Belief versus Truth

We live in a day and age where “disinformation” is all the rage across social media and MSM news outlets. Governmental agencies are seriously exploring ways to limit the ability of multiple narratives from being disseminated to the public. Free speech, the hallmark of a democratic society, is in peril as never before.

Today, anyone who disagrees with the establishment story line is classified as a “conspiracy theorist” and “canceled” from the public forum. Back in the day these same people were called “heretics” and they were publicly tortured, even crucified, for their stance contrary to the official party line. Some things never change, I guess.

“You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth of falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” – C.S. Lewis

Universal Beliefs

There are a number of beliefs held by people that can be classified as being universal. For the longest period of human history, it was believed that the sun rotated around the earth. Then when it was demonstrated how the earth, and the other planets in our galaxy, rotate about the sun, a long-held belief had to die to new information. This shift didn’t occur overnight though. It took a long period of time to dislodge the erroneous belief.

Someone once said that it is harder to extricate a misbelief, even one built around a half-truth, than to accept the authority of a truth. Jesus stated, “…And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Joh 8:32) Notice Jesus never said how a belief would make you free – only truth.

Is this Heaven?

In the movie “Field of Dreams” shoeless Joe Jackson, an early 1900’s baseball icon, finds himself alone from his team on a baseball field created by farmer Ray Kinsella. After practicing with Ray for several hours, Joe begins to depart into the cornfield which surrounds the ball field. Before he enters the cornfield. Joe turns and asks Ray, “Is this Heaven?” Ray truthfully responds, “No. It’s Iowa.”

This interchange demonstrates the dichotomy between belief and truth. Joe’s belief was a product of the many years playing the sport that he loved. To be able to once again experience the passion for the game he devoted his life to was “heaven” to him. Ray knew the truth about how the ball field came to fruition and what its location was. That truth resided within Ray and became the anchor for the journey he was about to undertake.

How does this story apply to us? Let me ask you what heaven means to you. Do you know where it is located? Do you have a belief or a truth about it?

Almost everyone has a belief about heaven which has been handed down to them from previous generations whose entire world experience could be measured from horizon to horizon. Tradition held the belief in three heavens: the first heaven was the space above the land; the second heaven was the space where the sun, moon and stars were at; while the third heaven, which the apostle Paul makes reference to in one of his letters to the church in Corinth, was the realm the gods and spiritual beings inhabited. In every instance, heaven was up there, out there.

Heaven’s Relocation

When Jesus walked the earth, he taught about the kingdom of heaven. He referenced many attributes of the kingdom and how they resemble and operate just like everyday elements found on earth. This radical teaching was for most people liberating since it gave them an opportunity to understand how the realm of God’s kingdom wasn’t really that different from their own environment. This teaching also moved heaven down to earth rather than from its vaulted position in the sky.

This teaching didn’t particularly sit well with the religious class who held the belief that as long as heaven was up and out of the way of mankind, its holy nature couldn’t be corrupted by humanity. Recognizing their ire at his teaching, Jesus turned the screws just a little bit tighter with the proclamation, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

Later on, Paul would further claim how we are the temple of God. This was a direct blow to the religious structures, both physical and governmental, across the lands he traveled. No longer could some class of people declare themselves to be above any other group – God inhabited everyone equally.

Missed Opportunities

Many denominations today still function under the premise which was prevalent prior to Jesus. They teach their congregants to seek an up-there, out-there god who sits on a throne waiting in judgement to banish sinners to the darkest pits of hell. This belief permeates all realms of society from governmental structures to law enforcement; education to healthcare; even music and film. But this is not the TRUTH.

Because of this mindset proclaimed from the pulpit, many have become “believers” in a lie. Since the lie has spanned many generations, truth can’t even get a foothold within these hollowed halls. (Don’t think I chose the wrong word there. Living a lie makes a person hollow.) Every effort to bring the truth out into the light is squashed by branding the instigator as a heretic. I’ve all discussed this heretic subject here, here, here, and here, so this is not something new on my part. Regrettably, it isn’t new with the Church either. Let’s consider the implications to this universal belief of heaven being out there.

How many of you have been in a meeting where there was a call to “bring heaven down?” Or how about “storming the gates of heaven?” Or my favorite, “entering the third heaven to commune with God?” There are many other examples, but these will suffice as a representation.

The first example is often employed during a worship service. The participants are encouraged to lift their voices so that the “heavenly realm” will fall upon the congregants and invade the service. Notice the term “invade” as if God is on a military campaign to raid and pillage the land.

The second example is often employed during times of intense intercession. This too is militaristic in nature, but from the human perspective where people believe that the castle gates are locked and fortified to protect from any foreign raiders. Honestly, when was the last time you stormed any castle that wasn’t from your imagination? How do you deal with the fact that according to scripture the gates to heaven are always open?

The last example is comical simple because it assumes that God is not omnipresent and that we must take an elevator to ascend into the third heaven in order to just be in His presence. I can think of no clearer illustration of the up-there, out-there theology of many “believers.”

The Freedom of Truth

God is. There aren’t any words which can fully capture the totality of the infinite Spirit we call God. God is all in all. God is omnipresent today just as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. God know all things – even the things you believe you can hide from Him. God is all power. There is no power in creation other than God. To believe otherwise is a lie. God is good. All of creation is good because it is made from the word from God. Everything that is God’s belongs to you and me. God resides within each of us and nothing can ever separate Him from us no matter what we believe.

It is time to question our beliefs to determine if they are at their core truths expressed within the scriptures or whether they are fables cloaked in religious garb to appear pious. He has benefited us with grace to do just this very act. Freedom waits for those who can heed His call: “Fear not.”