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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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2 John 7-9
“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is a deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
It’s Christmas Eve.
Christmas isn’t about Father Christmas (Santa) coming – it’s about “Jesus Christ coming in the flesh.”
Remember this – never ever forget – “Jesus Christ” came to earth – “in the flesh.” We are right to celebrate the Saviour’s birth. He came into the world, born of the Virgin Mary. O.K., we may have the actual day wrong but the importance is – Celebrate the Importance: “Jesus Christ [came] in the flesh.”
Why is that so important? It was important to John who was out to counter Gnosticism, which basically said that the spirit is pure and the body is evil - so God couldn’t and wouldn’t have come “in the flesh.” But God doesn’t consider the body evil – He made it and saw that it was good (see Genesis 1:26-31).
The problem with Jesus is that He demands a verdict. He will not just ‘go away’. We have to make a choice. The challenge is that both options are hard. If you refuse Him as your Saviour, He becomes your Judge and you go to eternal Hell. If you accept Him as your Saviour, you have to admit you’re wrong, confess your sin, humbly ask for forgiveness and then hand over total control of your life to Him as Lord.
That is why there is so much debate and procrastination. “I don’t want to go to Hell, but I don’t want to own up to being wrong and I certainly don’t want to lose control of my life.” So we try and work out some sort of compromise. “Jesus was just a man. Oh yes, a very good man and his moral teaching greater than that of anyone who has ever lived. I accept that – but let’s not get carried away.”
But Jesus is not just a great moral teacher because He claimed to be God and if He is God, I have to submit to His Lordship. If He is not God, he is not good, but a crank, a nutcase, an out and out deliberate liar of the worst kind, or a deceiver. He cannot be just ‘good’.
The Bible cannot be partially true. It is either completely true and something we can base our lives on or we should throw it away.
As I’ve tried to show, albeit inadequately, the Bible has the ‘Ring of Truth’ running right the whole way through. We can trust it, we can rely on it. Indeed, it should form the very basis of our faith, life and practice.
Remember – God will never be Father, except through the Son – Jesus.
Don’t lose your faith over someone else’s struggle, ignorance or arrogance.
Hold on to Jesus. If necessary – “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
For “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14).
Ponder, wonder and worship.
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