Truth and Compassion
Compassion is not a co-equal to truth. Otherwise the Bible would declare it.
As Christians living in an emotionalized, psychologized, and overly-therapeutic age we must never allow our sentiments to eclipse God's Word or God's reality. God's Word and God's created reality are true whether or not people believe it or not. The more we adhere to and integrate God's Word into our lives, the closer to God's reality we will live. Conversely, the more we listen to and adhere to the lies of the world (the spirit of the age), the further away from truth we drift.
The Apostle Paul harkens us back to truth and reality…
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
"The only way to replace the error of the world’s way of thinking is to replace it with God’s truth, and the only infallible source of God’s truth is His revealed Word, the Bible. Transformation through renewed minds comes as believers expose themselves to God’s Word through the faithful exposition of it each week in church, personal Bible study, and group Bible study. A solid church that believes in preaching the Word, reading the Word, and singing the Word is invaluable in helping us renew our minds.
There are no shortcuts. There is no magical formula for renewing our minds. We must fill our minds with God’s Word. As Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). - GotQuestions.org
Compassion is an expression. It must be rooted in truth. Compassion grounded in truth is good. However, when we absolutize compassion and elevate it, we transform it into an idol that sets itself up as a co-equal to God’s truth.
In Matthew 9:35-36, Jesus was walking through the mass of human suffering and brokenness:
"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd..."
Jesus Christ (who embodies the Truth) perfectly understood the cause of their disease, affliction, harassment, helplessness, and lostness. The horrible experiences described in Matthew 9 were the results of the fall and sin. They are present realities today. This is true - just look around you and in your own heart. When surrounded by the broken masses, Jesus was moved to compassion. He had pity and mercy for the people. His compassion flowed from who he was (the Truth) and the truth about fallen state of humans created in His image. Jesus saw through human eyes His image-bearers marred by sin. He touched with human hands the physical afflictions and pain caused by sin. John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
When Christ dwelled in a tent of flesh and encountered the brokenness and devastating results of sin, He was moved to compassion. As He healed every disease and every affliction, those around Him bore witness to His glory. As Christ proclaimed the truth of the Gospel - the good news of the in-breaking rule and reign of the King of Heaven into human misery - He poured out His grace upon the people ravaged by sin.
Jesus Christ said, “I am the truth...", "I came to bear witness to the truth..." "the truth will set you free.” Jesus did NOT say, “I am compassion…” “I came to bear witness to compassion.” or “Compassion will set you free.”
Christ's’ compassion was grounded in and flowed from truth because Jesus is The Truth. In other words, Christ perfectly embodies the truth of total reality. Therefore, Christ-followers must continually reorient ourselves around the truth, regardless of how we 'feel' about it.
Compassion is not a co-equal to truth. Otherwise the Bible would declare it.
We must remind ourselves that Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth…” (John 17:17).
Christianity is just not a belief of Christians. Christianity is truth about total reality.
As Christ-followers, we are to love the truth and live the truth every moment of our lives. We are to tell the truth in a world that loves lives.
We are commanded to love our neighbors. Implicit in the command is to do your neighbor no harm. Withholding truth does harm and is unloving. In a world that embraces lies, there will be a worldly cost for the one who tells the truth - because the world hates the truth. Remember truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth. Our Savior and King overcame the world.
1 Corinthians 13:6 tells us that, "love rejoices in Truth" not the other way around.
We live in an age of therapeutic emotionalism and anti-truth worldviews. We must never allow our psychology or circumstances, feelings or emotions to override the Truth of God’s Word or His created reality.
We should pray, “Lord, sanctify us in the truth because your word is truth!”
“If the world is against the truth, then I am against the world.”
- Athanasius of Alexandria
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