Search for Truth #4

Galatians 1:6-9 (NLT)
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ.  You are already following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all.  You are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ.
Let a curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about.  Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse fall on that person.

     This is strong language from the Apostle Paul.  His concern that the Galatian Christians protect their hearts from "being fooled by those who twist and change the truth" was adamant.  Souls were at stake.  This was not about being broad minded and flexible; this was about holding firmly to truth.
     Interestingly, Paul makes reference to the timing of their shift in thinking.  He's surprised that it happened "so soon"  Given enough time, shifts in thinking and philosophy can invade entire cultures. Psychologists tell us that people are prone to change their thinking to fit their behavior instead of changing their behavior to fit their thinking.  This leaves our convictions at risk if we are tempted, even subconsciously,  to rationalize the decisions we make and the way we live or the leanings of our culture. 
     The strongest protection for our hearts is a desire to please God, not men--and not ourselves.  God longs for us to know the truth.  He did not make it obscure or hard to understand. A heart seeking God and His truth has a promise to rest on:

Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)  
 If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. 

     But be warned: spiritual truth is not intuitive.  We will not find it by looking to our own reasoning.  While it is universally accessible in the Bible, and easy to understand, it is often extremely challenging  to incorporate truth into our characters and lifestyles.  Relying on our own reasoning can lead us away from truth.

Isaiah 55:8, 9 (NLT)
"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord.  "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."