The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love
in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; For
the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Grace be
with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
We need truth. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are
being persuaded daily into thinking and feeling certain ways. From the
conversations we have with family and friends (who themselves are being
convinced into believing a set of details) to the engaging age of advertisement
that grippingly holds our gaze and with it our minds, we are being coerced into
believing certain things are “true.” The sad fact is that many of the details
that are peddled to us are not biblical, and hence are just not true.
Through television commercials and friendly persuasions, we
are convinced that the best way to describe human beauty is in terms of hair
color, face shape, body size, and skin shade. Young men and women are being
force-fed half-truths about beauty, and their desperation and frustration pours
out through their tears. Social media instead of serving the healthy purposes
of magnifying the God that we serve or even the amoral purpose of keeping
friends in contact, instead becomes a platform for “one-up-man-ship.” Day in
and day out, the tragedies and glories of a day must be chronicled and the
mundane must be proclaimed in such a way that people will “like” it. At some
level, culture has convinced us that our affirmation must come from those
around us, and many live in this social media captivity. Clothes are no longer
designed for covering the body, and food is no longer sold for filling the
belly and giving strength and health.
The shackles of appetite and desire are fastened securely through all
the facets of culture, and sadly, many willingly extend their own wrists and
ankles to accept the bondage.
So, we need truth. The lies of culture, the deceit of our
own hearts, the confusion of well-meaning uninformed friends have all
snowballed into the lives of God’s people. When you drink from a poisoned well,
you will get sick, but if you can find a pure fountain of Truth, life and
liberty can be had. Truth is the focus of 2 John. John desires that all
Christians know truth and live in it. He desires that deceit and lies not be
allowed to creep into the minds of God’s children. We must learn to question
the enslaving lies that we hear too often. We must become a discerning people
who, with a love for God’s truth, can see through the enchanting deceit of
desire and appetite to the gluttonous end of destruction. God offers truth. God
alone is Truth. All that is true comes from Him. Now, we must run to Him if we
would live.
Food For Thought: Give two lies that culture tells us. What
is God’s truth in these matters?
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