In the gym, one of my favorite places to stretch is on the second floor by the window overlooking the aerobic and lap swimming pools. I particularly like this spot because no one is there and the sun shines in to create a warm spot. This shining sun helps keep my body warm while I stretch to loosen up for my weight workout down below on the first floor. I wish I could stay in this place of comfort for my entire workout. However, I know that unless I do the work, my love handles will only increase.
While stretching, a couple getting a tour of the facility stood next to me by the window. Their tour guide, a sales employee, was explaining how the two pools are used in different ways to exercise . The gentlemen, in reference to a previous visit to the gym, spoke up to the salesman and asked, "When did they build the second pool?" The salesman, a recent employee to the gym said, "I think there has always been two pools." The gentlemen responded quickly and with full assurance, "No, I swear, there was only one pool."
What neither gentlemen knew was that I used to be the associate director of the gym. In 2001, I was hired three months prior to the opening date of the gym. My responsiblities included staffing the facility and assisting in getting it operational. I am normally a man who prefers to "mind his own business", but more importantly I am a man who loves truth. I could not let this moment pass by without letting the gentlemen know the facts about the pool situation. Twisted like a pretzel, in a strained and polite voice, I said to the gentlemen, "There has always been two pools." Both of them looked at me, nodded in belief and continued on their tour.
As I went to work out, I kept pondering how often we think we are so right when in reality we are so wrong. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." I have met so many people over the years who have insisted their system of belief or their way of living is the correct one. Many of their belief systems did not include God and the truth found in His word. According to Newsweek/Beliefnet Poll, eight in 10 Americans--including 68 percent of evangelicals--believe that more than one faith can be the path to salvation, which is most likely not what they were taught in Sunday school. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that the time would come when men would no longer put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Welcome to the America of the 21st century.
Truth is more than a correct way of thinking, a reality or fact, it is actually a person. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." All correct thinking, reality and fact--all truth begins with knowing Jesus. How does God's word differ from what 8 of 10 Americans believe about the path of salvation? Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Whether it is radical Muslims in the name of Allah who believe they can crash planes into buildings and receive virgins in paradise for their faith, or Mormons who believe through obedience and good works they will become gods who rule and populate other planets, or Kabbalists who believe God's power depends on humanity's actions and that is why He needs our worship, or secularists who believe man is the measure of all things, or homosexuals who attempt to find happiness through immoral behavior, or abortionists who promote rights without responsibility and endorse the murdering of innocent babies -- all deceptive thinking starts with the denial of Jesus as God and the trust in self. James 1:16 says very simply and concisely, "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers."
Instead of believing Jesus, (the path of salvation) we have trusted in ourselves (the path of destruction). Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths (to salvation) straight". In contrast to Proverbs 3:5-6, the path to destruction goes like this: (1) self-deception, then (2) self-deification, and then (3) self-destruction. In other words, when we trust ourselves more than God we become deceived. Then, out of this state of deception, we make ourselves out to be gods or we become self-righteous. In fact, Apostle Paul told Timothy that the number one characteristic of a society in terrible times is that they are lovers of themselves (2 Timothy 3:2). And finally, when we trust in our self-rightness, we destroy ourselves through greed, immorality and impurity.
As disciples of Jesus, we can no longer stay in our place of comfort where no one will bother us. We need to "focus on things above", but we also need to focus on our work here on earth. Like Jesus in John 17:4, we can bring God glory on earth by completing the work he gave us to do. Its time to leave our warm spot on the second floor and engage this fight of faith on the first floor. As lovers of the truth, we need to stop "minding our own business" and do the work of an evangelist wherever God has placed us in our calling. In Matthew 28:19-20 , Jesus commanded us to, "Go and make disciples of all nations, and teach them to obey everything I commanded you." God promises his power will manifest in and through us and we go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation (Mark 16:15-18). Let's not let another moment pass us by. We have a great message to tell because we know "The Truth"--"There has always been two pools and ONE GOD!!"
