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Truth Matters
I often wonder why it is that a person would strongly embrace a lie while ignoring the truth. Are they just confused? Have they never been confronted with the truth? Is the lie more convenient and in keeping with what they “want” to believe?
Don’t misunderstand me. I am well aware that all of us can be innocently misled by bad information or even badly deceived by someone who intentionally lies to us. Or even more common, at times I believe what is not true because I simply presuppose the way I think it is or because I have no knowledge of what the truth is. For instance, I might believe the shirt I buy at Lo-mart with a label saying, ‘made in Thailand, ’was sewn by middle-aged factor workers paid fair wages because that is my American context. I understand that believing a lie can happen by ignorance or by fraudulent intention.
The mystery for me though is why people who have been presented with evidence that there is ‘truth that matters’ seem determined to remain ignorant, or even worse, they go to great lengths to construct a reality that supports the lie. For instance, the number of people around the world who believe that the Holocaust is a myth mystifies me. I love the quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn, “We do not err because truth is difficult to see. It is visible at a glance. We err because this is more comfortable.”
There are times, that being ignorant of the truth or even believing a lie is no big deal. For instance if advertising convinces me that Oil of Olay will indeed remove my wrinkles, no great harm comes except I spend money on a product that simply makes me “feel” like I have stopped the aging process.
Tragically however, being ignorant of the truth or embracing a lie most often results in devastating results! We have all read the headlines of a family who dies in a home fire because they scotch taped together frayed power cords and continued to use them; or the teenager electrocuted in the bathtub when the radio on the edge of the tub fell in the water; or a young dad drowns skiing without a life vest because he was a ‘strong swimmer!’ TRUTH MATTERS!
Various pastor-leaders in the Church of God reformation movement who were concerned that we were drifting further and further from ‘truth that matters’ launched Pastor’s Fellowship in the mid 70’s. Their desire was to clearly articulate doctrines from the word of God that have great impact on daily living and therefore, on eternity. Over the years, Pastor’s Fellowship has been open and creative to lifting those distinctions and finding methods for continuing to fulfill this goal. This publication is a continuation of that effort and energy in a time and a society where it seems the truths of God’s word is less and less embraced and more and more needed!
We remain committed to the message of God’s word and to the understanding of the truths that matter deeply. Our American culture has slid further and further down the dangerous path of believing that no matter what people believe or embrace, no matter what alternative lifestyle they feel attracted to follow it should be provided for with equal acceptance. Congregations have begun to translate this into no matter what a person believes, no matter their variant doctrines, they should serve on boards, committees and even teach in our Sunday School class rooms. When disastrous results occur from this approach to life – secular or religious – there is surprise and amazement. “What could have possibly gone wrong, how could this have been prevented?” Well, TRUTH MATTERS! You can’t get around it.
I am not supporting a return to dogmatic ritual or calling for a creed that we sign, seal and require. Not by any means. I am however, echoing the cry of God, Himself when he spoke to the prophet Hosea and said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (4:6 KJV). There is great need today for pastors and leaders in congregations to discipline themselves to study and know God’s word and the doctrines that guide our daily walk in Him.
Over the years Pastors' Fellowship has lifted significant truths that matter. Don Neace, former editor of Reformation Witness outlined the teachings listed below. We remain committed to these truths, and to lifting them for the church today, that in understanding them and in teaching them we will not only be faithful to that which we have been called within the Church of God, but we will impact the Kingdom of God for missional living and transforming lives.
THE WORD OF GOD:
The Word of God, the Bible, is forever settled; therefore, it is absolute in its authority and final in its judgments. More than mere human thought, the Word is "Inspired of God," infallible and inerrant.
THE CHURCH:
The name "Church of God" is used more than a dozen times in the New Testament and thus gives Biblical authority for its use as the name of the church. Much is said in our Movement about "seeing" the church. The Church of God is a movement and not a denomination.
The Church is the body of Christ - that is, the members - that he uses to do His work on earth. Christ is the head and we are members of His body. This Biblical truth leaves no room for human systems that seek to establish earthly headquarters and leaders of the church. If there is only one body, there can be only one head; and if there is only one head, then there is only one body.
Salvation makes you a member of God's church. The instant you are born again you become a part of the Church. We believe that God wants all of His people to be one just as He is one. Divisions are wrong. Therefore, we work to unite all of God's people into one. "We reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one."
THE KINGDOM OF GOD:
The Church of God preaches the present reality of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is a spiritual realm in which Christ is already King. The Kingdom of God is not political or geographical. It is the whole realm of God's rule in the universe. The Kingdom is present and has been so since the earthly ministry of Christ. The Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ and since his advent he has been reigning in the hearts of all redeemed persons. There is no need to wait for future events to take place in order for the Kingdom to be realized.
SANCTIFICATION and HOLINESS:
Holiness is the very nature of God. Basic to our understanding of holiness is the concept of wholeness or completeness that is possible only through yielding to the Holy Spirit. The extent of grace goes beyond the initial forgiveness of sin in conversion to the sanctifying of our very nature through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Biblical theology is important in this matter. We can be sure that there is a crisis experience in the Holy Spirit beyond that of initial conversion. This experience equips the child of God to live a life of holiness, revealing total commitment to the will of God and wholeness to life. The term "second work of grace," reveals that it is subsequent to or follows after regeneration.
DIVINE HEALING:
Divine healing and belief in its reality is reasonable on the ground of the divine promises that are expressed or implied in the Scriptures.
Divine healing is physical healing by divine power directly manifested in answer to prayer and faith. The classical text on divine healing is James 5:13-18. There the Church is commanded to anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over them. Such anointing was practiced by Jesus' disciples in their healing of the sick. Similar in purpose to anointing with oil is the laying on of hands in prayer for the healing of the sick. The laying on of hands by those who are called to pray for the sick is a symbolic conveying of divine power, much as there was a giving of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the apostles' hands.
END TIMES:
The second coming of Christ is affirmed throughout the New Testament. The Church of God has traditionally taught the Amillennial view of end times. We believe the Bible.
I pray that as you read these articles and consider these truths, you will search even more diligently to practice and proclaim truths that matter! Truth Matters Editorial Team
David Devoll, Joe Gregory, Jeannette Flynn, Allan Hutchinson, Danny Goins Ben Murphy, Steve Williams
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