The Inability To Situationalize Truth (Part 1)

By Wes Garland I don’t know how many times I have encountered people thinking that their situation, or another’s situation, changes the parameters of what truth really is. They think that the situation that they present is the ONE exception that God allows. But what is truth? Does truth change depending on certain parameters or does it stay constant? TRUTH, by nature, is ABSOLUTE. It declares the simple statement of what is reality and what is real and true. When God states a truth, NOTHING can alter the reality of that statement. Let’s discuss 3 areas in which people try to situationalize truth.     First, obeying the Gospel. I have encountered many people, even some in the church, that believe that “I know that is what the Bible says, but…” and then they will proceed into thinking that their specific situation MIGHT CHANGE the situation for them. People think that if they have the “right heart” God will somehow change the result for them because they think that their heart justifies their refusal of obedience. The fact is this. If the person has a “right heart” then they will proceed to do what God wants them to do. One of the aspects of obedience is that you are APPEALING TO GOD’S AUTHORITY through the actions of doing exactly what He wants us to do (Rom. 10:13). It is the answer of a GOOD CONSCIENCE (mind or heart) towards God (1 Pet. 3:21). You can never bend the rules of salvation to what we WANT to believe, but have to stand on the TRUTH itself. What does truth say? UNLESS a person obeys the Gospel, the vengeance of God will be upon them (2 Thess. 1:8-9). Unless a person repents from their sins, they will perish (Lk. 13:3,5). Unless a person believes and is baptized, they will not be saved (Mark 16:16). These are not our words or our impressions, but the SIMPLE WORD OF GOD. We just need to have enough faith to believe in what it says. John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.    Will we accept and obey or will we reject and be lost? Our choice.

- Wesley Garland preaches for Warners Chapel church of Christ in Clemmons, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://warnerschapelchurchofchrist.org/