The God of Absolute Truth
Colossians 1:15-23
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
May 18,2025
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes
In his weekly email to his friends and supporters yesterday, ministry colleague and seminary classmate, Dr. Albert Reyes, CEO of Buckner Benevolence, the largest foster parent and assisted living organization in Texas, maybe the largest in the country, wrote that May is recognized as National Foster Care Month. In his reflection, Al talked about Christ’s love for children when Christ ordered, “let the children come to me for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19.
Dr. Reyes makes this observation: “Jesus pointed to the humble truthfulness children have; something we adults too often grow out of. For Jesus, children are the example of how we should come to God — with honesty, trust and need.”
Several days ago, fellow believer Jerry and I installed new signs in front of the church: One says, “God rewards those who seek Him, Hebrews 11:6” and “Remember your Creator, Ecclesiastes 12:1” The second part of that phrase says, “in the days of your youth, before the evil days come when you will not find contentment.”
Having faith in God is a personal choice. God declared, “I have set before you life and death, choose life” Deuteronomy 30:19. It is as if God says, “Okay, you want to live life without me, have at it.”
And without God will we find anger, resentment, discontent, quarrels, envy, hate, greed, guilt, sorrow, addictions, murder, thievery, anxiety, uncertainty, distress, despair, despondency, and the list go on. I’m not saying that we don’t experience those things as Christian, as children of God, but what I am saying is that we recognized this when it happens and we quickly make a correction in our path and see things in light of “What does God say about this and how can I change that behavior or thought so that it can more accurately reflect the heart of God?”
When we choose God’s way we experience joy, peace, hope, and love.
Our scripture today tells us that we can choose God because God is absolute truth: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the father except by me.” No one can say this, only Christ. God is truth.
Colossians 1 reminds us that Christ is greater than secularism, He is greater than relativism, and He is greater than pluralism.
Now, some people don’t believe in God, because they say they have to see him, God has to show up in their lives in flesh and blood, in order for them to believe. Some folks believe only that which is measurable. This is an interesting response because there are many things that we don’t fully understand and yet they dominate our lives every day!
Take for instance this problem: what is 2 x 2? Well, 2 x 2 is 4, it will always be four. We have assigned value to numbers. Can you tell me what is this equation: F = G · (m1m2)/r2? It is the law of gravity. How about the best know equation in all the world: E = mc2? This is the theory of relativity. Is it true? Does it have meaning in your life? It has something to do with energy, equals mass, times the speed of light, times two. I don’t know!
There are a lot of things I don’t fully understand. I don’t understand how a black cow eats green grass and give us yellow cheese and white milk, but is happens every day. I don’t understand the electrical currents of AC/DC. I don’t understand electricity, but I don’t sit around in the dark, either. I hit the switch. My point is this: some things can be true and we probably have not thought of the theory of relativity today or even the law of gravity, but they are dominating our lives! We don’t understand some things and thus we think they don’t bring meaning to us or we don’t acknowledge these things. We can do the same with God.
Now the Bible assumes God: “In the beginning, God created the world.” My friends, we don’t need the bible to believe in God, Romans 1, a couple of weeks ago, offered us an apologetics on this. We believe in God because of cause and effect. Thomas Aquinas called it, “The uncaused causer.” That ultimately, He created all that is and you don’t get something from nothing. Let’s stay scientific: you don’t get living matter from non-living matter. Every kid knows this: A rock will not produce a squirrel. Dirt will not bring forth a giraffe.
God has created all things. Many people think of God as a formula out there, but He has no meaning in their lives. We’ve come to believe, some say, “There is no truth.” If that statement is true, then it’s not true.
Paul says that if we keep suppressing the truth, we give in to lies.
Let’s look at three of the responses to the non-existence of God in secular society compared to who Christ is. They are all isms. A quick google search indicates there are over 234 isms in the world. When we turn a suffix into an ism it becomes a noun, a practice such as atheism, racism, multiculturalism, and so on.
I. Jesus is great than secularism, Colossians 1:15-18
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church.
Jesus is greater than secularism because He transcends it all.
Jesus exists because He told us that He exists.
We don’t look to Buddha to know that God exists.
The word declares that “Jesus is the first born,” this means that He has all authority. Jesus is over all.
Secularism means all that is non-religious and it is based on these premises:
The government must be separated from religions
Everyone has the right to freedom of religion
All religions are treated equal
Separation of church and state. However, where Jesus is, and where God’s people are, there is no separation. Wherever I show up I bring the kingdom of God.
II. Jesus is greater than relativism. Colossians 1:18-20
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Relativism suggests there is no truth; the idea that everyone does what is right in their eyes, there is no moral compass, no true north, no navigation point or points. The “You do you and I do me” philosophy.
Jesus is greater than relativism because He truth; He makes all things right. He defines truth.
Jesus stands above it all: Sin is not about good behavior or bad behavior; it is about the condition of the heart and until we align our lives with Jesus, we will be without truth in our lives.
III. Jesus is greater than pluralism, Colossians 1:21-23
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Pluralism is the belief that all religions are good and that all religions are same. My friend is you believe this, you have not done a study on comparative religions.
There is a prevalent symbol in our society with the word "CoeXisT.” It is an emblem that represents Christianity, Judaism, and other faith traditions, all jumbled up as one.”
Now if this means that we coexist, that we ought to love one another, Christians win, we can out love them all. Our belief system is based on love. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you” and “They will know you are my disciples if you love another.” John the revelator said, “God is love and if you do not love then you do not have God, because God is love.”
However, the CoExist icon is representative of pluralism. Yes, we must respect faith traditions. My mantra at the hospital when I served as chaplain was, “Provide for your own, facilitate for others, and care for all.” I had an appreciation for the variety of faith traditions and a curiosity about what they believed. Yet my home is Christianity.
All religions are not the same; it is not the different roads to the same God. Islam acknowledges Christ, but their foundation is the five pillars of life. Buddha is not God; Buddhists believe in the: 8-fold truths, principally being good to others. Hinduism has over 330 million gods, a tradition that states that essentially, we are all gods.
Jesus is the only one who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” My friend, if you are in Jesus and if Jesus is in you, you have everything you need to live this life successfully, today and in eternity.
Do you know Him today? Do you have truth I your heart. If you don’t, then why not now? Today is the day of salvation. Respond to Him if you hear His voice. This is the word of the Lord.