Truth That is Christian

Is there such a thing as truth that is Christian?

Yes. There is truth that is Christian. But the complete answer may surprise you.

You see, the story of truth began at the very inception of time and space.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

How did God bring everything into existence? Did He use a magic wand? Nope.

He spoke it into existence. The rest of Genesis 1 tells us so. Eight times in Genesis 1, we read these powerful words…

"And God said…"

Put a different way, God created everything by His Word. So what is the Word?

The Apostle John takes up this self-same theme as he pulls back the curtains of Creation and reveals the very Word of God Himself.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:1-4 - NKJV).

In verse 14, John traces the story from Creation to the New Creation through the incarnation and redeeming work of Jesus Christ!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 - NKJV).

This story unpacks three basic ideas for understanding truth that is truly Christian.

The Creator / Creature Distinction

This sounds rather heavy, but it's really quite simple. God is God. You are not. God made you (and everything else). As God's special creation, you are completely dependent on God for everything you have and all that you are. Because God made you in His image, He wants nothing more than for you to love Him and worship Him.

God is a Triune God (Trinity)

On this point, many folk start at the wrong place. People ask philosophical questions like… "How can three be one and one be three?" I'm not sure. No one is. Why? Because He's God and we are not. But one thing we know for sure, He is good and we can trust Him. God is a person who knows all things and creates all things by the power of His Word and holds everything together by His life giving Spirit.

As if it weren't enough, God actually does reveal His Tri-Unity both philosophically and in nature. If you look at the universe for a minute, you will see that in all of creation, there is both unity and diversity, Namely: The one and the many.

You are one person with many parts. You are both material and immaterial. Body and soul, if you will.

The third truth is all about Jesus.

God Became a Man to Save Us From Our Sin (The Incarnation)

This truth is the crowning truth of history. God created man (both male and female) in His image. But they rebelled against God and believed the liar (Satan) rather than trusting their loving Father. On account of their fall, God made a promise and a plan to send His own Son into the world.

That promise is found in Genesis 3:15 (right after mankind rebelled against God):

"And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

This promise anticipates TWO seeds. The Seed of the Promise (her seed) and the Seed of the Evil One (your seed). The entire history of the Bible is the history of the WAR between these two seeds. The promise tells us the ending. The promise reveals the winner of this war. It is the seed of the woman (Christ, born of Mary) that prevails.

In St. John's language, this seed is the very "Word of God."

In fulfillment of God's plan, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

As a man (the second Adam - both fully God and fully man), Jesus obeyed His Father perfectly and fulfilled the Law and the Prophets. The Nicene Creed sums it up thus:

"For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end."

Jesus died to save us individually, but perhaps more importantly, He died and rose again to save a "people for His own name." This people is the "One holy catholic (universal) and Apostolic church" which is His Bride, His Body and the very Temple of The Holy Spirit!

This has been a summary of truth that is Christian. But don't stop there, please.

What Does it Mean to KNOW the Truth?

The truth of God is not meant to be stuck in your head. It is to be known in your heart. To know the truth is to know and love God, to adore His Son and to walk in the power of His Spirit.

Many people love to argue about definitions of truth that is Christian, but it's hard to argue with love. It's hard to argue with God who loves you and wants to forgive your sins. It's hard to argue with a wonderful Savior who wants to take you in His arms and love you forever. It's hard to argue with God's Holy Spirit who wants to fill you and empower you to walk in the newness of life.

If your heart is crying out for this kind of truth, I invite you right now to receive Him. Don't delay. The day of God's wrath against rebellion and sin is coming, but not for those who love Jesus and wait for His coming. I invite you to pray this prayer from your heart…

"Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I have sinned against you in what I have done and what I have failed to do. Because your Son died on the cross for my sin, I ask you to have mercy on me, forgive my sins and bring me to everlasting life. I confess that I don't fully understand your truth, but I ask you to give me your Holy Spirit to help me understand it and walk in your ways. I know I am going to mess up, but I believe that you will help me turn from my sin and love you more and more each day."

If you prayed this prayer, I encourage you  to find a church where this truth is taught. There are many such churches. The Anglican Church (specifically the Anglican Church of North America) is a group of churches committed to this truth. 

You may also write to me through the contact tab above. I would love to encourage you to stand firm in the truth as God makes you more and more into the image of His dear Son.