People will flock to auditoriums to hear great orators deliver motivational messages or to tap into the insight of acclaimed philosophers such as Jordan Peterson. Humanity longs for leadership. In their pursuit of understanding, many would love to have sat in King Solomon’s court and gleaned from the wisdom he is renowned for.
Imagine sitting at the foot of our Creator’s throne and listening to Him expound upon the virtues of holiness or the intricacies of the cosmos. Like little children at the feet of Jesus, would we be enamoured by the experience and left with a deep reverence for the giver of life? I believe that would indeed be a profound pleasure.
Throughout history mankind has searched for ways to be enlightened by God and yet when God speaks, most people dismiss the information because they either do not respect the delivery method or they find the message offensive. We humans are a fickle bunch and our self-centeredness more often than not drives us to reject the truth when it doesn’t align with our egocentrism.
Even professing Christians routinely twist scripture to accommodate their own theology. Paul identified this as a sign of the last days in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
Human nature is by default sinful nature (ever since the fall of man in the garden). Galatians 5:17 reveals, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” Because of this, much of civilization has rejected self-discipline in favor of self-indulgence.
GOD’S MESSAGE IS OFTEN UNPOPULAR
Indeed, scripture documents that the prophets, apostles and the Messiah were not hated and put to death for preaching a message of love, but for teaching repentance. God’s message is often unpopular. John the Baptist offered a baptism of repentance and paid for it with his life (Acts 19:4; Matthew 14:5-11).
It is only those who have been called and have had their hearts and minds opened to the truth that accept the gospel. Such was the case with Lydia of Thyatira. “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” (Acts 19:14).
Jesus said, “For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:17). For the vast majority, the gospel message is cast aside as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18) by those who have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25).
John wrote that God is light (1 John 1:5-7) and in his gospel (John 8:12), he tells us, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'” And in John 3:20 we read, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”
Paul informs us in Romans 1:18 that many remain willfully ignorant of God’s truth because of their ungodliness, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of men who supress the truth by their wickedness, since what has been known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”
And in Ephesians 4:18, Paul writes, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.” Human logic dictates that the majority of people would prefer to remain ignorant of the truth rather than abandon their sybaritic lifestyles.
Much of society views Christianity as inhibiting and limited by conformity to an oppressive set of religious precepts. The Bible is regularly repudiated and dismissed as myth despite the archeological, geological and literary evidence that substantiates its historicity and veracity.
FAITH IN CHRIST IS TRULY LIBERATING
In reality though, faith in Christ is truly liberating and knowing the truth actually sets one free. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32).
How is this accomplished? In Matthew 5:17, Jesus declares, “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” He fulfilled them through His sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. And in Jesus Christ we have salvation.
Colossians 2:13-14 is where Paul declares, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.”
God became a man and walked in our shoes and as true believers, we are called to walk in His shoes. True believers are to imitate Christ. 1 John 2:6 teaches, “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” And Paul advises, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul teaches that we ought to imitate Jesus by being like-minded with Him (2 Philippians 2:1-11). In doing so, true believers will walk in a spirit of humility and repentance, therefore, having God’s laws written in their minds, and doing what those laws require without being bound by them.
Referencing Galatians 5 once again, Paul provides this perspective: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Galatians 5:16-18).
The mystery that was revealed in Christ Jesus is that Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:15, 14; Colossians 1:26-27). “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:4-5).
WHEN JESUS SPEAKS – GOD SPEAKS
God gave His laws to Moses and fulfilled them Himself through Christ. God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai and He speaks to everyone through His Word made flesh, that is Jesus. Jesus is God and His words are God’s words. When Jesus speaks – God speaks. When we read the Word, God speaks directly to us. We have everything mankind truly searches for in the Bible, for the Word of God is alive (Hebrews 4:12).
“Jesus is the truth. We believe in Him – not merely in His words. He Himself is Doctor and Doctrine, Revealer and Revelation, the Illuminator and Light of men. He is exalted in every word of truth, because He is in its sum and substance. He sits above the gospel, like a prince on His own throne.” Charles Spurgeon.
Oh, to have an audience with the Almighty Creator of the universe and interact with Him! What a glorious opportunity to fellowship with the Most High God! That is exactly what the gospel promises to everyone who sincerely believes in Jesus Christ. Not simply an hour long lecture with a question and answer period at the end, but an ongoing relationship from the moment we truly believe and throughout eternity.
Jesus reassures us of this in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” Amen!
