Truth

Ten top reasons why people tell me they resist following Jesus. 

• Religion is a personal thing, mind your own business.  
• They have never been given a clear presentation as to who Jesus is so they wouldn’t know how to follow him.  
• They would have to change how they live in order to obey him.
• Their family would be upset.  
• Jesus was just a prophet like Mohammed, Buddha, Moses etc. 
• They don’t believe Jesus is God or the only way to him. They advocate there are many paths to God one must just be sincere.  (In other words what is important is not path-selection but path-sincerity.—See Matthew 7:13,14)
• At a critical point or points in life, Jesus/God did not meet their needs or wasn’t there for them.  
• What they have seen of Christians has not been impressive and they have no desire to be affiliated.
• Christianity didn’t work for them.
• They like Jesus as Savior but don’t want him as Lord.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of responding to those who resist following Christ with unwise zeal. Before you fire your spiritual shotgun with blasts of Scripture pellets or perform amazing pen and ink drawings of a bridge or whip out a yellow booklet of four spiritual laws listen to what Peter said.  “but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

Somebody hold my mule!  This is good advice!  Who’s the Savior—Christ or us?  What does God ask us to set apart—our illustrations and debate skills or Jesus as Lord?  The truth that we are responsible for is the hope that we have in Christ.  We are not responsible for providing the hope someone else doesn’t have.  Beware of reducing Christianity to mental assent to a formula when Scripture clearly teaches the evidence of faith is a changed life!  If Jesus is the truth, He will prove Himself as true to anyone who is honestly searching. Very few people reject Jesus because they conclude He is not the truth.  Just the opposite, they stumble over His exclusive claims.  They reject Him on the basis of pride.  

Jesus never said, “You will know the truth now go set others free.”  He said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).  My testimony concerns what the Truth has done in my life.  Yes, I’m more than excited to share anytime about that awesome, knee-bending, heart-mending, peace-sending, sin-ending, Truth!  And you should be too!  Praise God, that’s effulgence!  
 
Meditation
John 1:14--The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 
Inspiration
Truth is not a system, not a constitution, nor even a creed; the truth is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and He is the truth about the Father just as He is the way of the Father.  Our tendency is to make truth a logical statement, to make it a principle instead of a person.—Oswald Chambers in Christian Disciplines
 
©1998 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)