truth lived out

the pursuit of truth is important. what we believe, and give intellectual assent to is incredibly important. how that truth (about god, jesus, bible, etc) translates into flesh and blood, our everyday interactions is of paramount importance. and here lies my struggle in conversations i have been having lately. we can agree on truth and disagree on how that truth impacts my life. does that even make sense? a good analogy is the jew's expectation of a messiah. they knew the scriptures - they erected law after law to be obedient to those laws (the truth), and yet when it was walking around in front of them they didn't have the eyes to see it. they couldn't see the truth, embodied in the person of jesus. when the "word" became flesh, he was unrecognizable to those who were "experts in the law." now we have to ask, could this happen today?

that scares the ______ out of me. it really does, because i can know, or claim to know every piece of truth god ever revealed in his word and still miss what jesus is doing and will continuing to do on this earth, and for the rest of eternity. we can know truth and abuse it we apply it - when we live it out! we can repeat the tragedy that happened when christ walked the earth 2000 years ago. which is the religious elite of the day, instead of embracing god in the flesh rejected him because of his announcement to repent and live under the new order (the kingdom of heaven), and his condemnation of the jewish systems of the day. knowing truth and "knowing" truth are two different things. i can know every fact about god, faith, steps to salvation and church organization, and miss the "truth" that is found in jesus. why do we read our bibles? why do we contemplate meditate and then render interpretations about scripture?

how you answer those questions in large part determines how it will translate into your daily life. seeking truth involves a relationship - not with the bible, but with a resurrected lord! so we study the bible and allow it to seep deep into our souls. we trust jesus to do the work of salvation and transformation. we trust the holy spirit to provide guidance, wisdom and insight. we stand for truth and acknowledge it wherever it is found, but we (by god's empowering grace) live it out daily!