The Standard of Truth

Introduction

Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Lincoln said, "Well, let's see how many legs has a cow?" "Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly. "That's right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?" "Why, five, of course," was the confident reply. "Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." 

"Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly. 

"That's right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?"

"Why, five, of course," was the confident reply.

"Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." 

We begin a study of the book of Colossians today and one thing we need to remember in the midst of our study is simply this…what is true…is true!

Paul was not in the business of building a kingdom but THE Kingdom. Paul had spent two years in Ephesus and during that time led many people from across the province of Asia to faith in Christ. One of these converts went back home to Colossae after a business trip or vacation in Ephesus and started this church…that man’s name was Epaphras.

Authorship and Date: Paul wrote the book of Colossians around 60-62 AD from prison in Rome. He was nearing the end of his life and had concern for the well-being of the churches across the Roman world even those he had not planted. Paul was not in the business of building a kingdom but THE Kingdom.

Paul had spent two years in Ephesus and during that time led many people from across the province of Asia to faith in Christ. One of these converts went back home to Colossae after the business trip or vacation in Ephesus where he had been saved and started a church…this man’s name was Epaphras.

Paul had spent two years in Ephesus and during that time led many people from across the province of Asia to faith in Christ. One of these converts went back home to Colossae after a business trip or vacation in Ephesus and started this church…that man’s name was Epaphras.

Occasion: Paul writes this letter because Epaphras had visited Paul in Rome with some troubling news about the church he had planted. They were listening to teachers who had horrible doctrine and terrible theology. These teachers were leading the believers into error and Epaphras hoped Paul might address it.

This is an important point to note…Everywhere and in every age the church has had to deal with heresy. There have always been teachers within the church leading others astray with unbiblical ideas and philosophies.

Poison is never so dangerous as when it is mixed with food. So error is never so dangerous as when it is the alloy of truth. Pure error would be rejected; but error mixed with truth makes use of the truth as a pioneer for it, and gets introduction where otherwise it would have none.

Sadly, so often the error or heresy comes from within the church and because it comes from within it gets a hearing and followers.

Acts 15:1 CSB

Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.”

But what compounds this and makes it even worse is when orthodox, Bible believing teachers and preachers refuse to refute and rebuke the false teachers and their errors. We have a responsibility…not to our opinions or personal ideas or even personal tradition…we have a responsibility to God and His Word…a responsibility to Truth as found in the Bible.

This begs the question…who are you listening to and are you holding them accountable by God’s Word? Some folks are scared to name names and call it like it is.

All too often we are like the fella trying to write a letter of recommendation for a difficult former employee. Writing letters of recommendation can be hazardous--tell the truth and you might get sued if the contents are negative.  Robert Thornton, a professor at Lehigh University, has a collection of "virtually litigation-proof" phrases called the Lexicon of Intentionally Ambiguous Recommendations, or LIAR.

Here are some examples: *To describe an inept person--"I enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever." *To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers--"I an pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine." *To describe an unproductive candidate--"I can assure you that no person would be better for the job." *To describe an applicant not worth consideration--" I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment."

Here are some examples:

*To describe an inept person--"I enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever."

*To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers--"I an pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine."

*To describe an unproductive candidate--"I can assure you that no person would be better for the job."

*To describe an applicant not worth consideration--" I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment."

Are some of you are listening to health and wealth preachers…Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland and the like…are others of you are listening to Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen…have you looked at what they actually believe and teach? Have you measured their teaching against the Word of God? Each are teaching theology dangerous to your spiritual health.

It is not enough to stand back and pretend doctrine doesn’t matter. We are talking about the soul, the eternity of human beings. What the church teachers and believes matters. What you believe, read, accept and teach matters too because you are part of the church.

What teachers are you listening to and what is your standard of truth.

At the time of the writing of Colossians there was no scripture outside of the Old Testament. The church was dependent upon Apostles of Christ Jesus, called by God to be His mouthpiece for truth and the guardians of the theology preached by Jesus.

Epaphras went to Paul because he was one of these standard bearers and guardians of truth…today that standard bearer and guardian is the Bible. Every teaching must be held up to and measured by the plumbline of God’s Word.

This begs the question…who are you listening to and are you holding them accountable by God’s Word? Some of you are listening to health and wealth preachers…Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland and the like…others of you are listening to Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen…have you looked at what they actually believe? Have you measured their teaching against the Word of God?

We are required to do this…it is not enough to stand back and pretend it doesn’t matter. We are talking about the soul and eternity of human beings. What the church teachers and believes matters. What you believe, read, accept and teach matters too.

It is in this climate that the book of Colossians was written. Epaphras went to Paul and asked him to address the heresy being preached to the people in the church he had founded after receiving the true Gospel from Paul.

So, this is why Paul begins his letter by putting forth his “Bona Fides.” “Bona Fides” are a person’s credentials and legitimacy. Paul opens the letter establishing his credentials and the simple fact that his words carry weight.

Paul was an apostle of Christ Jesus. He had been set apart for this work by the will of God. This gave His word weight… Paul was someone important and what he said mattered because it was from God and therefore true.

Paul’s calling in life was to be on mission for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To go and tell everyone about Jesus and plant churches in the process. This is what God called him to do and he was about the business of doing it.

This calling gave him a sense of authority to speak on behalf of God for the truth of the Gospel.

Holy and Faithful

Sometimes we need to take a hard look in the mirror and remember who and whose we are. Paul identifies the Colossian church as holy and faithful.

This is an important question. Paul understood his significance in terms of his calling. He knew the important thing to know about Paul was that he belonged to Christ and was called by Christ to a purpose.

Holy — They were chosen, set apart by God as a special people.

Faithful — Steadfast.

Each of us have been given gifts by God for use in His Kingdom purpose. Each of us are called to some specific service to God’s Kingdom in the exercise of these gifts. The important thing to know now is what that calling entails.

There was something special about the people who made up the church in Colossae and this “something special” is true of HTBC and every other Bible believing church too. We are set apart as the people of God. God loves us, chose us and make us His people.

You might be a doctor or a teacher in terms of profession but your profession is lived out in light of your Kingdom purpose. The fruit and gifts of the Spirit

This means when the world looks at us it should see the difference Christ makes.it should make an impression.

A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine. — DL Moody

Our life should be something which attracts or repels…

2 Corinthians 2:15–16 CSB

For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things?

To those being saved we are the aroma of life and to those lost we are the aroma of death. This is why we are persecuted by the lost…we are detestable to them. We are an anathema…we are intolerant, bigoted and hateful in their eyes…We are this simply because we believe in what God says is true

We are chosen, set apart, a trophy of God’s grace…His people meant to make much of Him.

We have not taken the road of Adam to determine right and wrong for ourselves…we do not live by what we think and our own opinions…we trust in God…we believe in what He says and submit to what He says is true.

We are chosen, set apart, a trophy of God’s grace…His people meant to make much of Him.

This is a great responsibility…God’s chosen people must remain faithful or we lose our saltiness…our witness is diminished.

We won’t be faithful by our strength but by God’s grace and power at work with us. For our part we choose to cooperate with the power of God at work within us.

Paul prayed for grace and peace to be given to the Christians in Colossae because it would only be by God’s grace that all would be right with their world…only by grace would they continue to be the steadfast people they were up to this point.

Only by God’s grace can we know the truth, be saved and continue to walk in the truth. We never become smart enough, good enough or wise enough to walk with the Lord on our own and remain faithful.

Part of making a faithful choice is holding on to the truth of God as revealed in the Word of God the Bible. This means holding any teaching to the plumbline of God’s word to test its purity and veracity.

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 CSB

but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:20–22 NASB95

do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 CSB

but test all things. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:20–22 NASB95

do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

Let me challenge you that you don’t have to know what every kind of evil is to avoid it…You simply have to know the truth well enough to identify the counterfeit when it comes your way.

Tomorrow we celebrate MLK Jr and his call for equality in the United States. But have you ever wondered just why inequality and racism existed so long in this country. Why it is still such a scourge on our land today? One reason is simply this…the church has not lived out its Kingdom purpose on earth in the United States.

In fact, in many cases churches helped to perpetuate and champion laws and beliefs which marginalized and dehumanized black people.

The Southern Baptist Convention itself was founded by those who supported slavery…they broke with northern Baptists over that very issue. Northern Baptists would not appoint missionaries who supported slavery so those who did support such broke away and formed the Southern Baptist Convention.

In a report on the subject of the SBC’s sinful past…a report commissioned and compiled by the seminary... "The founding fathers of this school — all four of them — were deeply involved in slavery and deeply complicit in the defense of slavery," writes school President R. Albert Mohler Jr., in a letter accompanying the report. "Many of their successors on this faculty, throughout the period of Reconstruction and well into the 20th century, advocated the inferiority of African-Americans and openly embraced the ideology of the Lost Cause of southern slavery."

We ask how could such a belief be held by people who claim to have faith in Christ…it’s simple…they listened to, accepted and believed false teachers who preached a heretical idea of humanity.

These teachers preyed on the ignorance and sinful prejudice of their congregations…never-mind that teaches us that Jesus had those of Hamitic decent in His bloodline…Jesus had black in His blood…destroying any idea of black inferiority.

What are you listening to? Who is your authority? What are you standing for? Is it true?

Conclusions

We have access to more education than any Christians before us. We can access through the phone in our pocket more information than Socrates, Plato, Einstein or Shakespeare every had access to. We have more access to theological helps and education than Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin or Helwys ever had.

We have the Bible in written form in our own language…we can read it any time we want.

We have the Holy Spirit of the living God and His grace at work in us…guiding, directing and leading us into all truth.

If we live in error it is largely a choice…any error in us can be found out and corrected in short order if we would take our questions, beliefs and ideas to God’s word.

Are you spending time in God’s word so you might know the truth well enough to spot error when it raises its head in your life?

Unfortunately we have a lot of people in the church today who like to bury their head in the sand and pretend everything is true…those who bristle at the idea of a standard of absolute right and absolute wrong.

Are you taking seriously the responsibility to be a standard bearer for truth…are you speaking up when what you know is true is challenged? Are you being salt and light?

People like to talk about speaking truth to power but how about we simply speak truth and let God be the power…there is no power to rival His. If we trust Him, what He says is true and believe…the gates of hell will never prevail.