The TRUTH is NOT ALWAYS in the MIDDLE (part 3)

Paul also wrote the Corinthians concernings spiritual gifts, and showed the equality of the members of "the body," comparing each believer to a member of the human body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 
I Corinthians 12:21-26  NIV, emphasis mine.

So with truth there is justice and thus equity and fairness.  The truth does sometimes bring about balance and moderation. 

But not always.


Our commitment is to the truth, whether it is extreme or moderate, whether it causes unions or separations, for sometimes truth unites, and at other times truth divides. 

Christ was and is the Prince of Peace who blessed peacemakers.  The death and resurrection of Christ brings peace between God and people, and between people and each other WHEN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTED ARE ACCEPTED!

But if Christ is rejected, then He does not bring peace.  He brings a sword that divides families and friends.  The Scriptures declare these absolute truths:

Friends of this world are enemies of God.
Those who are not for Christ are against Christ.
No one can serve two masters.  One master will be loved and the other hated.
God is light.  In God there is NO darkness AT ALL.

These truths are not "in the middle."  Truth, by definition, excludes falsehood or that which contradicts it.  This does not mean we should strive to be as obnoxious, abrasive, and blunt as possible, "in the name of the Lord!"  It does not mean we should see how many people trust in Christ, NO THANKS TO HOW RUDE AND STUPID WE ACT!!!

No.  We should speak the truth in love always, being as gentle as possible.  Yet at times, no matter how gentle we try to be, and no matter how loving we say it, the truth will indeed offend some who hear it!  Who is more gentle and meek than Christ?  Who has EVER been more loving and wise than the Lord Jesus?  Yet He was hated and called demon possessed!  He was accused of blasphemy and crucified as a result.  Therefore, as Christ warned His followeres, if we are as committed to truth as Jesus was, then we will experience the same responses He did.  The Lord Jesus said:

"For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world:  to bear witness to the truth.  All who are of the truth hear my voice." 

Our cause is His cause.  Those who hear Him will hear us.  Those who reject and hate Him will reject and hate us.

Followers of Christ are His witnesses, as well as witnesses of the truth.  They cannot, do not, and will not tolerate contradiction or compromise.  If a truth is "moderate," they will proclaim it.  If a truth is "extreme," they will proclaim it.  They live for and are willing to die for the truth.

Are you?

The TRUTH is NOT ALWAYS in the MIDDLE (part 2)

Put it another way. I have a phone number that you must dial PERFECTLY. If you get ONE number wrong, you will NOT call my phone. My phone number is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF CALLING ME BY TELEPHONE. No one can call me except by dialing my telephone number.

One address
One phone number

The truth about my address and my phone number is not "in the middle."

Now let's define truth and what it means for it to "be in the middle."

By "truth" I mean absolute fact or reality, that which exists whether we know it or not, like it or not, believe it or not.

Now when I say "the truth is always in the middle," I mean a belief that some have about reality or statements concerning reality. Those who say "the truth is always in the middle" or even "the truth is somewhere in the middle" or "the truth is usually in the middle" speak of balance or moderation, verses imbalance or extremism.

Take what I said about my address and phone number and apply it to what Christ said about Himself and His Father, or where His Father is.

Did Christ give a middle ground for reaching the Father, a way that we can consider "balanced;" a way that is not "extreme?"

What about "the mind of Christ" spoken of by Paul, the mindset that Paul told the Philippians to take as their own mindset?

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8

Does the kind of obedience Christ gave to God sound "in the middle" or extreme?

And what about the call to discipleship given by Christ, the call to "deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me?" Christ made it clear that anyone who refused to do those three things COULD NOT be one of His followers?

Sometimes the truth is extreme. Sometimes the truth is "in the middle," meaning "moderate" or "balanced." For example, the scriptural principle given by Paul concerning equality in the body in 2 Corinthians 8:15:

"Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

The TRUTH is NOT ALWAYS in the MIDDLE (part 1)

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

To be mistaken about the truth is to be deceived by definition, and is the foundation of spreading deception. I write to resist the deceiver, deception, and deceiving.

Jesus spoke the words quoted at the top of the page on the night in which Judas Iscariot planned to betray Him, the night in which He would be sentenced to crucifixion. The subject of discussion was where Jesus was going. The purpose of this discussion was the encouragement of the 11 remaining apostles. He told them they knew the way to the place where he was going.

Notice He said, "the way to the place," not "a way to a place." From the beginning He speaks of an exclusive place reached an exclusive way. Key word: exclusive.

If I gave you directions to my apartment in Key West, Florida, depending on where you were coming from, you would approach following those directions differently than someone coming from a different location than you were. For example, if you were at Denny's on Roosevelt Boulevard, and someone else was at Denny's on Duval Street, you both would come to me from opposite directions. You both would be at the same restaurant located at different addresses. You both would be coming to my apartment.

Here is the key. No matter what direction or address you and the other person came from, once you both reach Roosevelt Gardens, you must BOTH come THE EXACT SAME WAY to my apartment.

My address is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE EXPERIENCE of my apartment. No one can come to my apartment except by that address.