Sunday, December 7, 2008

For the truth’s sake

2 John
{1:1} The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth
{1:2} For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
{1:3} Grace be with you, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

***

For the truth's sake.

For the sake of what is true.

We have to live in the truth, know the truth, which is the grace and mercy of God and Jesus Christ.

It's beautiful really, so beautiful.

Jesus said if we thirst in Him we'll thirst no more.

Jesus said if we were hungry in Him we'll be hungry no more.

How is this possible?

Because the truth of grace and mercy tells us that we are forgiven our sins by Jesus' sacrifice and love, prepared for the world to come, not this world. We will never thirst or hunger in Christ, in the world to come.

The hope that is in Jesus is eternal life, it is life in another world not this one. That hope is real and Jesus, and it must be real to us, more real than the life we live now. It must be worth more to us than this life. It's not easy to believe that way though, is it? We are alive here and now and all our senses demand we believe in what we can see, feel, hear, taste, smell. We are taught not to believe in anything else. We are called fools if we believe in something that isn't tangible. Fools, deceived, simple-minded, delusional, there are many names for us who believe in the unseen world to come. We have to have the hope in the world promised by Jesus, because hope in this world is what is really senseless. This world offers so little, but it does offer hope. The truth is in Christ Jesus, He is the truth, the world and life He offers us is the truth. Love is the truth.

We will not thrist or hunger- two basic needs so often not met in this world. In Jesus we have hope of living in a world truly govern by love. This world will never offer us that, never. Peace is something unrealized and where it is realized it is all caught up in treachery and lies, rulers under different names, peace that is forced and not realized as what is true and good, just and right, it is not borne of love.

As hard as it is to look past all that we know, all that we feel and see, we have to.

Our hope isn't here and now and the more we try to make it such the further from the truth we'll be. The more we seek happiness here, the more we seek justice and truth here, the more we lay all our hopes on our lives now, the less we'll have our hope in Christ and the world to come.

No, I'm not saying we shouldn't try to live a life that has happiness and contentment in what lot we are given, but there is so much more to it all than that. Our love for our fellow man through Christ must prevail. We need to do for others all we can do, not just seek our own contentment selfishly.

Christ's promises are all real and the truth is real in Him and it's beautiful. Questioning our lot in life health wise, monetary wise, is pointless when we live for Christ. We must strive to do all we can to live as Jesus lived, to walk in the truth of love.

May this become reality for all of us here and now, our one and true hope, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”- John 11:25

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