LOVING THE TRUTHI travelled to Detroit yesterday for a business meeting. Because of flight availability I got there early and went to a restaurant to have a leisurely lunch before my meeting. I took advantage of the break to read the Lectionary reading of the day from my pocket NIV bible.
The passage from the Epistle for the day was 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. As I read it I was struck by these words in Verse 10:
"They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved."
Loving the truth means that I must actively seek it - desiring to be within it and applying it to all areas of my life. Loving the truth is a commitment to truth.
This commitment is not blind; a mere set of beliefs that we have "made up our minds" about.
Being a Christian is not about claiming that we have all the answers, and passing judgement and condemnation "in God's name" to those that do not think as we do.
As I've tried to pursue truth I've tried to own it. This is literally not possible. Because the truth, as it relates to eternal issues, is beyond our full understanding. All that we are able to do is to grasp at the truth that we can understand and by adding faith, rely on our careful application of what we experience to further open our minds and hearts.
In my pre-Orthodox days I had viewed salvation as the consequence of a single decision at a point in time to accept Jesus on face value as the guide for my life. That's what I thought "becoming a Christian" meant. Now I understand that salvation is a process that continues for life, and beyond!
As an Orthodox Christian - in process- I hold firmly to a set of beliefs that best express my understanding of God. But, to God's glory, this does not in anyway give me the right to consider others who hold different beliefs and views as evil or condemned. In fact, as an Orthodox Christian that has come to this faith through a long spiritual search, I cannot deny the significance of beliefs that are held by others while on their spiritual journey. Of course, it is my hope that they would find the love of God through Christ - but it is not my first responsibility to point out their "errors" as compared to the "truth." My primary responsibility is to be obedient to Christ, and by so doing, show by my actions and words the impact of my discipleship to Christ.
So, (to use an old-fashioned but very valid term), I repent of my past actions in "witnessing" or trying to "evangelize" people through argument or sarcastic criticism. Why would anyone want to become what I am, when I demonstrate such a poor image of me?
Loving the truth is not about being comfortable and arrogant about it as if I possess something that makes me special. Loving the truth means obeying it and demonstrating its impact on my life.
Jesus gave up everything for me - why is it so hard to give up even a little bit of me for Him?
2 comments:
Hi Marty,
I really enjoy your site. This most recent post about truth and the best way of teaching is by setting a good example echoes my thoughts. My road to wards a belief system began when I rejected the system I was taught and started looking for signs within me. It ultimately lead me back in a similar direction from whence I came. But now it was something I felt in my heart rather than followed in my head because of rules and instruction. Obviously instruction is important but I don't think it can result in a deep faith. Neither can confrontation, which is what a lot of witnessing seems to be about.
Hi Marty, Nice post. I too "repented of evangelism"...sigh. Check out our latest radio show on new converts, I think you'll enjoy it. www.ourlifeinchrist.com
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