It Doesn’t Change What’s True

Sherry and I went to a church yesterday with some nice, sweet people who love God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They sang worship hymns, had a Bible teaching, and fellowshipped afterward. But I had to wonder what our heavenly Father, and especially what our loving Lord Jesus Christ, both thought about this. These people confused the two and kept calling Jesus God. That may be what they believe, but it doesn’t change what’s true.

I’ve applied for a teaching job in North Carolina where we are moving to. I want to teach because I love a learning environment and to see young people grow into noble and well-rounded adults. I also enjoy working with other educators who do the same. But whether or not I get this job doesn’t change God’s power, love, or kindness to me. I want to do His will, and I know that, as my loving Father, He will meet my every need. How do I know that? Because He promises it in Philippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

You see, no matter what we think, do, or don’t receive—none of that changes the truth. Here are some big truths [all promised by God and written by holy men who were moved by His spirit as in II Peter 1:21] we should remember each day:

• God is the Creator of all things that are good: love, light, power, joy, peace, strength, unity. [Genesis 1:1,31]
• That included spirit beings called angels. Lucifer, an angel, rejected God’s goodness and brings bad: hate, darkness, weakness, sorrow, strife, inability, war. [I John 2:11; 3:12,13; Galatians 5:19-21; James 3:16; 4:1]
• Now fallen, Lucifer, as Satan, convinced a third of the angels to follow him. They are called evil spirits today. [Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-19; Revelation 12:4,7-9]
• God created people with a body, a soul, and spirit. The original two people listened to Satan’s lies and also rejected the Creator’s goodness—and handed over their God-given dominion to him. [Genesis 2:7; 1:27,28; I Thessalonians 5:23; Isaiah 43:7; Luke 4:6]
• God immediately promised to send a Savior [anointed with God’s power and spirit] to redeem all people and bring them back to God’s full favor as His children. [Genesis 3:15]
• This promised Messiah would be born like no other person. He would be “the seed” of the woman. She would conceive by God, Who is Spirit. He would have free will to obey God. [Genesis 3:15; John 4:24; Luke 22:42; Hebrews 4:15]
• He would be of the line of both Abraham and David. He would be King of an eternal Kingdom and would be God’s Son. [Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16; Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:33; Psalms 2:7; Hebrews 5:5]
• After years of waiting for people to respond, God was able to reach a young girl named Mary. She believed and conceived a son, Jesus, who was that promised Messiah. [Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:31-35; Galatians 4:4]
• Jesus was a man in every way, yet God was his literal Father. Jesus read the scriptures and believed who he was. Even though Satan tried to trick him, Jesus always did what his Father wanted. He even chose to die physically, knowing that God promised to raise him from death to eternal life. [Mark 15:39; Luke 23:4; Acts 17:31; I Timothy 2:5; John 8:29; Romans 5:6; Matthew 12:40; 16:21; 17:23]
• After three days and nights, God did raise Jesus from death and he now lives with a new spiritual body. The risen Jesus is Lord over all things and still does his Father’s will. [Acts 3:26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30; 17:31; Romans 4:24; Philippians 2:9-11]
• Anyone who believes that God raised Jesus from the dead, and makes Jesus their Lord is born again by receiving God’s spirit within them. They can then walk by that spirit to do God’s will. [Romans 10:9,10; 8:1; Galatians 5:16,25]
• That spirit is called “Christ in you,” and the risen Christ is the “head” of those who are called and saved, the Church. [Colossians 1:27; 1:18; Ephesians 5:23]
• Those same people will also be gathered together by Jesus when he comes back in the future: the dead in Christ will rise from death, those alive will be changed. Both will have new spiritual bodies like Jesus’ new body. [II Thessalonians 2:1; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:24-28; 51-58; Philippians 3:21]
• There has always been only ONE true God. Now there is only ONE Lord over all things. All good things come from God, Who is our Father. All good things are available through Jesus, who is our Lord. We have blessings in this life, and we have the hope of future rewards throughout eternity. [I Corinthians 8:5,6; 3:11-15]
• God is all good and those who are saved in Christ will live eternally with Him. Satan, who is all bad, will be destroyed in the future. [I John 1:5; I Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 12:12; 20:10]

And no matter how we feel, or act, or what we receive, many things are NOT true:

• Jesus is God’s Son, and NOT God the Son. [John 1:18; 3:16; 5:17-20; 10:30-36; 20:31]
• God is light and in Him is NO darkness: He never sends sickness, want, fear, or disease to “chasten” us. [I John 1:9; James 1:13,17]
• God designed men and women: there are NO “in between” sexes. [Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6]
• There is evolution within “genus” in life, but there is NOT viable reproduction between them. [Genesis 1:12,21; Hebrews 2:14]
• Satan and his fallen angels are NEVER good. They viciously attack the minds and bodies of people. They want to kill the body, steal thoughts, and destroy any spiritual blessings from God. But Jesus came to overcome them. [John 10:10]
• Ignoring, rejecting, or mocking God’s promises will NOT change them. But those who do so, will sadly not receive them. [Matthew 5:18; 21:22]
• We should trust in God and His Son, NOT in our own limited body-soul abilities. [Psalms 20:7; Proverbs 3:5; II Corinthians 3:4,5]

Martin Luther, when confronted with lies and religious half-truths, is known to have said that all the opinions and councils of men do NOT change the truth. Yet, Satan does work in people to spread his myths and lies. Let’s be those people, who understand the scriptures and walk by the Father’s spirit, and who spread the good news about Jesus Christ and offer true solutions to Satan’s evil circumstances. That can change hearts to believe the truth, and bring gracious salvation and merciful forgiveness.