The long and the short of it

America has often just accepted what’s said on the news as fact and we’ve forwarded emails and social media statements as fact without verifying the source. Now, because we’ve become concerned that we don’t just get the facts untainted by the newscaster’s own philosophy or the broadcasting company’s bias, we’re beginning to question the veracity of the news media in general. Additionally, social media and emails are being questioned. Have you forwarded an email recently only to have someone respond that what you passed on was a myth or otherwise distorted according to a website, such as snopes.com?

We need to continue this trend of not feeding ourselves garbage and hold the news organizations and those generating inaccurate emails and social media accountable by listening for bias and turning it off when its recognized. Then the ratings should have a positive effect. The ratings are what all the bias and sensationalism are meant to boost anyway (it’s a sad statement that ratings seem to be of more value to the broadcasters than the truth).

On another note, my wife often chides me for not giving a straight answer when she asks me what I want for dinner. When it comes to something that matters, though, she knows she’ll get a straight answer.

We need to hold our religious teachers to a higher level of accountability than the level to which we’re finally beginning to hold the news media and each other. God spells out what matters to him regarding how we take advantage of his saving grace and continue on our journey to heaven. He’s very clear about what he wants us to know, even swearing by his own unchanging nature to show that his promises and commands also never change and telling us to not be concerned about what he hasn’t specifically revealed (Hebrews 6:13-20; Romans 7:7; 1 Peter 1:22-25; Deuteronomy 29:29).

The purification through obedience mentioned by Peter, through inspiration from God, is necessary to enter the kingdom of God because neither flesh nor sin can enter there (2 Peter 1:16-21; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 1 John 3:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 5:16-21). The purification is necessarily ongoing since even Christians continue to sin because our sinful nature is still with us, no matter how righteously we try to live (1 John 1:5-9; Romans 7:14-25; 8:12-17). However, there’s a definite beginning to purification through obedient submission on our part to a clear command from God, by which he also fulfills his promises to Abraham. That obedient submission is baptism in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of past sin at which time we also receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:9; 2:36-39; 22:16; Galatians 3:26-29; 4:6-7). That’s the long and the short of God’s will for anyone to become his child and an heir to salvation.

Have you purified yourself according to God’s commands to enter his kingdom? You can get the straight answer on that directly from his word. Make sure that’s what you’re also being taught.

Leonard Lauriault writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected]