Resisting the Truth

Can you imagine someone who would actually resist knowing or believing the truth? It happens all the time. In fact, people say that truth in its first form is always negative. We often react negatively the first time we hear a truth.

This occurs especially if the truth is contrary to what we were taught, or have heard all of our life or falsely believed in our past. We may resist or reject the person speaking the truth, as well as the truth itself.

Timothy knew people like this. He described them as men of corrupt understanding and reprobate in the area of faith (2 Timothy 3:8). People in the 21st Century have this same problem.

We want to escape judgment or punishment, so we tell a lie. We cause other people to believe lies; and in the process, we often prevent them from knowing the truth. We tell a lie so many times that we start to believe that it is actually true.

We resist the truth of God's Word because Satan already polluted our mind with his lies. Even books, novels written for entertainment, are used by the devil to prevent people from believing God's Truth.

In today's world, comedians make a living poking fun at truth and touting lies as the more logical belief. They convince the weak in heart and mind to believe these lies as if they were truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Some people regard godliness as a means of gaining material wealth. They go into the ministry as a job rather than a calling. They pretend to have an intimate relationship with God, but their actions deny any authentic union between them and our Savior.

They are devoid of God's truth and do not devote the hours of service required by the position of pastor or teacher, but do the bare minimum of work and spend the rest of their time in leisure (1 Timothy 6:5). They are actually detestable, unfit for the ministry and disobedient to God's Spirit (Titus 1:16).

Even if we have to apologize or admit that we are or were wrong, it is worth walking in the light of God's Truth. God has a place for liars in the pit of hell (Revelation 21:8). Resisting His Truth determines our eternal destination (John 3:18).

Prayer:

Father God, it is easy for humans to lie to maintain our false image or to justify our actions. Your truth tends to convict us, and many people run from conviction. They avoid admitting their faults and resist walking in Your Truth. They manufacture reasons to excuse their sin and to convince themselves that they are righteous.

You call us to walk in Your Truth in order to gain Your blessings (1 Kings 2:4). Help us to walk in Your Truth, so that as we fear You more than people, we will walk in Your ways (Psalm 86:11). Remind us to walk in Your Spirit at all times, and we will never resist Your Truth (Galatians 5:15-25).

Thought for the Day:

We delight in knowing that our children are telling us the truth and know that we can always trust them when they do; God feels the same way. - 3 John 1:4

Free at Last

In our society, God's name is used more to damn some person, place or thing than to bless them. The last few generations have no concept of sin. Wrong is right, and right is often viewed as wrong.

Sin is the norm for many, and church is foreign (Ephesians 4:21, 6:1; Colossians 3:9). They view Christ's death on Calvary's cross as a waste of a life, rather than as the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.

Until we understand that God's Word is our ultimate authority, we will not comprehend our disobedience to it, and our need to ask Jesus for forgiveness (John 14:15, 23).

Even the law of our land teaches us that there are consequences for our behavior. The police and courts hold us responsible to uphold the law or we are punished.

When we transgress God's law, we deserve to suffer the penalty of death. Yet, Jesus suffered our eternal punishment for us (John 3:16-18). He gives us His life in our spirit, which was formerly dead because of Adam and Eve's sin (Ephesians 2:1; Galatians 2:20).

When we decide to live for God, rather than for our self, our spirit is no longer dead in sin and separated from Him. Jesus makes it possible for us to spend eternity in Heaven (John 3:16-18; Romans 10:13).

We are dead to sin now, and free from its strangle-hold on our life (Romans 6:6, 11, 18). We are able to discern right from wrong and to walk in holiness by the help of God's Spirit within us.

When we die physically, we will not die spiritually. Our last breath on earth is followed by our first breath in Heaven (Matthew 25:46). We will live forever in the almighty presence of our Living Savior and God.

Prayer:

Father God, there are not enough days in our lifetime to show our appreciation to You for all that You do for us each day. Remind us not to take Your goodness and grace for granted. Teach us to praise You for all of the blessings You shower on us each and every day.

Help us to learn to discern the leading of Your Spirit as we commit each day to You (Proverbs 3:5-6). We do not want to depend on our human reasoning, because this reaps mediocre results at best. We want to walk in Your Will by the direction of Your Word under the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

God often improves our spiritual, mental, emotional, financial and physical health as we trust Him, follow the guidance of His Spirit, and live, move and exist in Christ alone. - Acts 17:28 

Many thanks to Matt Milligan for the use of his photo.

No Longer a Sinner

 

We were all sinners at one time; but as Born Again Believers, that is in the past tense. That is no longer our spiritual identity. We are now saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). God calls us Saints (Ephesians 2:19; Psalm 31:23). This word means “holy one.” If we call our self a sinner, we may focus on sin and fall into sin. If we realize that we are Saints, we will focus on holiness and live a life set apart for Christ.

Who we are is what determines what we do. If I am a miner, I will mine. If I am a seamstress, I will sew. If I am a mechanic, preacher, teacher, laborer, sales person...you get the picture. Since I am a Saint, I will live a holy life unto the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:10). We may still fall to temptation and sin, but it is as a Saint not as a sinner, because we no longer live in a lifestyle of sin.

We often want to change our circumstances; however, God put them here for our edification, admonition and education. Do not struggle so hard against the areas of your life, which you do not like (Acts 26:14). God allows circumstances into our life, not to punish us, or to force us to do something we do not want to do, but to enlarge our borders (1 Chronicles 4:10) and to equip us to help others who come to us in their time of need (Luke 22:31-34).

God will create a clean heart in us (Psalm 51:10). We are coheirs with Christ and we inherit all of God’s promises with Him (Romans 8:17; Hebrews 6:12; 2 Peter 1:3-4). We can trust God to keep us in the palm of His hand and to continue to perfect us as His chosen priesthood and royal nation regardless of what is going on in our life (1 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 49:16).

Prayer:

Father God, teach us to live in the awareness of Your calling on our life (Ephesians 2:10), so that we can walk according to Your will for our life. Help us to accept with joy what You provide for us, the good, the bad and the ugly. You always supply what we really need, even if it is a trial. As we prove faithful over the little things, You will give us charge over much (Matthew 25:21-23). 

Thought for the Day:

Our faith does not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power within us. – 1 Corinthians 2:5