Searching for love, Word, and the truth in a Culture of Lies…
In our search for truth often times we are distracted by the lies of this world. This world says the more money you have, the happier you will be. This world says the more sexual partners you have the happier you will be. This world says that the man needs to be hard so that nobody gets over on him. This world says that the woman needs to be defined by physical beauty. This world says church is just a scheme to put money in the pastor’s pocket. This world says that you don’t need the help of a God who was written about over a thousand years ago in a Bible…but that you can do it all yourself.  These are lies and unfortunately we live in a world of lies.
Once upon a time a phone call was made to a business man’s office and his secretary answered the phone. The business man yelled from his office, “Tell him I am not here!!â€Â A few moments later the secretary brought the phone to her boss. Now visibly agitated he reiterated, “Didn’t I tell you to tell him I am not here?â€Â She responded as she handed him the phone, “You can tell him you are not here.â€Â  She followed up with, “If I can lie for you, I can lie to you.â€
We live in a world full of lies but will you live the lie or do you want to know the truth?
Let us turn to Bible and see what that “old†book tells us? Very simply the Bible says in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is Truth.â€Â Jesus is telling us here that God’s Word is the truth and that this truth will “sanctify†us. It will set us apart. If you want to be different you don’t have to try and wear different clothes or try and buy a different car or try and have an exotic looking girlfriend. Just live the Word of God. You will be sanctified. You will be set apart. You will be different. Not better than your peers, but having made a better decision than the decisions of your non-believing peers. If two young men both get accepted to Harvard but one decides to go and get the ivy league education and the other decides to keep sleeping on his parent’s couch, that does not make one better than the other, but the one who decided to go to Harvard most likely made a better decision as it pertains to his future career. If you decide to follow Christ and let Him set you apart from the ways of the world you will be making a better decision. In fact Jesus says in John 8:31-32 “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.â€Â Again we see the Word of God mentioned and again we see it associated with the truth. So not only if we follow God’s Word will we be sanctified, but we will also be disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ. That means we will be like Christ. Don’t you want to be like the greatest man who ever lived, don’t you want to be like God? And we will not only be disciples but we will know the truth. And we will be set free from the bondage of sin as Jesus states in John 8:34 “…whoever commits sin is a slave to sin.â€Â That is the truth as much as we may not want to admit it. Ever since birth we have been slaves to sin fighting with our siblings, lying to our parents, getting drunk or high as a teenager or twenty-something, and driving faster than the speed limit as an adult…we have been slaves to sin. But Jesus came so that we could be set free. He came to teach us the truth, but it is our choice whether to follow it. In Luke 6:46-49 Jesus tells a parable about the man who heard Jesus and followed it, compared to the one who did not. When God is your foundation you will not be swayed by the troubles of this world, but if not, you will fall when the storm comes. Do you want to know the truth? Do you want to be set free? Do you want to be planted on the rock of Jesus? Or do you want to live a lie? Do you want to continue to be locked up in the bondage of sin? Do you want to continue to fall when the storms of this life come upon you? It is your choice.  “…As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.†– Joshua 24:15