The Known Truth - "All is well"
Don't you believe it!
Ezekiel 14:3
“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?"
It's not easy to discern between the true and the false prophets. Often times they may all appear to be equally sincere, and even use the same Christianese. Likewise, those who listen to false prophets give them energy by their inclusion into the mainstream, and by giving them praise and financial support. The false prophets themselves are often self-deceived and self-deluded, having convinced themselves that what seems right to them or what wins public acceptance therefore must be true. In another sense, if it trends it's the truth. If it gets clicks it's got a following and therefore must be righteous. But is it the "known truth".
What is known truth?
I think one of the best explanations of known truth comes from the Psalm 119:160
"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever."
The sum of it. The totality of it all. The whole word, the whole gospel. Every part of it, not just the cherry picked warm and fuzzy verses that make one's day. But the heart of the word, the very heart of God. All of him and all the wisdom therein.
For example, when Israel is seized and many have gone off into captivity. Still remaining in the Jerusalem area were false prophets preaching your best life now. These practitioners of idolatry mingled sorcery and witchcraft with the proper form and rituals of the Jews word.
What does God think about these things?
The hearts of these people have fallen into sin. They've all become strangers to me, the Lord says. These false prophets and those who seek their guidance will all be punished for their sins.
They had the semblance of truth and borrowed integrity. And they preached the kinds of things the people wanted to hear. And they were very influential. They got the analytics and the numbers were good. And even as they taught "all is well", all around them Jerusalem was falling into sin, death, corruption, and captivity. These prophetic liars were like Baghdad Bob reporting that the Iraqi republican guard was winning against the advancing American forces as all around him for all to see were bombs falling and buildings collapsing. As far as Bob was concerned, his propaganda was the "known truth".
What does Jesus have to say about the known truth?
John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed 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.”
So let's dissect that truth so we can know it.
1. Believers - "the Jews who had believed"
Okay, so we're not talking about the unbelievers that's clear.
2. Abide - "if you abide in my word"
Apparently it's possible to believe and still not abide in Gods word (if). Abide by the way means to wait patiently and to accept without objection. If you're flip flopping around about wanting to accept the hard sayings, or even welcome them into your life, it's unlikely that you're going to be hearing the whole truth.
3. Disciples - "you are truly my disciples" Followers.
Imagine Jesus, surrounded by so many adoring fans, and he knows their hearts and minds, and so many are not his disciples. A true disciple is one who sincerely embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. What it's not is someone who likes some of the teachings but resists the ideas that rub them the wrong way, and teaches others to resist likewise as together they continue to claim association with that truth.
For a lot of the people, they only hear, "and the truth will set you free.”
What did the Apostles say about the known truth of the gospel?
1 John 4:6
"We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
You've got to listen to the gospels and take all of it to heart. It's so easy to fall into error, and in today's post modern relativism environment, it's no great fete to dismiss any gospel teaching with the words, "who's to judge?" Or, "well...that's your interpretation." And even more likely these days, "that's not my Jesus."
The apostle Peter said, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
The apostle Paul said, "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Did you see that?
The word of God is wisdom and discernment so power that it gets right down deep into the bones and organs. And even our thoughts. With the help of God's powerful word it is possible to know the "known truth" that hides inside everyone.
And we know this discernment is possible because Jesus said, "You know him (The Holy Spirit), for he dwells with you and will be in you (John 14:17b).
How does he dwell within you?
When you believe, abide, and follow Christ's ways (all of his ways).