What is Truth?

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by Mark Malcolm

Verse 

12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.
13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,
14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
2 Peter 1:12-15 (NASB)

Devotion 

Peter, the rock of the church, wrote that he thought it was “right” to stir up the fledgling church, followers of Jesus Christ. He did this because he knew they had been established in the truth by Christ himself. This timeframe is still in the first century as Peter himself writes these words, having been an active follower of Christ and personally in daily contact with Him. 

What did Peter believe was “true”? To what is he referring when he states his readers “…already know them…”? Are these things still known to us today? 

Yes, they are. 

Where are these things if they are known to us today? The answer to that question is simple. The truth is contained in scripture, the Bible. It is this document that fulfills Peter’s promise that we “…will be able to call these things to mind.” We may access the truth anytime we have a desire by simply opening and reading the Bible. 

If that’s the case, then why do some avoid studying scripture? Perhaps they are aware that it contains truth but are not interested in learning what true is? The idea that “well I didn’t know that was a problem” simply isn’t going to be good enough when the time comes to stand before the judgment seat. Or is it? Will our ignorance be able to excuse our behavior by simply explaining “I didn’t know it was wrong”? Perhaps. 

Why is this the excuse some use? What motivation is in their heart to avoid discovering the truth for themselves? Was this the plan Peter had for the use of this information? Worse yet, what of those things we are aware of but selectively chose to ignore or not dig into? Will that excuse be enough for those situations? 

This is all troubling, or should be, until we realize we are a work in progress. We ourselves, those we gather with in church, the congregation, the whole of the Church big “C”, and the world outside our doors all are a work in progress. None of us is a completed effort yet, and Peter knew this. 

This knowledge of incompleteness settles in a peace over us that is calming. We can accept this peace because while the troubling questions above may be true for us (one, some, or none of them may be) we continue to have the opportunity to change. 

Be careful though thinking everyone knows or thinks as we do. In all cases assuming a heart-position of someone else is a judgment we cannot make. This has dangerous ramifications for ourselves and is to be avoided. The peace we seek from the knowledge of the truth is found in the fact that as long as we base our heart-positions off what we find in scripture we should have no fear of what another person says about that position when they too come from a basis in God’s word. If we make all things rooted in His word from the Bible, then we have no need to fear any time someone rises “…to stir you up by way of reminder…” When the Bible is the basis of that stirring we have no need to fear because the truth is involved and through a loving heart we will arrive at that truth that God seeks for all of us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Bio from my web site :

Smiling Mark IIMark Malcolm is a child of God, husband, father, project manager, technical writer, gamer, fiction writer, Marine (’87-’91), has practiced Shao Lin Kung Fu and Tai Chi, been published in magazines and newspapers (editorial anyway), and seen the Southern Cross.

The goals he has currently are to more accurately identify the path God has for him to walk, continue to provide for his family, establish a solid web presence, build a career writing novels through both traditional and independent publishing, and learn to better relate to the people around him.

http://www.firstchevalier.com/about-the-cavalier/

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