Pilgrim’s

Protest

-3-

what has the church done with the truth?

 

Everyone loves Prophets, until they open their mouths. In that second between the parting of their lips, the sharp intake of their breath & the voice of their words, a thousand things may pass through the minds of those listening. This isn’t restricted to those God may have chosen to stand in that office of ministry. It’s open to all those who claim to hold onto & proclaim the exclusive truth, within the context of The Church at large. These individuals have reputations. When they speak, what they say happens. Just ask them! These guys can bring on sudden flashes of lightning when there isn’t so much as a cloud in the sky! I’m not talking about that solitary, idiosyncratic bloke in your neighbourhood who always seems to know exactly what time it’s going to rain. Neither am I referring to the stereotypical guy wearing rags, with a long white beard, carrying a verbal flame thrower, who is always pointing his finger while constantly thus-saith-the-lord-ing. These extremes are tongue in cheek, I know. However, in recent years we have seen a resurgence in both types of prophetic trend. So my question to lovers of the prophets & the prophetic is this; between the parting of their lips, the sharp intake of their breath & the voice of their words; what goes through your mind? This is quite a thing.

My opinion isn’t definitive. I often want it to be, but it isn’t. When it comes to truth, just like every other believer, I have to seek it out of God’s Word for myself. Yes, I listen to my Pastor preach & teach. Yes, I obey my elders. Yes, I pay attention to trusted guest speakers. Yes, I hear the messages of those who are faithful in their exposition. But between the parting of their lips, the sharp intake of their breath & the voice of their words, something goes through my mind. I desperately want & need the truth.

The Lord Jesus said that we would know the truth & that it would set us free (John 8:32). He said that He is the truth (John 14:6). He sent us The Spirit of truth, to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). The Lord prayed that we would be sanctified through God’s truth. His Word is truth (John 17:17). With all that is available to, has been committed to & is being taught to The Church at large; where is the truth? All too often, it is nowhere to be seen or heard. Have we simply become used to cheap imitation?

Don’t misunderstand me. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God’s Word is an inexhaustible treasure of edification, exhortation & comfort. It is a Word fitly spoken (Proverbs 25:11), for millions of believers worldwide. I’m one of them. However once again, the eternal relevancy of what God has to say has been subjected to abuse beyond all reasonableness. Do we even care about the truth any longer? For some, if it sounds good & feels great we’ll go along with it, with no questions asked.

There are more & more & more folks who believe that they are free to play fast & loose with the truth, without any consequences. But after the dust has settled, the music stops & the bright lights are turned off, what is left? No lives changed. No problems solved. No questions answered. We all drift off home to cry ourselves to sleep, because we have had no encounter with the truth. Neither are we inclined to take the noble Berean approach & search The Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). This activity keeps us safe, if we will engage in it. Please indulge me for a moment, while I give you an example. Bear with me.

Some of you may remember an old advert from the 1970s, for a beverage called Martini. It was pitched as an exclusive & exotic experience. There were beautiful people. They were doing beautiful things. They were in beautiful settings. A yacht. A plane. A fast car. An island. Skiing. Dancing. All while enjoying Martini. The tag line was ‘..any time, any place, anywhere. There’s a wonderful world you can share. It’s the right one, the bright one; that’s Martini.’. Partake of it & you too could easily slip into that dreamlike world of sophisticated refinement. At the same time, there was another drink being peddled with equal zeal, called Cinzano Bianco. In their adverts one character made a pretence of being an enthusiastic connoisseur, while the other character was systematically embarrassed & humiliated by having the drink spilt over them. You know where I’m going with this, don’t you?

The Church at large has been promised an unrealistic & unobtainable Martini fantasy, but is instead living in an undignified & disappointing Cinzano Bianco reality. It is not about whether what is preached & taught is true, but more about how the rain makers & thus-saith-the-lorders make us feel. When truth no longer matters but emotions do, we are in trouble, y’all.

¹⁹ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: ²⁰ Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ²¹ For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2^nd Peter 2:19-21).

¹⁴ But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ¹⁵ And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2^nd Timothy 3:14-17). 

I love these verses; don’t you? When I ask about the thoughts that go through our minds when the teachers teach, the preachers preach & the prophets prophesy, it’s passages like these that immediately spring to the forefront of mine. This has little or nothing to do with feeling & everything  to do with the truth. While it is evident that there may be nothing emotionally exciting about the fundamental doctrines of our faith, or a proper approach to the biblical text, it is most certainly a much safer alternative to the dangerous dog & pony shows on offer elsewhere. Believe me, I’ve known many.

²⁰ To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20).

¹⁹ The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment (Proverbs 12:19).

This only matters & makes sense if those of us listening pass what is said, preached, taught or prophesied, through a biblical filter. What happens if there is no light in us; when we don’t know Scripture; when we live in our feelings? The litmus test for biblical truth is not emotional. It is theological. However, on any given day I can guarantee that there will be no shortage of those who will choose man’s fiction over God’s facts. Well, what’s the problem with that as long as people are helped, blessed & encouraged? I’ll tell you what the problem is.

Have you ever heard of Charles Taze Russel? What about William Miller or Joseph Smith? How about Ellen Gould White or Mary Baker Eddy? They began within orthodoxy & then went off into error. Between these individuals & the movements they started, fundamental truth was an early casualty. Listen to what they said about The Lord, between them. Jesus is not truly God & truly man. He is God’s first created being. He is Michael the Archangel. He is the half-brother of lucifer, who paid for our sins in Gethsemane, not at the cross. The wedding at Cana was His, where He married Mary Magdelane because Jesus was a polygamous man. But what’s the problem with that, as long as people are helped, blessed & encouraged? The truth matters brethren; but does it matter to The Church. Does it matter to you?

I said earlier that my opinion isn’t definitive. By definition, it isn’t authoritative; final or conclusive. However, God’s Word is. It is the standard we adhere to & by which we judge. ‘For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ’. (John 1:17). Paul says, ‘Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.’ (Romans 15:8) & ‘If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus’. (Ephesians 4:21). 

⁷ For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. ⁸ And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹ Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. ¹³ But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: ¹⁴ Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2^nd Thessalonians 2:7-14).

²¹ I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth (1^st John 2:21).

⁶ For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ⁷ Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. ⁹ But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was (2^nd Timothy 3:6-9).

The truth matters, it really does. We who claim to have the truth, must believe it, champion it & protect it. Paul speaks of those who will turn away their ears from the truth, choosing fables instead (2^nd Timothy 4:4); we must guard against that. In this month of October, The Church commemorates the mighty Reformation. While the world overshadows this & celebrates Halloween, the saints can rejoice in the truth of The Gospel; grace alone; faith alone; Christ alone. Logic dictates that we should never commit to an absolute, because that is to assume that we are in possession of all of the facts. However, God’s truth is superior to logic & we, The Church, serve & follow He Who possesses all things. Knowing this then brethren, I have to ask; what has The Church done with the truth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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