I have been writing about how we can know the truth. One thing that becomes evident is that it is not complicated to know the truth. I do not mean to say that knowing the truth does not take effort. Effort and confusion due to a complicated subject are two different things.
We have looked at five key steps by which we know anything to be true or false, and specifically how we can know the truth about who we are, who God is, and where we come from and where we are going (as well as the many details).
What has mankind done with the Truth of Self-consciousness?
In Psalm 92:5-6 it is written,
"O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this."
Man rejects the truth of his own creation in the image of God by defining himself and acting like a brute--an animal. By saying man is created in the image of God that does not mean that man is a god, but that God gave man, at man's creation, some particular attributes that resemble God's attributes. I will not record the text here, but a reading of Genesis chapters 2 and 3 will reveal the following about man: man is a rational and feeling being that is able to hear, understand, and decide from a free-will to love and obey God or to reject (hate) and disobey God. [Read online here.] Jesus spoke of the truth that man is not an animal, but created differently and has a different purpose, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
The fact is that you can know God personally and you are personally responsible to know and love God.
Men live like animals when they live like there is no afterlife--i.e. 'eat, drink, and be marry, for tomorrow we die.'
Men live like animals when controlled by bodily lusts (desires). The most prolific way people do this is sexually. When you think of a sexual desire like a hunger pain, something to be satisfied for life's purpose, you are living like an animal. First, animals have sexual intercourse at certain times only and for reproduction only. Second, your hunger pain comes from your stomach and God made food to satisfy that need and made your stomach to process that food. Third, your body was made for God; you were made to serve and love Him. Your body was not made for sex anytime, anywhere, with anyone you choose. I am not saying that you are not physically made to not have sex--God made man and woman to share sexual enjoyment and reproduce in the protection and love of holy marriage. Purpose is the deciding factor:
"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body." (1Cor. 6:13)
Such a life is sin. Sin is anything that is contrary to God, His righteousness, and His commands.
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1John 3:4)
"All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." (1John 5:17)
I am going to write a few short articles about how men reject the truth. To end off this article may I say this: people often think of sin as great crimes against humanity like murder, genocide, or rape. These certainly are sins. But this view of sin is man centered, arbitrarily appointing man as the standard, and the one offended. Certainly civil crimes need to be punished by civil authorities. But your eternity will not be decided by a human court of law; your eternity is decided by GOD according to GOD's LAWS.
"Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:13)
Three facts: God sees you; God sees all you think, say, and do; and, God is lawmaker and judge whom you will face.
You need to know from God what is His judgement of you, and if you are condemned is there any hope for mercy.
Consider two truths from the Bible:
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19)
"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." (Psalm 103:8)
No comments:
Post a Comment