In St. Augustines confessions, Augustine is contemplating those that want the “happy life.” And would conclude that the happy life is joy rooted in truth.
Most indeed would agree with that, because who in their right mind would willing want to derive joy from false premises? Each of us would fancy to think we are living in the joy of truth.
Except in our post modern world what we really see is that people are living in the joy that is THEIR TRUTH….. It is all subjective.
Relative to what they have determined to be true.
Is it any wonder that when you, a Christian tasked with the Word of Truth; The Gospel; preach it to the masses via Reels, Podcasts, Street Evangelism and those that are simply around you the next time you guys get together with family and friends for a hangout, that the attacks and insults seem to surface.
Wouldn’t they want Joy that is rooted in truth? Objective, undeniable truth? You would think, but remember, you are dealing with post modernism here, and it's spread so deeply in our culture today that even those that claim they are Christian are infected by this idea.
Here are words from St. Augustine’s Confessions: “But why is it that ‘truth engenders hatred’? Why does your man who preaches what is true become to them an enemy when they love the happy life which is simply joy grounded on truth?
The answer must be this: their love for truth takes the form that they love something else and want this object of their love to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be deceived, they do not wish to be persuaded that they are mistaken.
And so they hate the truth for the sake of the object which they love instead of the truth. They love truth for the light it sheds, but hate it when it shows them up as being wrong.”
The Gospel of John for me takes it deeper!
They not only want not to be told they are wrong, they also do not want to give up the object of their love. SIN. Darkness, because the truth (light) exposed their wicked deeds for everyone to see.
“And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world; and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”
John 3:19-20 ESV
This light; Truth that has come into the world is King Jesus the Christ. He is the truth that stood before Pontius Pilate when he asked Jesus, “what is truth?”. He stands before you now being the truth and the light and yet, many of you still ask, what is truth? Or even worse, this is MY TRUTH.
Whoever you may be, here is the TRUTH. Chris is King and has died for the sins of His Church and He calls all men and women to confess He is LORD, and to repent and find forgiveness in Him for what He has done for you on the cross.
To Reject that is to reject the truth and so perish. They may anger you, enrage you and cause you to see me as hateful, but I can assure you this! It is the Love of Christ that compels me.
Soli Deo Gloria
