Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life

Truth.
Joshua {24:14} Now therefore fear the LORD,and serve him in sincerity and in truth
**Fear the Lord. Reverence the Lord.Serve the Lord.How?In Sincerity and...in truth.
He knows our hearts, he knows us as we don't even know ourselves.
It'd be strange to be asked to serve the Lord in lies and falsehood wouldn't it? Lies, untruths, deception, none of that is God. There are no lies with Him, no deception and He only asks that we serve Him the same- without lies, with sincerity.
Joshua {24:14} Now therefore fear the LORD,and serve him in sincerity and in truthand put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,and in Egypt;and serve ye the LORD. {24:15} And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will servewhether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood,or the gods of the Amorites,in whose land ye dwellbut as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
**We've heard this saying before, people write it on plaques - 'Choose you this day whom ye will serve, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.'
This is where it comes from, this passage.
Lets read it again in full.
Joshua {24:14} Now therefore fear the LORD,and serve him in sincerity and in truthand put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,and in Egypt;and serve ye the LORD. {24:15} And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will servewhether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood,or the gods of the Amorites,in whose land ye dwellbut as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
**If it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord--
Evil to serve the Lord?
How can it seem evil to serve the Lord?
And yet those who don't choose to follow him must think it is wrong in some way to do so when they choose not to follow him right?
Why do people choose not to follow God?
They don't want anyone in control of *their* lives?
They don't want to believe in a power that can control their lives.
Perhaps they fully believe there is only here and now and it's a waste of time to believe in a God they can't see, hear, touch, talk to.
There can be any number of reasons for a person to choose not to follow God, to not believe in Him.
But we can't make the mistake of believing that people get out of choosing, that anyone is exempt.
We all have to choose.
And it's a constant choice.
We do choose each day to make certain actions. We choose to get dressed or not get dressed. We choose to go to work or not to go to work. We choose to eat or not to eat. We choose so much and so often and we choose to follow God or not to follow Him.
The Bible is clear on this, very clear.
Choose.
We have a choice.
Does it seem evil to serve the Lord?
evil (ê´vel) adjectiveeviler, evilest1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked: an evil tyrant. See synonyms at bad1.2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful: the evil effects of a poor diet.3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous: evil omens.4. Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous: an evil reputation.5. Characterized by anger or spite; malicious: an evil temper.
noun1. The quality of being morally bad or wrong; wickedness.2. That which causes harm, misfortune, or destruction: a leader's power to do both good and evil.3. An evil force, power, or personification.4. Something that is a cause or source of suffering, injury, or destruction: the social evils of poverty and injustice.
Evil to serve the Lord.
Joshua {24:14} Now therefore fear the LORD,and serve him in sincerity and in truthand put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood,and in Egypt;and serve ye the LORD. {24:15} And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will servewhether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood,or the gods of the Amorites,in whose land ye dwellbut as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
**
Choose you this day whom ye will serve.
They had to choose back then and we have to today.
Good, evil. There are only two. There is no gray area here. No middle line.
The truth.
The truth or a lie?
1 John {2:1} My little children,these things write I unto you,that ye sin not.And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,Jesus Christ the righteous{2:2} And he is the propitiation for our sinsand not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
{2:3} And hereby we do know that we know him,if we keep his commandments.
{2:4} He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
{2:5} But whoso keepeth his word,in him verily is the love of God perfectedhereby know we that we are in him.
{2:6} He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
**
The truth is not in those who don't keep his commandments.
Yet in those who keep his word... the love of God is perfected.
We can know we are in him.
We can know.
If we keep God's word, if we keep the words of Jesus, the love will be perfected.
Is it easy?
No.
Life isn't easy.
We need the truth.
The truth.
John {14:6} Jesus saith unto him,I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus is the truth.
Jesus brought with Him truth and grace, we need Jesus, we need His grace and His truth.
Amen.