LIBERATING
TRUTH!
John
8:31-32
31
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed;
32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
The
most difficult thing to do and to teach in ministry is personal Bible Study and
prayer. Those two things, above all else, sets apart those who are stable souls
or those who are tossed by every wind of doctrine. Some haven’t settled the
issue of their own salvation! They have no calm confidence that Jesus has saved
them. They spend their days worried that they will fail in some small point of
obedience and thus lose forever the salvation which the cross has purchased for
them. What is the problem? They don’t know the truth. They are therefore not
free.
Others
are constantly being tripped up over length of hair, length of skirts,
colors and fabrics, music styles and other social issues that pass with the
generations. They become fearful of their own compliance to some unwritten code
of conduct only hinted at in the Word. The result is that they are insecure in
themselves and condemning of others. They are unsure of both! Why? They don’t
know the truth. They don’t know how to live their lives without an approved
list of behaviors.
Others
are so dependent upon the counsel of their pastors and teachers
that they can hardly make a move without constant consultation. They have not
grasped the truth of the indwelling Holy Spirit. They have not understood that
they, themselves, are believer-priests. Unscrupulous leaders hold these in
bondage to their own preferences. We like to have an expert always at our side;
a consultant. If the consequences of the counsel are unpleasant then we dispose
of that pastor and find another but we never search out the truth for
ourselves. We have become migratory creatures because of ignorance.
The
Bible is the truth
and tells us the truth about God, about others and about ourselves. It is the
truth about ourselves that is the hardest to deal with. Not many men can handle
truthful knowledge about themselves. The Bible makes us “disciples” or
“practitioners” of the Christian lifestyle. Those who know the truth are
constantly making adjustments in their thinking and in their doing. We are
constantly ironing the wrinkles from our robes of righteousness.
Dear
Lord, I know that when you see me you see the blood and therefore you see me as
perfect. I also know that I am on a journey and today’s spiritual attainments
will be superseded by tomorrows. Keep me in your Word that I may know the truth
and be set free. AMEN
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