Thursday, September 8, 2005
John 14:6 " . . . I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
TRUTH AND OPINION IN A JELLY BEAN JAR
Maybe you've seen this done before at the office: Somebody will take a jar and fill it with jelly beans. Then everybody gets to guess how many are in the jar. Whoever guesses correctly wins the jar (and probably a visit to the dentist too). So, how do you know? If we all tried to figure it out, we'd come up with all sorts of different opinions about how many jelly beans are in the jar. If you're the one who counted the candy, it doesn't matter what anyone else THINKS . . . because you KNOW. The truth about the number of jelly beans in this jar isn't up for grabs.
It would be silly if someone would say, "Well, that may be your truth, but my truth is that there are 712 jelly beans in the jar." And it would be even sillier if someone else said, "I understand that 712 jelly beans is your truth, and it is a valid truth for you, and I respect that, but my truth is that there are 503 jelly beans in the jar."
The truth about the number of jelly beans in the jar still remains the same. There are some questions that only have ONE correct answer.
There are plenty of opinions we have that change throughout our lives. Because our opinions will change, our faith should not be grounded in the shifting sand of our own human opinions. What we trust in for our eternal home should not waver and change like trends in fashion. Jesus doesn't want us to trust in our own opinion, He wants us to trust in the truth He Himself says: " . . . I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." And that, my friends, will never change. As Hebrews 13:8 declares: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
