Ideas have consequences and truth matters.

 

Ideas have consequences and truth matters. 

 

With so many ideas vying for credence how do you know what is right. 
‘Right’ can’t be what makes us popular because no one is popular forever, plus popularity is us doing what others think is cool and ultimately disregards who we really are inside – seems deceptive to me. 
‘Right’ can’t be what gives us lots of money because its been show over and over that wealthy people are no happier than regular folks. 
‘Right’ can’t be what gives you great pleasure because too much of anything makes us vomit or grow weary of it. So what is the answer? 

One thing I am sure of is that the answer cannot come from myself or other people or groups because what would make their ideas any better than mine.  Everyone is a legend in their own mind.  There are as many ideas as there are people.  So if answers can’t come from people what other source is there?

 

John 5: 24“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

 

1 John 2: 14I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. 15Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 
16For the world offers only a craving for

physical pleasure,

a craving for everything we see,

and pride in our achievements and possessions.

These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.

But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

 

John 15: 19The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 22They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’

 

Many of my era think they can make up their own truth.  They also think they are being original.  Little do they know people since the beginning of time have been making that mistake.  I’ll give you two examples:  Noah and the Ark is my first – literally all the people on earth who knew or heard about Noah thought Noah was crazy, yet we know now he was the only one who knew the truth.  Notice how ideas have consequences – in Noah’s day it meant death for all for not following the ways of God.  It means the same thing today but God doesn’t kill us like in Noah’s day, but gives us as long as we live to come to belief in Jesus. My second example is the Rebellion of Korah (Korah is a man, a Levite during the time of Moses).  Normally I can summarize things, but in this case I’m quoting the whole story:

Korah’s Rebellion (Numbers 16)

1One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. 2They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. 3They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD’s people?”

4When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground. 5Then he said to Korah and his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The LORD will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence. 6Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners. 7Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the LORD. Then we will see whom the LORD chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!”

8Then Moses spoke again to Korah: “Now listen, you Levites! 9Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the LORD’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? 10Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? 11The LORD is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?”

12Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, “We refuse to come before you! 13Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? 14What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool these men? We will not come.”

15Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.” 16And Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers must come here tomorrow and present yourselves before the LORD. Aaron will also be here. 17You and each of your 250 followers must prepare an incense burner and put incense on it, so you can all present them before the LORD. Aaron will also bring his incense burner.”

18So each of these men prepared an incense burner, lit the fire, and placed incense on it. Then they all stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle with Moses and Aaron. 19Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance. Then the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community, 20and the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 21“Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!”

22But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”

23And the LORD said to Moses, 24“Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”

25So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel. 26“Quick!” he told the people. “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.” 27So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.

28And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own. 29If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the LORD has not sent me. 30But if the LORD does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the LORD.”

31He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them. 32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. 33So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. 34All the people around them fled when they heard their screams. “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried. 35Then fire blazed forth from the LORD and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.

36eAnd the LORD said to Moses, 37“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals. 38Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the LORD’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.”

39So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 bronze incense burners that had been used by the men who died in the fire, and the bronze was hammered into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. 40This would warn the Israelites that no unauthorized person—no one who was not a descendant of Aaron—should ever enter the LORD’s presence to burn incense. If anyone did, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and his followers. So the LORD’s instructions to Moses were carried out.

41But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people!” 42As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared.

43Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, 44and the LORD said to Moses, 45“Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.

46And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.”

47Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. 48He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. 49But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. 50Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle.

In this amazing true story that happened about 3400 years ago around end of time Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness.  This isn’t a history lesson, the point I wish you to see is that Korah wanted to do things ‘his way’ and not ‘God’s way’ and as you can see things ended badly not only for him, but those who were also influenced by his ideas.  Truth matters.  Around 15 thousand people died because of the rebellion.  Needless deaths easily avoidable by obeying God.  The same goes for Noah’s era. They all drifted from God and suffered the consequences for doing what was right in their own eyes (making up their own truth). 

I had a person say recently and I quote “from my experiences in life I believe such and such…..” What is sad is that ‘truth’ doesn’t care what experiences you’ve had or what you or I think or believe.  The truth is ‘the truth’ even if no one believes or even knows about it, it’s still the truth.  Korah thought he should be able to burn incense like the priests.  The God they supposedly worship says no and they defy Him.  Moses warned them repeatedly and Korah would not back down.  It came to a showdown and needless to say God won.  Don’t let this happen to you. So those living in the year 2020 who think they can make up their own moral truth are only storing up wrath for the day of judgment while also leading their friends and family down the same deadly path.  Only in Christ can they hope to avoid eternal death in hell.

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Some of my readers will ask “are you trying to scare me”.  My answer is yes. I’d rather scare you into the arms of Jesus than lull you into a false sense of security and have you die and go into an eternal hell where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Why else would God leave his children here on earth once they are saved except to teach others about saving grace Jesus provided -- the gospel story of redemption and forgiveness.  Remember?  It’s our Great Commission?

Proverbs 29:2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

Proverbs 14:34 Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Proverbs 3: 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding;

6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

8This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (meaning doing whatever feel like is dangerous and we can be sincerely wrong)

You may ask at this point -- where do we get truth if we don’t make it up ourselves?  Jesus said He was the truth in John 18:37: “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”  38“What is truth?” Pilate asked.

Pilate never waited for a response.  Can you imagine having the creator of all things in front of you – Pilate needless to say didn’t have a clue who Jesus really was nor would he have believed him even if Jesus had told him he was God in the flesh.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

How can anyone know how to live unless they know the scriptures?  They cannot. 
Note the Apostle Paul calls himself a slave of Christ (bond servant) which numerous other authors of scripture also do.  If we are slaves then we don’t make up our own truth.  On the contrary we obey our master. Concerning non-moral issues of life we are free as birds, but must like all things keep avoid extremes.  2 Cor 10: 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.   

I’ll close with Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 1:

ROMANS 1:1This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

6And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

8Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

10One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

13I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.

16For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

18But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

24So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

28Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Epilog:

We cannot expect the unsaved to conduct themselves according to the Bible, but the saved can follow what is written in 1st Peter 3: 12The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil.”  13Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. 15Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 16But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 17Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!