In John 18:37 Jesus reveals why he was born:
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.”
The truth sets people free (John 8:32). The truth sanctifies (John 17:17). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). Truth is so important, but besides in philosophical & apologetic treatments, it is not talked about much in the life of the church. The irony is that after Jesus ascended into heaven, the responsibility of testifying to the truth fell on the shoulders of the church!
“…God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:15
If God’s truth is to be revealed to the world through his people, we ought to begin intentionally making the appropriate connections between the Gospel and truth, and teaching on the subject more often. What is truth and why is understanding it so important in our ministry to the world?
The world becomes endangered when:
- Church stops preaching truth.We cannot stay silent. When there is a void, the world will look for truth in other places where it cannot be found. This is one of the reasons Islam, eastern thought, atheism and evolution have been on the rise in America. Though we must engage in lifestyle evangelism, we must accompany good deeds by profession of faith and truth (Colossians 4:3-6)
- Church starts preaching lies.Some groups of people who affiliate themselves with Christianity and who refer to themselves as the church are preaching a gospel message that is far from what the Bible presents as truth. Either purposely or accidentally, they are leading the world astray to believe in cults such as Mormonism & the Watchtower, the prosperity gospel, the social gospel, and legalism. All of these are examples of people becoming “bewitched” and falling for a lie (Galatians 1:8; 3:1)
- Church starts living a lie.The Gospel is so radical and so far from what we would expect for God to reveal as salvation that even the church struggles with coming to terms with it! Jesus told us that we have to lose our life in order to find it (Matthew 10:39)! When we preach this truth, but fail to live it, the Gospel becomes less attractive. Hypocrisy is one thing this present generation cannot tolerate, and it has developed the ability to see right through the lies of a Christian who says one thing but is living another.
A healthy church that is committed to the truth of the Gospel is the only hope for the world. In the armory of the church we have the Gospel and we have truth- are we making the connection?
