“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” – 2 Pet. 1:2-3
Looking at the world around us it’s easy to wonder “What in the world is wrong with the world?” How did we get to this place? While this could be answered in several ways, I believe the answer is this – moral relativity has ripped the fabric of our society to shreds. Basing beliefs on that nothing is sacred or sure, everything is subjective. That’s why we see no clear lines of demarcation between right and wrong in the world. Everything is up in the air for whatever you want to grab. And if you take a stand for an absolute you will meet with disdain and debate, or worse. In the mind of most people each person is free to embrace their own “personal truth” – whatever that means. It’s no wonder that there is so much confusion and conflict. Without the absolute truth as our benchmark nobody knows what is right and wrong.
We ought to thank God that He has given us something more than the guesses of man. He has given us His infallible Word by which He can direct our steps, a sure guide that never leads us astray. So, now we have a firm foundation upon which we can rest and build our hopes. For our greatest needs to be met the Bible must be the basis for our beliefs and behavior. It is the only proven reliable source of truth. God doesn’t give us a mixture of truth and error. His book is true throughout. Therefore we must read it to establish and evaluate our beliefs. We all too easily deceive ourselves. But when we look into the word of God we see things as they are. According to James 1:23-24 it is like looking in a mirror to see ourselves as we really are.- warts and all. We need that lest we content ourselves being less than we ought to be.
But it doesn’t end there. Not only is God’s word plain, it is also powerful. It transforms. As we focus on the glory of the Lord seen in the Word of the Lord we “are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18). But be warned! We won’t always like what we see in the mirror. Nevertheless, we need a good look at ourselves anyway. So the next time you hear a sermon that is too personal to be pleasurable just remember – that’s what you need. The best sermons are those that help us become our best by being like Jesus! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
