DEVOTION, Nov. 18, The Church, #4

I also believe in the church because the church proclaims absolute truth in this relativistic age in which we live.  Allan Bloom, in his book The Closing of the American Mind begins with these words:  “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.”  He explains that “openness” is the new creed of the day, and the only heresy is committed by those who are not open, but who affirm dogmatic truth.  He writes, “There is no enemy other than the man who is not open to everything” (p.27).  I have my belief; you have yours.  I have my moral standards; you have yours.  I have my lifestyle; you have yours.  This attitude is totally contrary to our Christian faith. We believe the Bible contains absolute truth.

Do you grasp what this intellectual environment means for us as Christians?  We must either deny the basic truths of our faith and agree that religion is a matter of opinion, or we are enemies of society.  I am one of those dangerous persons who does not accept the relativity and openness of today’s society.  I am glad there are still some churches around who are not afraid to go against the grain of modern society and declare, “Thus saith the Lord.”  I’m glad there are still churches around who are not afraid to speak the truth.  I believe in the church.

The God of the Bible is a God who loves us, and in His love, tells us precisely what will please Him and what will provoke His wrath.  He certainly gives us the freedom to make our own choices, but He also makes it very clear that if our choice goes contrary to His will, life will not go well for us.  Since I believe the God of the Bible is the only God who exists, I appreciate the fact that there are still churches around who proclaim the absolute truth of God — and who do so without compromise. I thank God for the church.

Blessed Father, I thank You for the church. Thank You that You have entrusted Your church to preserve and proclaim the Sacred Scriptures. Thank You for churches that refuse to bow to modern society’s changing opinions and continue to declare the absolute truth found in Your Word. May our church in Warsaw always be such a church, fearlessly proclaiming the name of Jesus as the only hope of the world, in His name, Amen.