Debates are designed to be "a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward." That's the way it works in politics. The sad part is that too much of life is handled through debate. We debate football teams, politics, peanut butter, and toilet paper. Why? Because we typically have our minds made up. It seems to me that too many people don't want to enter into an experience, they simply want to win an argument. Oh how we love to be right.
Listen to the words of Jesus: "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" {John 8:31-32}
Think about those words. Think about the impact they had upon the Jews who had believed in Him. This wasn't an issue to be debated. This wasn't an argument to be won. It's an invitation to enter into an experience. Jesus offers the same invitation to each one of us. We have been invited into an experiential relationship. The tragedy of modern Christianity is that we debate what is valid and what is not. We debate over what is available. We have taken "the truth" and turned it into an argument. Even if you win the argument...you don't step into greater freedom.
You might be wondering how I can make that statement. I'll tell you why. I was one of those people who loved to argue. I loved debating issues and topics. It really didn't matter what we were discussing because I could push my way through. However, in all of my arguing and debating of "spiritual truths" - I wasn't walking in freedom. The reason that I wasn't walking in freedom because I limited God to the box I had placed Him in. I limited God to my belief system. The more confident I became in my belief system the less I needed God to show up. It brings us to the question: "Isn't truth supposed to set us free?"
This question brings me to my conclusion. Truth is more than a certain set of principles. It is more than correct theology/doctrine. Truth is more than facts. The truth of God is truth in reality, in fact, and in any matter under consideration. What does Jesus say about truth? He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." And what you and I have to understand is that Jesus isn't up for debate. He is THE way. He is THE truth. He is THE life. The truth that sets us free is Jesus. The truth that will forever alter our reality is Jesus. The experience of life that we need to enter into is Jesus.
What you and I need is the experiential truth that is found in Jesus Christ. God is bringing into a place where it's not about memorizing verses, fulfilling commandments, or going through rituals. He's bringing you into a relationship where you get to encounter the truth of God daily. To quote Bill Johnson, "Any revelation that does not bring us into greater encounter only trains us to be more religious." We can have a belief system that is true and still miss out on the truth. I hope that makes sense.
Ask God to allow you to encounter the truth of who He is, the truth of His Word, and the truth of His Spirit dwelling inside you. This is the only truth that will set you free. AND...this truth is not up for debate.
1 comment:
Great points. I think we get so preoccupied with proving we're "right" by demonizing the "other," that we often fail to see how the division we display may hurt others and even lead people AWAY from Christ. When we focus on the need to prove our own self-worth through our affiliations, through the relentless pursuit of justification, through this "hey, look, the other guy failed! that means I win!" mentality-- then we lose focus of where our true worth comes from.
I read a status today that I loved:
"You can view Mitt Romney as a Corporate Tyrant and President Obama as a Capitalist hating Communist, OR, you can see them as they actually are: Great Americans and good people who have different views for the country. Support your opinions but don't bash other people for having theirs. Chances are your Facebook posts won't change the opinion of others. I personally am happy that so many people seem so engaged by this election."
I thought that said it all. We should be focusing on doing what is best for our country, not wanting to be part of the "winning team." We should be engaging in dialogue about what will lead our country in a positive direction, instead of turning politics into an American Idol popularity contest. We shouldn't be celebrating the perceived failure of ANY of our publicly elected officials, nor should we pride ourselves on the failures of others as a testament to our own morality/intelligence/righteousness/etc.
I used to love a good political debate. These days.... I'm just tired of hearing it. The fact checkers show that BOTH guys gave untrue information. And what led to this? The need to stomp someone else in the mud in order to prove your own abilities and worth. I would much rather see a politician focus on what he or she is going to do and has done, instead of trying to divert attention by focusing on how evil their opponent is. The whole thing is just tiring to me and, in the big scheme of things, seems so pointless. It's amazing how easy our attention can be diverted from our true belief system, to preoccupation with the systems of the world. I'm losing interest anymore, and certainly losing the desire to debate. The division it causes just isn't worth it.
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