COEXIST

Introduction

I’m going to start this morning with a couple questions for you. Don’t worry, they’re easy. First question is how many legs does a dog have? The answer is four, right? Second question is, let’s alter that question a little bit. If we call its tail a leg. Now, how many legs does a dog have? You may have heard this before. If we call a dog’s tail a leg, how many legs does it have? The answer is four. Just because you call its tail a leg, didn’t make it a leg. You see, it matters what we call things. It matters what we believe. And it really matters that there is a truth, and we know what that truth is. You may have seen this word represented this way on a bumper sticker or a sign somewhere else, and it spells out in symbols the word coexist.

And these symbols, and we won’t go through what all of these symbols mean, but each letter in this word coexist represents kind of a belief system. I will look at the letter T there. This is supposed to be the cross. That represents Christianity as one of those belief systems. And again, if my reading and understanding is correct, the meaning behind the original artwork and all of its evolutions are that all of these should coexist. All of these belief systems, all of these faiths should coexist. Coexist in the sense that they’re all equal. They’re all truths. And so you choose whichever letter you want. And that’s your truth. In fact, change a letter. Make up another letter to be your truth, your belief system, your faith, and it’s as good as any other.

Well, what’s the Christian’s response to this belief? A growing and pervading belief system. It’s been my observation that man’s approach at truth has, it’s hard to use the word evolved, but that implies that it’s getting better, has changed over time. It used to be that if you did not want to conform, you were a nonconformist. You were a rebel. I know there is a standard, but I’m a rebel. I’m not going to be beholding to that standard to that truth. I know that’s the rule, I know that’s the law, but I’m a rebel.

That’s changed over time to where there’s no such thing as a rebel in many people’s eyes. Because no longer are we saying I’m nonconformist, because a nonconformist implies that there’s something to which we should conform, that there is a system of laws and rules and truth, to now just simply saying there’s no such thing as a rebel, it’s just you do your own thing. You have your own system of laws. And I’ll have my own system of truth. You have your faith, I’ll have my faith. And in that sense, nobody can rebel unless you rebel against yourself. But what’s the Christian’s view? What’s God’s view of this? Should we coexist? Or simply coexist. And I’ll explain that as we go on. When we look at this concept of coexist that’s normally presented, let’s start with this first point.

1. Different Faiths Cannot Coexist

Number one is it’s different faiths cannot coexist. Different truths cannot coexist. There is one objective truth. Again, that’s a radical. We’re the rebels now in the society. That’s a radical, rebellious idea to say that there is one absolute objective truth. Now let’s talk just a little bit about two words that you already know, and that’s the word objective versus subjective. The word objective implies and means that there is a standard of truth. There is a rule, and really, again, implied in that word or in the concept of objective and objective truth is that that truth must lie without us or outside of us. There is some standard rather than myself. That is the objective truth. We accept that in so many different avenues of life, don’t we?

We accept that. Well, I say we accept that. Most of us accept that when it comes to traffic laws, doesn’t it? Red means stop, doesn’t it? Now, what if I don’t like red being stop? I like the color red. Stop is a negative idea. I want to portray red as a positive. So to me, red means go. In fact, red’s kind of a hot color, and so it means go faster. To me, green. It’s not easy being green. Green’s depressing. So green should mean stop. We understand that there has to be an objective truth, a truth set beside somebody besides me, to which we must all adhere. That’s the idea of objective truth. The other side of that equation is the concept of subjective truth. Now, there are some things that are subjective.

We admit that. We talked about colors outside of their application to traffic laws and uh dis uh dismantling bombs. Colors are subjective, aren’t they? What’s the best color? Well, that’s subjective. We all have a different color. In fact, your favorite color may change over time. And it can, because there’s some things that are subjective. And there’s some things that are, we could use the modern day language, they’re your truth. If blue is your favorite color, then that’s your truth. And so there’s some areas in life in which things are very subjective, so subjective, that you can actually change them on a whim, and nobody says boo. But there are certain things that are objective. There are certain truths. Now let’s play a little bit of a philosophical game here.

Someone who was debating me on this issue this morning might stand up and say, absolutely not. There are no absolutes. You wouldn’t have to go far in our society to find somebody who would affirm that. There are no absolutes.

Someone may argue.

We read Jeremiah read for us. Turn over back to John chapter 17. The scriptures are abundantly clear on this subject that there is one truth, one faith. It is objective. It is set by a standard outside of ourselves. That’s God. And it is truth. In John chapter 17, let’s begin again where our reading was this morning in verse 14. It says, I have given them, speaking of his disciples, I have given them your word, Jesus says to his father. I have given them your word. Now he’s going to skip ahead. Verse 17, he’s going to say, your word is truth. I have given them, Jesus says to his father, I have given them your objective standard of truth. But now back up to verse 14. I’ve given them your word, and the world has hated them.

Because they’re not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I’ve given them your word, which he will go on to say is truth. But they’ve hated them. This establishes a couple points for us. Number one is there is a truth. There is an absolute. This is the most absolutest of all absolutes. The truth of God.

But the second point established from Jesus’ discourse with his father here is that not everybody’s going to like that truth. But the third point is, is just because someone doesn’t like it does not diminish the truthfulness of that truth. Because I don’t like the standard, does not cease it to be the standard. Paul would add this. Look over in Romans chapter 3.

In Romans chapter 3. Beginning in verse 1, Paul’s discussion of Jew and Gentile and their relationship to the truth. He says in Romans chapter 3, verse 1, what advantage then has the Jew, or what is the prophet of circumcision? Much in every way, because to them were committed the oracles of God. Let’s pause there again. He said, Thy word is truth to his Father. Now Paul is talking about the oracles of God, the truth, the word of God. How does the Jew, first century Jew, have an advantage over the Gentiles? Because to them the word, the oracles of God were given. Verse 3 continuing. But what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God of no effect? Certainly not, he answers his own question.

Certainly not, verse 4. Indeed, let God be true and let every man be found a liar.

But what if somebody doesn’t want to believe that? Paul says that changes nothing. Truth has not been altered one whit because we refuse to believe in it. There is an absolute standard. A couple chapters prior in the Gospel of John and John chapter 14, Jesus famously said, I am the way, the truth, and the lie. If you could make a grammatical argument that Jesus was actually saying, I am the true and living way. He would add that no one comes to the Father but by me. The apostles understood that because they preached, in no other name is salvation found than in his name. There is absolute truth. Look in the Old Testament in 1 Kings chapter 13, an interesting, if but graphic illustration of this principle.

In 1 Kings chapter 13. We have a young prophet. A young prophet to whom God has spoken and given a truth. And let’s look at that truth. God gave this young prophet three truths, three rules, and we would argue three very simple rules. Skip, let’s look in the middle of the story here. In 1 Kings chapter 13, look at verse 9 at the rules God has given him. He says, For it was so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came. You’d have to have help to misunderstand those rules, wouldn’t you? Don’t eat bread, don’t drink water, don’t go back the way you came. Those rules are stated.

That is the truth of God in this situation for this prophet. He understands that because he just stated it. Here’s what God told me to do. In fact, he’ll restate it in verses 16 and 17. But now, skip down to verse 18. That’s the message, that’s the three rules, the standard that God has given him. But there’s an older prophet, who in verse 18 says to him, I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with you to your house that he may eat bread and drink water. Now the old prophet lies. Now, how do we know he lies? Two reasons. We know he lies. The very next phrase says, but he lied.

There’s a dead giveaway that he was lying. But also he lied because he said just the opposite of what the truth was. The truth was, don’t eat bread, don’t drink water, don’t go that way. What did he say? Eat bread, drink water, come this way. Here’s an objective truth that was given. Here is a lie that counters that 19. What does the young prophet sadly do? He went back with him, and he ate bread and he drank water. Now, before we read the conclusion of this story, let’s apply some modern day standards. The young prophet could say, Well, what is truth? How am I to know what the truth is? Maybe truth changes. God had said, Don’t do this. Someone lied to him and said, Do it.

Skip down now to verse 20. Now it happened as they sat at the table that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says the Lord, because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God has commanded you. But you came back, ate bread and drank water in the place which the Lord said to you, eat no bread, drink no water. Your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your father. And so it was after he’d eaten the bread, after he had drunk, that he saddled his donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.

So when he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by, the lion also stood by the corpse. Now that’s a sad ending to that story, but not a surprising ending, is it? There was truth. It was established the lie that was presented to him, no matter how appealing it might have been, no matter, and really it wasn’t that confusing, was it? There was truth. An absolute standard of truth. And so, as a child of God, we have absolutely no option to say there is truth, an absolute truth that’s been delivered objectively from some source outside of myself, and I am beholden to that. These truths, these faiths, whatever you want to call them, cannot coexist.

There is one. Don’t believe the lie. And I’m going to tell you if you’re honest and you’re objective with your heart about this, reading the scriptures, reading just the New Testament, the message is just as clear as the message was to that young prophet. It’s just as clear as don’t eat bread, don’t drink water, don’t go back that way. When Jesus said, I am the truth. When the apostle Paul says, there is one faith, that’s just as easy to understand as the instructions that young prophet was given. Don’t believe the lie.

2. We Should Peaceably Coexist With All

But we should peaceably coexist with all. So as not to be misunderstood. I want you to know I’m using the word coexist differently than the bumper sticker now. Though the Bible emphatically states there is one standard of right and wrong. One unmistakable, simple, unwavering truth. That same scripture says that the adherence to that truth are to be loving, long-suffering, kind, and patient people. And we can apply both of those truths to our life. Look over at a very familiar passage in Matthew chapter seven. I think it’ll do us well to actually read a passage that we could all quote from memory. Matthew chapter seven, verse twelve. This is an absolute truth. Matthew 7, verse 12 says, Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.

For this is the law and the prophets. That’s just as much a truth as saying thy word is truth. There’s one faith. Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.

I live in this neighborhood. Next door to us in this neighborhood, our neighbor is a member of a denomination who teaches a different faith than we believe in practice. On the other side of us is a Muslim who teaches a very different faith and belief system than us. If we look across our yard to the house across the street from us, there is an absolute about atheist. He doesn’t even believe in God. To the left of him, as we look out our front yard, there is a man who is homosexual. In fact, he and his life partner are living in that house together.

His house is easy to identify. He has no Christmas decorations in the yard. We move to the other side of that house, and there’s a person who is a transgender. How do I act?

Point number one, truth has not changed based upon my zip code or address, has it. There’s still one objective standard of truth.

To you, do also to them. And so, though I differ with every one of my neighbors, I won’t spray graffiti on their house. I won’t throw rocks through their windows. I won’t set their house on fire. In fact, if their house catches on fire, I’ll call 911, grab the fire extinguisher or the hose, and run over there to their aid. And extend that application in every other way, show love, kindness. In fact, turn back if you’re in the book of Matthew, Gospel of Matthew, turn back in the same sermon in chapter 5, verse 44. Jesus would take it to this extreme. Matthew 5, verse 44, but I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

That is my standard. That is not just my truth, that is the truth.

Even if that neighbor views himself or herself as my enemy. Love is the answer. The book of Romans, again, Romans chapter 12, the apostle, states it so eloquently of what my approach to those with whom I disagree, those with whom I come in contact every day. Romans chapter 12, look at beginning in verse 17. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. Verse 18, if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

But if there is a standard of truth, and God is that standard of truth.

To not compromise that. Now again, that truth does not depend upon me defending it and believing it, but I have the responsibility as a disciple of his, as a child of his, to defend and support that truth. I must take that obligation seriously.

3. Speaking the Truth in Love

But I also, as a child of God, have the responsibility and the obligation above anyone else. It is my responsibility to practice love when no one else does. And understand this. If someone does not have the objective truth of God in their life, they have no real incentive to practice love. And so it is to us. And maybe sometimes to us alone. And so the apostle says, if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Now let’s reconcile these two. In fact, the apostle will reconcile them for us in the book of Ephesians, chapter 4. Here’s how we coexist. Ephesians chapter 4. And in verse 15. Well, let’s actually back up to verse 11. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11. Speaking of the body of Christ, the church.

He says, and he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith. Now just Paul’s there, to the unity of the faith. That speaks of unity, the oneness of the objective faith. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

Do you see an application to the context that we’re talking about? And so what is our answer? What is our retort to the trickery of men, the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting? Verse 15, but speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him who is the head.

Conclusion

There can only be one truth. Speaking the truth in love. There can be another level of coexistence. It doesn’t have to be hatred. That it’s love. Speaking the truth in love. Jude in warning against false teachers talked about snatching them from the fire. Hating even the garment that’s been defiled by the flesh. What does it mean to coexist? I would argue that the scriptures would have us to believe that coexistence on one plane is absolutely impossible. Truth is truth, cannot be altered or changed. There is no equality, there is no coexistence of faith, but there is an absolute loving sense in which we are to speak the truth in love. That we love our neighbors and we love our enemies. Never compromising, never compromising the truth in the slightest, but never compromising our love at the same time.

May God help us to that end. Will you pray with me? Dear God and Father in Heaven, we’re so thankful that you are our God, that you never change.

That we can look not to ourselves, our fickle, fallible selves, but that we can look to you as the absolute truth. We’re so thankful that you gave us a standard to live by. Standard to live in our own lives, and a standard which, when adhered to will make our lives so much better, and give us heaven above. Forgive us, Father, when we have failed that standard and therefore failed you. Help us to be adherents to your word. Help us never to compromise, never to waver, but to believe in your word, which is truth. We’re so thankful, Father, that you’ve given us the example of love, of forgiveness. You send your rain upon the just and the unjust. Help us to love as you love. Help us always to be kind.

Help us always to be your representatives here upon this earth. To live as your Son lived and to love as you loved. Help us to speak the truth in love. Father, you know that we live in a world that’s caring less and less for you. Help us to be more and more like you, that we might be your lights in this dark and dying world. Love us, be patient with us, and forgiving with us, and help us to be your children in every way. In Christ’s loving name we pray. Amen.