Unavoidable Truth.
Are you awake? Are you paying attention?
Then you know these things to be self-evident that all men are created. By God. And not self-created. “Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100.
Unavoidable sunlight. Can’t walk outside in the bright sun and say there is none.
Unavoidable oxygen. All around us. You don’t believe in breathing?
Unavoidable intelligence. We all congeal concepts. Our mind-motor amalgamates material magnificently!
We are not dumb. Our meaningful intelligence signifies the signature of a Higher Intelligence, Who designed us each and all of us. Not Ai.
Unavoidable water. See how long you can live without it. Our cranium is mostly composed of liquid. Our blood: first ingredient is water.
Unavoidable truth. There’s a philosophical question people like to banter about as a copout for avoiding the responsibility of responding to God personally. That question is phrased something like this: “Well, what about all the people who don’t know the whole truth?”
Surface-level answer one: “That’s not you. You know enough truth to be responsible for how you respond. That excuse is not valid in your case. You have been exposed to plenty of light.”
We’re trying to keep it simple here. The general gist of Scripture suggests that those who respond to the available truth will be given more truth. Ultimately, I am responsible for what God has allowed me to know. Excuses all evaporate.
Avoiding truth is part of our darker human nature.
It’s difficult to do, actually. Kind of a struggle. Resisting the truth takes a lot of effort.
I’d have to lie to myself. I’d have to find a fresh justification for why it’s OK for me to avoid God. He’s right here. Unavoidable Truth.
Paul thought it would be great to resist God. Such brilliance!
Acts 26:9 “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”
Let’s open up that sentence. Paul truly, actually thought within his own self … having taken counsel from his own opinion, that he should do a large number of actions in strong opposition to the identity, and the claims of this one, Jesus from the no-name town of Nazareth. Resist the truth! How did that work out for you, Paul?
Here’s two upstanding examples, for what not to do: 2 Timothy 3:8 “Now as Jannes and Jambres [a couple of arrogant thugs] withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest [means made abundantly obvious] unto all men, as theirs also was.”
These guys Jannes and Jambres became examples for all the ages of what happens from resisting the truth. The mind becomes corrupted. The will becomes reprobate, so that it cannot properly exercise faith toward God. The Bible calls their actions folly. And the folly becomes their reputation before all men. Everyone knows who the idiots are. No one names their children Jannes or Jambres. :)
Stephen is a popular name, however. Stephen spoke the truth til his face shown-through. His face literally glowed with the glory of Heaven.
“And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” Acts 6:15.
Quite obviously, a messenger of truth.
Acts 6:10 “And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he [Stephen] spake.”
Resist the wisdom?
Resist the spirit?
Here’s part of Stephen’s Spirit-filled invitation:
Acts 7:51 “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”
How did the crowd respond? They stoned him and gnashed on him with their teeth.
Verse 54, “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.”
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, …” Stoning him. Picking up any available weapon and crushing the life out of this glowing truth-teller lit on fire from Heaven.
What makes Stephen memorable for all eternity? “… and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, … And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.” Everything’s amazing. Filled with God. Helping the people. Saturated with faith. Totally plugged-in. What’s the result of such a life? Absolute next verse. The truth-crushers rose-up, no doubt inspired by demonic motive. “Let’s resist the truth, and those who tell it clearly!” The spiritual and political rulers of influence could not tolerate genuine truth threatening their position.
“THEN there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen [just one guy]. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. ….” So they created false accusation … a fake news narrative and dragged Stephen before the court / council, and eventually crushed the life out of him. But the Lord Jesus received the spirit of Stephen into glory, gladly standing up, and reaching down to congratulate Stephen on his courageous transition from earth into the presence of God, unashamed of the truth. Proclaiming the truth, even through the last minute. Broadcasting boldly in the face of Satan and his representatives.
The drastic contrast.
On the left side, you have the truth-killers.
On the right side, you have the glowing truth proclaimer.
On the left side, you have faces boiling-red with the fury of hell.
On the right side, you have the preacher, face aglow like an angel, delivering the message from God faithfully.
On a scale of 1 to 10, where do I fit in that spectrum?
Am I over on the left side, picking up stones and crushing the truth and angrily biting the truth and resisting the truth? Do I see the truth as a personal threat to my quasi-secure lifestyle or reputation? Covering my ears. Picking up anything available to destroy the truth, and the messengers of truth. Stop talking!
Or am I acting in accordance with the choosing of God. A man chosen by God, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. As was Stephen.
The truth is … we know the truth.
The truth is … I am responsible for the truth delivered.
The truth is … really difficult to resist. It’s possible, definitely possible. But resistance requires a lot of evil energy.
O, be not a resister of Truth!
Instead:
Revelation 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, …” [Part of the identity of God.]
3 John 1:3 “… of the truth that is in thee” [Truth in thee.]
2 John 1:2 “For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.”
1 John 4:6 “… Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
2 Timothy 4:4 “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
1 Timothy 3:15 “… in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:3+
“God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Please embrace the truth of the gospel. And together, proclaim the truth!
•••