along with his Dad, Josh McDowell. The senior McDowell has been in ministry for over 50 years. Dr. Shawn McDowell talks about the best way to tell if someone believes there is a moral code is: Not by what that persons says and does. It’s by the way that person wants to be treated. Everyone wants to be treated as if morality is an objective feature of the universe. CS Lewis said; “If there’s no such thing as objective morality, try cutting in front of someone in line.” People may disagree about what is the “right thing.” But we all agree that there is a “right thing.”
HOW CAN ONE KNOW TRUTH?
Good reads: More Than a Carpenter, Evidence Demands a Verdict, Mere Christianity, What Would You Say.org
Finding truth is a process. Read the Bible, do Bible studies, and ask lot of questions. Let the stories in Scripture resonate with your heart.
Look at the evidence. We have an awesome book written by both Josh and Shawn McDowell that you can pickup for free right in the lobby. “More Than a Carpenter.” Since its original publication in 1977, this book has sold over 15 million copies. And if you want to dig deeper, they have authored another book titled “Evidence That Demands a Verdict.” For those that really want a deep dive, read C.S. Lewis classic book “Mere Christianity.” It will blow your mind. And here’s another great resource: What Would You Say.org. It’s a biblically based website that takes on the current issues of the day and filters them through a lens of a Christian worldview. Short videos that help you understand and defend your faith.
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE
July 28 was the 190th anniversary of the death of the great British legislator and abolitionist, William Wilberforce in 1833. Just three day earlier, the British Parliament had passed the Slavery Abolition Act that outlawed slavery throughout the British colonies. It is estimated that more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa and even Canada were set free. At the time of his death, newspapers around the world proclaimed Wilberforce “as pure and virtuous a man as ever lived.”
And here’s “The Rest of the Story” as the late radio newscaster Paul Harvey was fond of saying. Prior to the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act, William Wilberforce endured close to 40 years of incredible opposition and hostility. England benefitted both economically and militarily from the transatlantic slave trade. And during the war with France, abolitionists were accused of sedition (treason). In a private letter, the legendary naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson wrote that he would launch his “…voice against the damnable and cursed doctrines of Wilberforce and his hypocritical allies. In fact, one of Wilberforce’s most vocal opponents was a slave trader named George Hibbert, who was a fellow congregant at his church. Wilberforce spent most of his life in a fiercely unpopular crusade to abolish slavery. It cost him politically. It consumed his health.
Wilberforce knew the truth and he lived his life based upon that truth.
DECEPTION
As I noted earlier, the truth of the world and the truth of God proclaim totally different realities. But when I look at the truth the world proclaims, I’m baffled. How could anyone believe that enslaving and torturing people because their skin color could, by any understanding of truth, be acceptable? We look back at this dreadful time in our history and say it will never happen again. And here’s a current truth, according to a 2022 United Nations report, there are 50 million people in the world in slavery today.
How could this happen when: We are all created in the image of God. As man and as woman, we are equal. Our lives have intrinsic value. And God, our Creator loves us. And what God created is good. Why do we rebel against God? Why are we not content with how our Creator made us?
I may be baffled, but God is not. God knows our horrible sinful human nature. And the devil, Satan (the father of lies), plays on that nature with deception.
Read John 8:44-47.
JOHN NEWTON
John Newton was an Anglican priest in 1772 when he penned the words to the classic hymn Amazing Grace. But his past reveals some powerful truths. You see, Newton began his career in the slave industry. He was the captain of slave ships, transporting human beings from Africa to other countries to be sold. He trafficked human souls. His rebellious spirit lead him astray for many years. But somewhere along his horrid life journey, his heart was transformed by the power of the Gospel. He repented and turned from his sin. He confessed his sin in writing. He wrote about his life as a slave trader. His rebellion became submission and loyalty to the God who forgave him. Some say he said these words: “I know two things for sure. I’m a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” He became a friend and mentor of William Wilberforce and helped him in his quest to end slavery in the British Empire.
That is the power of God. Sin has no hold on God. He can forgive the most vile of sin. That’s TRUTH. The unbelieving world not only doesn’t see truth, it doesn’t even know how deceived it is. And God has to remind me, on a regular basis, to curb my anger and show compassion to the unbelieving world because it just isn’t capable of seeing real truth.
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Read John 14:17 and 16:13. And here’s a powerful truth. When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) becomes a part of them. He becomes their guide, their conscience. And He removes the blinders from their eyes to reveal real truth. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that reveals truth to believers across the globe.
SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE
Luke 6:32-33 and 35-36
Brady spoke brilliantly about how we are to love others last week in his teaching on Living Gracefully. And that truth carries forward this morning as we speak truthfully in love. Our goal is not to beat our opponent into the ground like is popular on YouTube or Twitter, or should I say “X.” Or jam truth down someone’s throats. Our goal is not to win the argument; it’s to plant seeds.
In verses 32-33, Luke reminds us that showing love to those that love us back is easy.
It’s through relationships that we represent Jesus to a lost world. We must engage with those we disagree with. And we must speak truth. But we must speak it in love. Speak boldly but not belligerently. (Kristen Waggoner- CEO and General Council for Alliance Defending Freedom. These words are coming from an attorney who litigates major cases in front of the Supreme Court).
HOW DO WE SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE?
Read James 1:19-20. This is to be “other orientated.” In other words, be a great friend. My wife Sandy is brilliant at this. Both our daughters were raised with this as a basic principle of day-to-day life. What is “other orientated”? Recognizing that everyone, even those we disagree with, are made in the image of God (Imago Dei). Wanting the best for another person. Having a sincere love and care for someone else, even when you don’t agree on major topics of life. Describe being a good listener. Learn the person’s story. Who they are and where they come from. Ask lots of questions about why they believe what they believe. And don’t beat them up for their beliefs. Friendship builds trust. And trust opens hearts to hearing truth.
WHY IS TRUTH IMPORTANT?
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, James 2:19, John 8:32.
The Apostle Paul said that people perish because they don’t love truth. What does this really mean? Truth is important because eternity is at stake. Salvation and Redemption are only available through knowing truth. No one goes to hell because they didn’t believe. People go to the horrible place called hell because they have rebelled against their Creator and have chosen to deny TRUTH. This rebellion is called SIN.
Sin is a core reality of truth. If we don’t believe in humanity’s sin nature, no moral decision we will ever make will have validity. All will be flawed to their core. And the blinded people around us will never be freed to know the truth and be reunited with God for eternity.
As Christians, we have to remain bold in understanding the truth of our faith. Like William Wilberforce, we can’t back away from truth just because the culture around us is at odds with truth. We have to be bold and courageous in speaking truth to a very lost world. Because their eternity is at stake.
Blessings,
Bruce
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS TRUTH?
Personal story about truth. When my brother and I were in elementary school, we would sit outside at night here on the mountain and look at the stars. Our conversation was all about what was up there. Were we looking at stars or planets? Was there life our there? How far away was everything? We had this intuitive interest in knowing and understanding something that was way outside of our understanding. I believe we, as little boys, were seeking truth.
In the social media post, I noted some ways we define truth. The culture around us says you make up your own truth. The culture would say that truth is what works for you or truth is how you feel. Or maybe truth is what the masses determine. Truth is consensus. It’s found in the democratic process through passed legislation, or in opinion polls and surveys. And finally, there are those who believe there is no truth. Truth is just a lie.
But is any of this true? Is truth really just what we decide it should be?
IS TRUTH SOMETHING WE MAKE UP?
Do we, as a human race actually believe that truth is relative? I mean… We believe in the reality of our day-to-day activities. What time do you need to be at work or school on Monday? When is that biology test? Did you fill up your car gas tank yesterday? We believe in SCIENCE and that it reveals truth. We trust that the sun will come up every morning and set every night. We trust that gravity will keep us planted on the ground. We believe in history and that we actually live in a country named the United States and that it has a representative government. And that we get to vote for those that represent us. We actually believe in TRUTH when it’s based on science or history or day-to-day life. What’s true for you is also true for me.
MY TRUTH AND YOUR TRUTH
When the topic changes to moral values and ethics or to religion, we often change what’s meant by truth. Christianity may be true for me, but you may think that what it says is foolishness. The moral absolutes of the Bible may be good for me but you may think they are outdated and don’t apply to the modern world.
WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT TRUTH?
As a Christian, my first reaction to a challenging topic is to seek God’s perspective. Let’s look at John 18:33-40. These verses describe a part of Jesus’ trial before He was crucified on a Roman cross. This was the 6th and last stage of an overnight trial mostly held in secrecy by the Jewish high priest and 70-member council. These religious leaders had condemned Jesus to death on religious grounds. But only the Roman government could grant the death penalty. So the religious leaders placed Jesus in front of the Roman governor Pilate and charged Him with treason and rebellion. Pilate knew immediately that Jesus was innocent. But he was afraid of a backlash from the people if he freed Jesus. He passed Jesus off to Herod Agrippa, the Roman ruler of Galilee. Herod wanted nothing to do with Him. So he passed Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate solved his dilemma by executing Jesus. Pilate’s self-interest was stronger than his sense of truth.
Read John 18:33-40
DEFINE TRUTH
Philosophers use the concept of “The Correspondence Theory of Truth.” A statement is true if it matches up with reality. This is common sense. When you describe in words how the world actually is. Webster’s 1828 dictionary mirrors “The Correspondence Theory of Truth.” And it adds: Conformity of words to thoughts, which is called moral truth. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament defines the word TRUTH that Jesus spoke in the John verses as: The manifested, veritable (authentic, absolute and genuine), essence of a matter. But it goes much further. The meaning is not merely ethical truth, but truth in all its fullness and scope, as embodied in Jesus. Jesus was the perfect expression of truth. Could it be that there is actually an objective truth that is written on our hearts? And could it be that we have a desire to seek truth because of this?
TRUTH IS SELF-EVIDENT
It’s written on our hearts. Read Romans 2:14-15. "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." The law referred to here is the truth of God’s Word. And the Bible assumes that objective truth is written on our hearts. For instance, when the 9th Commandment says, “Thou shalt not lie.” It assumes its readers know that one should tell the truth.
Dr. Shawn McDowell has been writing and speaking on truth for years, along with his Dad, Josh McDowell. The senior McDowell has been in ministry for over 50 years. Dr. Shawn McDowell talks about the best way to tell if someone believes there is a moral code is: Not by what that persons says and does. It’s by the way that person wants to be treated. Everyone wants to be treated as if morality is an objective feature of the universe. CS Lewis said; “If there’s no such thing as objective morality, try cutting in front of someone in line.” People may disagree about what is the “right thing.” But we all agree that there is a “right thing.”
HOW CAN ONE KNOW TRUTH?
Good reads: More Than a Carpenter, Evidence Demands a Verdict, Mere Christianity, What Would You Say.org
Finding truth is a process. Read the Bible, do Bible studies, and ask lot of questions. Let the stories in Scripture resonate with your heart.
Look at the evidence. We have an awesome book written by both Josh and Shawn McDowell that you can pickup for free right in the lobby. “More Than a Carpenter.” Since its original publication in 1977, this book has sold over 15 million copies. And if you want to dig deeper, they have authored another book titled “Evidence That Demands a Verdict.” For those that really want a deep dive, read C.S. Lewis classic book “Mere Christianity.” It will blow your mind. And here’s another great resource: What Would You Say.org. It’s a biblically based website that takes on the current issues of the day and filters them through a lens of a Christian worldview. Short videos that help you understand and defend your faith.
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE
July 28 was the 190th anniversary of the death of the great British legislator and abolitionist, William Wilberforce in 1833. Just three day earlier, the British Parliament had passed the Slavery Abolition Act that outlawed slavery throughout the British colonies. It is estimated that more than 800,000 enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and South Africa and even Canada were set free. At the time of his death, newspapers around the world proclaimed Wilberforce “as pure and virtuous a man as ever lived.”
And here’s “The Rest of the Story” as the late radio newscaster Paul Harvey was fond of saying. Prior to the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act, William Wilberforce endured close to 40 years of incredible opposition and hostility. England benefitted both economically and militarily from the transatlantic slave trade. And during the war with France, abolitionists were accused of sedition (treason). In a private letter, the legendary naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson wrote that he would launch his “…voice against the damnable and cursed doctrines of Wilberforce and his hypocritical allies. In fact, one of Wilberforce’s most vocal opponents was a slave trader named George Hibbert, who was a fellow congregant at his church. Wilberforce spent most of his life in a fiercely unpopular crusade to abolish slavery. It cost him politically. It consumed his health.
Wilberforce knew the truth and he lived his life based upon that truth.
DECEPTION
As I noted earlier, the truth of the world and the truth of God proclaim totally different realities. But when I look at the truth the world proclaims, I’m baffled. How could anyone believe that enslaving and torturing people because their skin color could, by any understanding of truth, be acceptable? We look back at this dreadful time in our history and say it will never happen again. And here’s a current truth, according to a 2022 United Nations report, there are 50 million people in the world in slavery today.
How could this happen when: We are all created in the image of God. As man and as woman, we are equal. Our lives have intrinsic value. And God, our Creator loves us. And what God created is good. Why do we rebel against God? Why are we not content with how our Creator made us?
I may be baffled, but God is not. God knows our horrible sinful human nature. And the devil, Satan (the father of lies), plays on that nature with deception.
Read John 8:44-47.
JOHN NEWTON
John Newton was an Anglican priest in 1772 when he penned the words to the classic hymn Amazing Grace. But his past reveals some powerful truths. You see, Newton began his career in the slave industry. He was the captain of slave ships, transporting human beings from Africa to other countries to be sold. He trafficked human souls. His rebellious spirit lead him astray for many years. But somewhere along his horrid life journey, his heart was transformed by the power of the Gospel. He repented and turned from his sin. He confessed his sin in writing. He wrote about his life as a slave trader. His rebellion became submission and loyalty to the God who forgave him. Some say he said these words: “I know two things for sure. I’m a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” He became a friend and mentor of William Wilberforce and helped him in his quest to end slavery in the British Empire.
That is the power of God. Sin has no hold on God. He can forgive the most vile of sin. That’s TRUTH. The unbelieving world not only doesn’t see truth, it doesn’t even know how deceived it is. And God has to remind me, on a regular basis, to curb my anger and show compassion to the unbelieving world because it just isn’t capable of seeing real truth.
THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Read John 14:17 and 16:13. And here’s a powerful truth. When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) becomes a part of them. He becomes their guide, their conscience. And He removes the blinders from their eyes to reveal real truth. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that reveals truth to believers across the globe.
SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE
Luke 6:32-33 and 35-36
Brady spoke brilliantly about how we are to love others last week in his teaching on Living Gracefully. And that truth carries forward this morning as we speak truthfully in love. Our goal is not to beat our opponent into the ground like is popular on YouTube or Twitter, or should I say “X.” Or jam truth down someone’s throats. Our goal is not to win the argument; it’s to plant seeds.
In verses 32-33, Luke reminds us that showing love to those that love us back is easy.
It’s through relationships that we represent Jesus to a lost world. We must engage with those we disagree with. And we must speak truth. But we must speak it in love. Speak boldly but not belligerently. (Kristen Waggoner- CEO and General Council for Alliance Defending Freedom. These words are coming from an attorney who litigates major cases in front of the Supreme Court).
HOW DO WE SPEAK TRUTH IN LOVE?
Read James 1:19-20. This is to be “other orientated.” In other words, be a great friend. My wife Sandy is brilliant at this. Both our daughters were raised with this as a basic principle of day-to-day life. What is “other orientated”? Recognizing that everyone, even those we disagree with, are made in the image of God (Imago Dei). Wanting the best for another person. Having a sincere love and care for someone else, even when you don’t agree on major topics of life. Describe being a good listener. Learn the person’s story. Who they are and where they come from. Ask lots of questions about why they believe what they believe. And don’t beat them up for their beliefs. Friendship builds trust. And trust opens hearts to hearing truth.
WHY IS TRUTH IMPORTANT?
Read 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, James 2:19, John 8:32.
The Apostle Paul said that people perish because they don’t love truth. What does this really mean? Truth is important because eternity is at stake. Salvation and Redemption are only available through knowing truth. No one goes to hell because they didn’t believe. People go to the horrible place called hell because they have rebelled against their Creator and have chosen to deny TRUTH. This rebellion is called SIN.
Sin is a core reality of truth. If we don’t believe in humanity’s sin nature, no moral decision we will ever make will have validity. All will be flawed to their core. And the blinded people around us will never be freed to know the truth and be reunited with God for eternity.
As Christians, we have to remain bold in understanding the truth of our faith. Like William Wilberforce, we can’t back away from truth just because the culture around us is at odds with truth. We have to be bold and courageous in speaking truth to a very lost world. Because their eternity is at stake.
Blessings,
Bruce
Posted in Passing It On
Recent
Archive
2024
2023
No Comments