Truth2Freedom's BlogThe mindset in postmodernism is that objective truth does not exist. But in post-truth, the person believes that objective truth exists, but they subordinate truth to their preferences, or their comfort. In other words, one doesn’t care that truth exists or what the truth is if it doesn’t line up with one’s preferences. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" - George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. Faith in Jesus Christ is our response to God's elective purpose in our life. These two truths--God's initiative and man's response--co-exist throughout the Bible. The gospel is "the message of truth" because truth is its predominant characteristic. Salvation was conceived by the God of truth (Ps. 31:5); purchased by the Son, who is the truth (John 14:6); and is applied by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). To know it is to know the truth that sets men free (John 8:32). Believers are people of the truth (John 18:37), who worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), and who obey the Word of truth (John 17:17). People have rejected, neglected, redefined, and opposed God’s truth for centuries. Some cynically deny that truth even exists or that it can be known by men (John 18:38). Others foolishly think that denying truth will somehow make it go away. Truth determines the validity of one's belief. Believing a lie doesn't make it true. Conversely, failing to believe the truth doesn't make it a lie. The gospel is true because Jesus is true, not simply because Christians believe in Him. His resurrection proved the truth of His claims and constitutes the objective basis of our faith (Rom. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:3). Truth is our protection and strength (Eph. 6:14). Throughout history, people have tried everything imaginable to gain favor with God. Most turn to religion, but religion apart from Christ is merely a satanic counterfeit of the truth. At the heart of every false religion is the notion that man can come to God by any means he chooses--by meditating, doing good deeds, and so on. But Scripture says, "There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). That name is Jesus Christ, and we come to Him by confessing and repenting of our sin, trusting in His atoning death on the cross, and affirming His bodily resurrection from the grave (cf. Rom. 10:9-10). There is no other way to God. False religious leaders and teachers talk much about God’s love, but not His wrath and holiness; much about how deprived of good things people are, but not about their depravity; much about God’s universal fatherhood toward everyone, but not much about his unique fatherhood toward all who believe in His Son; much about what God wants to give to us, but nothing about the necessity of obedience to Him; much about health and happiness, but nothing about holiness and sacrifice. Their message is full of gaps, the greatest of which leaves out a biblical worldview of the saving gospel and replaces it with the worldview of postmodernism with its dominant ethical system of relativism. The Bible describes mankind in the end times: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). Spiritual answers cannot be deduced by human reason alone (1 Cor. 2:14). It’s not that spiritual truth is irrational or illogical, but that human wisdom is defective, because it’s tainted by man’s sinfulness, and unable to perceive the things of God. That is why the Bible is so important. It gives us the answers we can’t find on our own. It is God’s Word to mankind. Scripture is divinely revealed truth that fills the vacuum of spiritual ignorance in all of us. Post-truth is the word of the year for 2016 and also the philosophy of the day, According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. In a “post-truth” world, people make choices based on emotion and experience rather than objective fact. So in a post-truth world, truth is irrelevant. What exactly is a post-truth culture? It’s a culture where truth is no longer an objective reality. It has become subjective. It’s what’s true for me—my beliefs, my opinions, determine my truth. So in our post-truth culture, man determines truth. Man makes himself the ultimate authority. This starting point, which rejects God’s Word and the idea of moral absolutes, makes truth subjective. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Christianity is grounded in objective truth. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Objective truth exists because we have God’s Word. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and Paul and James describe the Bible as “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18). The Psalmist says, “The entirety of your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). Jesus Himself said, “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6), He wasn’t expressing His personal belief or opinion. He was speaking the truth, a fundamental reality that doesn’t change from person to person. It doesn’t matter if our culture thinks all roads lead to God. The truth of the matter is “no one comes to the Father but by [Jesus].” This blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." - George Orwell
Beautiful!
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thanks for your visit
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As I read through this beautiful poem.. I remembered your loving words to me.. just a few months ago.. that a garden of verse resides in my heart…which is yet to flow. Love you ❤
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you are a sun filed garden – hugs
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An enjoyable and insightful poem.
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Indeed a nice reflective poem about your poetry and I suspect aspects of it are true for many poets.
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I really enjoyed this 🙂 So much more is said when you read between the lines. I’m sure most of us can relate. Lovely write, indeed 🙂
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And this is a another fragrant bloom added to the garden Leslie…beautiful..
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I love the lines,”connect the dots together the poetry is me.” Wonderful , Leslie!
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Very clever and artfully executed.. Will be back for more…
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liked the rhyme of verse with traverse & your life between the stanzas
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Wonderful rhyme, and I especially loved the ending four lines! 🙂 Enjoyed visiting you from the Pantry. Thank you.
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I agree that perhaps these lines are true for many poets….we who live between the lines. Smiles. I always think that if one reads a person’s poetry enough one does indeed ‘connect the dots’ and know the poet well! I enjoyed the way you expressed this idea, Leslie.
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Lovely, my friend. These are similar to the feelings provoked in me when I sift through my work.
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really beautiful….especially love that last line that brings all the images together…’the poetry is me’
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This is beautiful. I like how it reflects a life in words, expressing and creating who you are. Lovely.
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i smiled while reading this as if i am lead to a place i’ve wanted to see for a long time. thanks for sharing how some of the verses came to life 🙂
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“I live between the stanzas….the poetry is me.” How perfect!
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I live between the stanzas…. so true.. often wonder if people can actually see the person between the words of a poem!
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Perhaps we all live in between the stanzas…hoping hoping that someone will find us there…beautifully written…
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pick us and gaze at us – yes…
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We live between the lines in the garden of verse… the thought just made me smile… 🙂
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Thank you. As I face the daunting task of unpacking thirty years of written pages (mostly poetry) I needed this reminder today. I will look for the nuggets and golden blossoms.
Elizabeth
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/
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Happy unpacking – I know that is a labor. Enjoy the blossoms
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To expose ourselves in verse is an act of bravery. Great poem.
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Yes, I always think mine is my real diary! 🙂
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A wonderful reflective poem, Leslie. Straight from a poet’s heart.
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