Week 16, Day 1: Love of the Truth

Today’s Reading:  Matthew 1:1-2:23

Some thoughts from Friday’s reading…

Do you have a love for the truth?  Some may think that a silly question, but it is certainly one that we need to consider.  Paul, as he wrote to the church at Thessalonica warned about the coming of the lawless one, and how he would be destructive to those who did not have a love of truth.  He would be able to deceive them into following after a lie, and they would be led away from God and His will for them (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

When we look around us at the plethora of denominations it becomes clear that Satan is still very active today.  God does not cause the disagreement in the religious world today.  He has only given one truth, and expects for us to follow it.  But then Satan came along with the great deception that being “close enough” is “good enough.”  This has led to people being deceived into being “religious” without really being faithful to God.  They have followed the “strong delusion” rather than following the truth.  How can this be avoided?  Simple:  have a love for truth!

It is difficult to watch a person reject the pure gospel message just because they don’t want to really make changes in their lives.  They say that they want to be saved, but they want to be saved on their own terms rather than God’s.  Often, we as teachers wonder why a person would choose to reject God’s gospel, until we realize that there is something in their sinful life that they really do not want to give up.  They count the cost, and determine it to be too great.  What it boils down to is that many people do not have that love for truth that is necessary to be obedient to God.  If we love the truth, there isn’t anything that we will refuse to give up for God.  After all, the reward is so great that it is worth whatever it might cost us to attain!

So, again, I ask:  Do you have a love for the truth?  If you do, then you will do anything that God requires of you.  If you do not, then you will make excuses, ignore God’s revelation, and participate in sinful lusts.  The end of this is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:12:  “they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth…”  On the other hand (2 Thessalonians 2:13) God offers sanctification  and salvation to those who will accept His truth and be obedient to it!  This seems like an easy choice:  Choose truth!