John 14:6, New Living Translation

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’”

We live in a time where truth is twisted. We are being told that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. But what will we choose to listen to? Sometimes, it can be confusing to know the difference. But there is one truth that can help to take away all the confusion and give us understanding. There is one truth that can radically transform us individually and, in our nation, if we should choose individually and collectively. The answers can be found in the Word of God. Reading in Jeremiah, I came upon some scriptures that really stood out to me. The following scriptures say:

“This is what the Lord said to me: ‘Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it on, but do not wash it.’ So, I bought the loincloth as the Lord directed me, and I put it on.

Then the Lord gave me another message: ^‘Take the linen loincloth you are wearing, and go to the Euphrates River. Hide it there in a hole in the rocks.’ So, I went and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord had instructed me. A long time afterward the Lord said to me, ‘Go back to the Euphrates and get the loincloth I told you to hide there.’ So, I went to the Euphrates and dug it out of the hole where I had hidden it. But now it was rotting and falling apart. The loincloth was good for nothing.

Then I received this message from the Lord: This is what the Lord says: This shows how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship other gods. Therefore, they will become like this loincloth—good for nothing! As a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me, says the Lord. They were to be my people, my pride, my glory—an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me.’” (3:1-11, NLT)

This scripture speaks so much volume. The truth is twisted, because somewhere down the line, God was forgotten. It was decided that we didn't need God anymore. We didn't want to listen to the One who created us. We wanted to do our own thing and decide for ourselves what "truth" is. Time and time again, we witness God's people abandoning Him for false idols/false gods. There is scripture in the Bible that says, “…These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” (Isaiah 29:13, NLT) It's the same now as it was then. We want the benefits that God has to offer, but we don't want to follow the requirements to receive the benefits. And what are the requirements? Jesus told us the greatest two commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. The second was like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. He also said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15, NLT) Why are we so bent on turning away from the perfect love? It's the sin nature that we are all born with. We have a natural desire that turns towards selfishness and pride. The Lord says this to Jeremiah (14:10, NLT), “… They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So, the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.” Our pride and selfishness, if we do not turn back to God, will lead us to being good for nothing. We were created to be God's pride and glory, to honor His name. But we have forgotten what it means to "be holy as I am holy." We have forgotten the goodness of God in our lives and in our history. We have consequences for our actions. We must receive the discipline that will bring correction. We must bring ourselves to a place of humility and repentance. Humility and repentance are actually a gift from God. We can release our guilt and shame to Him, we can be forgiven of our sins, and we can be from the weight of sin!

I know that this sounds harsh, but we live in a day where the gospel is watered down, where the truth is watered down. If I truly want to love like Jesus, and I truly want to see my brothers and sisters in Christ in heaven, then I, and not just myself, but all of us need to be willing to share the truth in love even when it's hard so that we know what we need to do to get right with God! Psalm 103 says, “He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” (Verse 7-13, NLT) If we humble ourselves and seek God's face, He will be quick to forgive us our sins. He won't abandon us to our "fate." God's ultimate plan was not a plan of condemnation, but it was a plan of salvation! Jesus filled the requirement for our sins. He became our sin and in turn, when we receive Christ, we receive His righteousness...we become the righteousness of God.  

My desire is to motivate us into action...action towards our Creator, our Father, our Savior. Jesus said, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NLT) There is only one way to the Father, one way into heaven. That way is through Jesus Christ, the Messiah. If we continue to walk in ignorance and pride, we will never make it. Pride is the very thing that got Satan kicked out of heaven. He was the worship leader in heaven! And he fell due to pride! I urge us all to not make the same mistake as Satan. I urge us to heed 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 (NLT), “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.”

My brothers and sisters, we are God's temple. When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. This is the Temple that God has set apart to be holy, where his name will be honored forever. I pray that these truths will minister to your heart. I pray that you wouldn't just take my word for it, but that you yourself would search the scriptures and find truth that counters the lies that this world tries to feed us. I pray that we will all have a courageous spirit, like Joshua, to stand for what is true and right, because we don't stand alone, but we come in the name of the LORD! “The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10, NLT)