So far this
week I have been mesmerized by this one little phrase, “whatever is true.” It is like the melody line of an 8-part song
that is harmonized with, “whatever is
honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.”[1] In
these eight qualities, the human heart hears and sings the music that is life
itself.
What stood
out this morning is that, all eight of these characteristics operate at the
same time. We cannot have only one thing to the neglect of the others,
otherwise we wouldn’t even have the original thing to begin with.
What I mean
is this: if we took “whatever is
honorable” away from “whatever is
true,” we would no longer have what is true since truth cannot be nor do
what is dishonorable. Truth cannot be devoid of loveliness, or excellence, for
then it would no longer be truth.
At the same
time, we cannot parade something as excellent if it is not true. No matter how
skillfully an artist creates a facsimile of money, no one wants to be caught
with his counterfeit. An excellent piece of artwork is dangerously deceptive if
it is not truly the real thing.
One of the
biggest stumbling-stones for people in their consideration of the truth about
God is accepting that truth is also just. People seem to want a God who is
loving, but not just. They want a God who accepts them just as they are, who
relates without any measure of justice, who does not determine or discipline
anything that is wrong in their lives.
Some who hold
to such a view of God will sometimes acknowledge that a loving God without
justice could not be trusted to handle anything fairly. If he is free to be
unjust, in fact, if it is preferred that he is unjust, then he would do what is
unjust to us all. He would just as well leave Adolf Hitler unpunished for his
crimes against humanity as he would do nothing about the little lies, or indiscretions,
or sins that we have perpetrated ourselves.
Which brings
us back to the glorious necessity that truth must be honorable, and just, and
pure, and lovely, and commendable, and excellent, and praiseworthy, all at the
same time. What is excellent harmonizes with what is true, and what is
praiseworthy, and cannot be sung any other way. What is just fully harmonizes
with the beautiful sounds of purity and loveliness, and could not be justice if
either was excluded. What is honorable must sing its harmonies in tune with
what is commendable. All eight parts of the song can only be what they are in
the eight-part harmony that makes them all real.
When God’s book calls us to, “think about these things,” it does not
mean in a smorgasbord kind of way where we get to pick and choose which we
prefer. It means in the symphony orchestra accompanying an eight-part choral
group singing the most comprehensive realities of life in such perfect
harmonies that we can dwell on “whatever”
is true while it is surrounded by whatever is honorable. We can sing along with
whatever is just, feeling at the very same time whatever is pure. We can feel
the distinctive notes of whatever is lovely, while experiencing the way this is
carried along in the harmony of whatever is commendable. We can follow the
beautiful voice of excellence while knowing we cannot escape the harmony that
is necessarily added by all that is worthy of praise.
My response
to this beautiful music of God, and his directive to think upon this
comprehensive harmony, is to seek to measure everything by such a glorious
song. It is for my good that such a song exists. Nothing more beautiful could
ever be found. And, my heavenly Father, in his consideration of his best
interests for me, clearly wants me to enjoy sharing in the things that are his
own good pleasure.[2]
And so I will.
© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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