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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “It’s not always easy to see the truth” Truth is that which is accepted as reality or undeniable fact. It’s not easy to see the truth means it is hard to perceive and accept the reality or fact about something. It also means the difficulty in accepting an undeniable fact. We shall reflect on the fact that it’s not always easy to see the truth because of unrepentance and unbelief.

Dear friend in the Lord, we become immune to the truth or it’s not easy to see the truth because of unrepentance and unbelief. “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you (Priests and Pharisees). ³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (Matthew 21:31-32). The Chief Priest and Pharisees had the habit of condemning the tax collectors and prostitutes as sinners yet they were also found to be hypocrites who exhibited self-righteousness that would not lead them to the Kingdom of God. Jesus warned them ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28). Beloved in the Lord, some of us were born into the Church and have always been attending worship services and hearing the Truth which is the Word of God yet it’s not always easy for us to see the truth because we always approach the truth with unrepentance and unbelief. We have no relationship with Jesus. We are like tenants in a house but we do not know the landlord nor have any relationship with Him. Our hypocrisy, self-righteousness, unrepentance and unbelief have made us judgemental of others but estranged from God. Instead of focusing on our repentance, faith and relationship with Jesus, we are focused on perceiving others as unworthy.

Dear friend, until we have had a relationship with Jesus through repentance and faith in Him, it will not be easy to see the truth and be saved. Jesus revealed to us that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7). Have we developed an eternal and redemptive relationship with the Truth who is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour? Let us remember that merely attending church services without repentance and faith in Jesus will not save us. Belong to a singing group or choir in the church all our lives without having Jesus in our lives as our Lord and Saviour will not save us. Jesus admonishes us, ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21). We can only please God when we have Jesus, the truth in us and have His perfect image in us. It is for this reason John admonishes us that “Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (1 John 2:4-6). We have also mentioned that believing in Jesus in addition to repentance enables us to see the Truth and be saved. Jesus established this fact when He said to the Jews who believed in Him that “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) Dear friend, without repentance and belief in Jesus Christ, it will be always difficult to see the truth. Let us not merely be religious like the Pharisees who did not have the truth in them but let us wholly repent and believe in Jesus as sinners who have repented and believed in the truth. In other words, let us not be like the Pharisee who prayed “‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (Luke 18:11-12) Let us approach God in total repentance and faith, seeking to live by the truth by praying the prayer of the tax collector who “would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (Luke 18:13)

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “It’s not always easy to see the truth” We have discovered that it’s not always easy to see the truth because of unrepentance and unbelief. Shalom.

PRAYER
1. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to empower us to overcome self-righteousness, unrepentance and unbelief.
2. Let us pray for us to have an eternal relationship with Jesus so that we shall see the truth, have the truth in us and be set free by the truth.

Holy Spirit, lead us to always live by the truth and be found ready and worthy when Jesus returns the second time to usher us into the Kingdom of God. Amen.