Saturday, August 6, 2016
1 Corinthians 13:6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
WHAT DOES A LOVE FOR TRUTH LOOK LIKE?
"You can't handle the truth!" That's a powerful statement that is meant to keep hidden, to conceal the ugly truth. Why? Because the truth hurts? Because the truth IS sometimes very ugly, sinful, and unmistakably evil? Think about it. It's very similar to what Satan said in tempting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Satan was right in his half-truth. God did not want his children, Adam and Eve, to know the truth about evil. He did not want them to be disobedient. He did not desire them to learn the truth about sin, sorrow, and death. He warned them and gave them the opportunity to trust His loving warning, to trust His truth. But they followed the devil instead.
The ugly truth is, each day you and I do the same thing. The truth hurts because not only do we live in a fallen world, but we are infected with a heart of sinful disobedience as well. Hateful thoughts, self-righteous attitudes, carelessness towards God’s words and warnings. We can't handle the truth about our sin and the punishment we deserve for that sin, eternal death in hell. But our Savior God knew that too, and He had a plan to handle it! 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
That's good news for us! Rather than delighting in evil like Satan and his followers do, as believers in Christ we "rejoice in the truth!" The truth about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The truth about His resurrection from the dead and what that means for us! We can handle that truth, that firm promise to us! So what does a love for this truth look like?
Romans 12:9 says, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."
Jesus, my Truth, my Way, My sure, unerring Light,
On Thee my feeble soul I stay, Which Thou wilt lead aright.
My soul to Thee alone, Now, therefore, I commend.
Thou, Jesus, having loved Thine own, Wilt love me to the end.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 433:1, 6)
