The Diamond Standard

It seems that the farther we go down the road in history (speaking in terms of the years traveled during my own life), the more disappointed I become with what I see as a slowly creeping erosion of the truth and a growing accommodation of changing societal values by some who report to posit the teachings and values of our Lord. What troubles me at times is the apparent weight shifting of some who in an effort to avoid causing offense, seem to be sidestepping certain declarations of the Lord or are finding ways to creatively and/or apologetically pander to the potentially offended. In doing so they're leaving the truth behind and as a consequence the truth seems to be losing its value to a society wandering in search of its own temporary pleasure.

But the truths of our God are like the many facets of a brilliant diamond - each reflecting the light of His glorious and beautiful character and life giving wisdom for our benefit. When they're hidden by men it doesn't diminish His character or His wisdom, but instead darkens the environment around those He might be seeking to enlighten ... and exposes those doing the hiding to His gaze. Mankind only degrades itself when it seeks a lower standard of truth.

An example of the glaring truth is that I have sinned. That's a scriptural fact and one that doesn't offend me. It's the humbling and honest truth of my position before an awesome God according to His unchangeable standards - standards that no one can change to be judged by. Only a sinful lack of humility could defy that. It's only one of countless many revealing and life giving truths that He makes available to us. If I didn't know that I was a sinner, I likely would never acknowledge that I needed a savior. I do and I did, but what if the person that the Lord had chosen to reveal that truth to me had hidden or failed to reveal it as He intended?

There may be some people in the world who either aren't strong enough to accept the truth or are so blinded with weakness by the trappings of their own sin as to be defiantly unrepentant who will one day be inescapably forced to accept it. If so, it's their choice to reject it, but there are some others who would repent if the truth were told without apology, without omission and without redesign. The truth was created and given by God. It's not mine to change, nor do I have any right to apologize for it. The truth doesn't belong to me. It's mine to hold and to be blessed by, but it belongs solely to its omnipotent author.

Any attempt to soften the truth of what our God has declared is a dangerous exercise and one that steals from the amazing and undeserved sweet kindness of the gospel. It has the ability to minimize the magnitude of our failure and the consequent desperation of our standing before God. It in turn robs from the beauty of Christ's selfless gift and emaciates deserved gratitude. That ... offends me. It also has the affect of minimizing or ignoring what God Himself in His omnipotence has said ... and I don't doubt that offends Him ...

It's a truth that though I've sinned and am still imperfect, I am redeemed. Because of the truth I'm no longer condemned to suffer the penalty of my failures due to my acceptance of Christ's sacrifice of His own life in my place to save me from the penalty that I once well deserved. It's a truth unspeakably precious to me, and one full of the overwhelming love of an amazing and righteous God toward a tiny and otherwise utterly insignificant creature by comparison. My ability to truly revel in my undeserved liberty before this same God now is based in part on my ability to embrace the full magnitude of my desperately damned disposition before Him prior - the truth. Because I learned the truth, the truth in turn allowed me to be saved. The real and undefiled truth is an awesomely wonderful thing!

If I lack within me a wellspring of unending praise and worship of my God - boiling over and unable to be contained at times, or I fail to reflect Christ, perhaps it's because I've tragically lost touch with the reality of His truth and it's work in me - once compassionately revealed to me by someone willing to tell the truth as it was. I'm being changed continually by seeking the diamond standard and recognizing the value that He's placed on me. So perhaps the next question that could be asked of me or anyone else who knows the truth: do I value others that He loves less than He does by hiding the truth and the life that He freely offers to anyone from them?

Here's yet another truth. That truth says that no one goes unseen and no one goes unheard ... and it's possible that one day we may be called to account for a truth that He's already witnessed ...