Truth No. 4: The truth is a person
The fourth truth that the Bible affirms with respect to the truth is the following: The truth is embodied in a person and emanates from it. To be more explicit, truth is not just a set of principles, nor certain doctrines of the Bible. Instead, the truth is in Someone. Let's read the words of John 14: 6: " Jesus said to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but for me . "
Apart from my classes, I sometimes provide premarital counseling . They come to see me couples who want to make sure that all the details of their new life as husbands are ready before the wedding: that they have good jobs, economic security and a place to live. While all these things have their importance and it is useful to deal with them, they are not nearly as important as knowing that marriage is more than a matter of a permanent relationship with another person, of being attentive to their needs and of taking time to listen and take care of the spouse to ensure their happiness.
Essentially, a Christian is a follower of Christ. An Adventist Christian is a follower of Christ who eagerly awaits his soon return. And a Seventh-day Adventist Christian is a follower of Christ who loves him so much that he wants a foretaste of heaven every Saturday while waiting for his return. The fact that the truth is incarnated in a Person does not diminish the importance of the biblical teachings. It does not minimize the doctrines. On the contrary, it shows that all biblical doctrines radiate from the One who declared the way, the truth and the life.
Truth No. 5: The truth requires us to take a position
The Bible emphasizes that truth demands that we assume a position. It is true that many times it is not easy to live for the truth. It often demands courage and courage. In an exciting passage, Paul exhorts the believers in Ephesus:
For the rest, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand firm against the snares of the devil ... Take all the armor of God, so that you can resist in the bad day, and having finished everything, stand firm. Stand firm then, your loins girt about with the truth ( Ephesians 6: 10-14 )
In this passage the expression "be firm" is used three times. The apostle exhorts us to be firm and, having finished everything, to remain firm.
As we think about standing firm for the truth, the heroes of the Bible come to mind. Characters such as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who challenged the king's order to prostrate themselves and worship the image to music (see Daniel 3). They could have found excuses to prostrate themselves. They could have reasoned: How are we going to serve the Lord if he executes us? They could have said: "We are going to prostrate ourselves, but in our hearts we are going to pray to the true God of heaven. What's wrong? "However, they did not seek subterfuge or compromise. They remained firm for the truth. They remained standing, brave, facing the consequences. And because of this, when they were thrown into the furnace of fire, they were not there alone.
We remember Stephen, who prayed for his executioners to be forgiven while being beaten by the stones that would take his life (see Acts 7:59, 60), and also to Peter, who said: " It is necessary to obey God rather than the men "(5:29). These stories are beautiful and inspiring, but there are also people who are firm for the truth even today.
I know a young Adventist who finished law school and applied for a job at a prestigious law firm. At that time the firm was representing the tobacco industry in a lawsuit. He was asked what he thought about working to defend that industry. He could have nuanced or concealed his opinions about the damage cigarettes cause to get the job, but he did not. In the end, he did not get that job, but he had the satisfaction of remaining firm for the truth.
How do we act? When sexual temptation assails us, when we are tempted by alcohol, when we are invited to do something that compromises our relationship with Jesus Christ, how do we respond? Truth demands that, with courage, we remain firm for it.
Truth No. 6: The truth frees us
Jesus declared: " You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free " (John 8:32). I remember an important moment in my own emancipation. It happened in a prayer group when I was studying at the Georgia-Cumberland High School, in October of 1975. While I was on my knees with some of my friends, praying together, I gave my life to God and the peace and love of Jesus they flooded. I felt his presence and company as he had never experienced it before.
If someone asked me: Can you describe this moment of conversion in an analytical and dispassionate way ?, my answer would be, No. It would be like asking someone to explain through an equation how you feel when you are in love. While I had many feelings in the days and years that followed that encounter with my Lord, one of the most profound is that of freedom. Liberation from the burden of sin.
Liberation from the habits and passions that wanted to enslave me. Freedom to transform me into the person that God wanted me to be. Freedom to live a life of friendly relationship with my Creator and Redeemer.
Everyone who wants can have that same experience of liberation, security and hope. As Jesus declared, when we know and embrace the truth, we attain full freedom.