God’s arms are forever outstretched like an embrace waiting to be accepted.
Many words define this embrace. Grace. Love. Mercy. Truth.
Jesus is truth in its most glorious manifestation that we might be saved from the darkness, deception, and destruction that lies have produced.
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
Truth is the greatest gift God has ever given. Truth is found within the easy reach of anyone with a Bible. Learning, meditating, and living that truth is the invitation we have all been given; it is up to us to accept the challenge and live in its limitless blessing.
It’s not a question of what truth does to people but what people do with truth. Love it, reject it, speak it in love, buy it, or sell it.
Truth is not relevant but revolutionary.
Look what the world did with the truth.
Rejected it.
Betrayed it.
Denied it.
Blasphemed it
Laughed at it.
Lied about it.
Crucified it.
Buried it.
However, the truth will always be resurrected at the appointed time.
Truth is not defensive or offensive. Truth is. You can love it or leave it. Our treatment of truth reveals us.
What you love, you show. You Wear. You Speak. You celebrate.
Let it be said of us that we loved, lived, spoke, and manifested the truth in love.
Truth is Light, don’t shield it.
Truth is Salt, don’t sweeten.
Truth is Right, don’t doubt it.
Truth is Bold; don’t dilute it.
Jesus, if we are truly celebrating Him this season, we should recommit ourselves to the absolute source, nature, and virtue of truth.
Moral good and perverse wickedness are in brilliant contrast today.
We must decide whether we love truth even if it makes the world hate us. We also must evaluate what we love. Because what we love should be a litmus test we give ourselves to determine how deeply we need to repent.
“ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” 1 John 2:15-18
When we truly love Jesus, we embrace the truth found in the precious pages of the scriptures. Jesus our faith in Jesus is only legitimate and authentic when we fully embrace and live out the truth found in the word of God.
The contrast of Jesus the Christ and the Anti-Christ is summarized in these words from Paul to the church in the second letter to the church in Thessalonica.
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
2 Thessalonians 3:9-12
Christmas is undoubtedly about the wise men, shepherds, angels, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and a handful of others. However, the unwritten truth is they are but a minuscule minority of the world at large who were ignorant, unaware, and unconcerned. Add to those who, throughout his life, rejected Jesus. Mocked, lied, doubted, and conspired against him, washed their hands of him, and cooperated in the murder of him.
They failed to embrace the forever invitation of God’s embrace.
Let us determine to be a part of the remnant of those who accept the righteous invitation and commission to be a part of what might become a procession of martyrs for Jesus Christ.