30)
As he spake
these words, many believed on him.
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.
33)
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man:
how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34)
Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
|
I |
t is common
for people to try to "dodge" the proclamation of truth. Some
mistakenly believe that if they are not always "under" it (truth),
they are not held responsible for it. Actually, it is rather difficult to
understand how one ignores truth when filled with the Spirit of Truth.
As
to hungering after the strength and power of God, it seems as if more-and-more
of the people of God are "setting" for weakness"—in word and
deed.
It is common to hear that being taught the requirement of God and counseled
against sin, "brings me down." The devil is lulling man to sleep by
presenting to him that God's love for us is all that there is to our
requirement. In fact, as one "channel surfs," he finds no lack of
religious programs—he also finds very little truth. The emphasis on God's love
for us masks that we have a responsibility to God because of that love and a
responsibility to love Him.
One of the
greatest blessings of obtaining truth is freedom. This "freedom"
encompasses freedom from sin, freedom in the Spirit, freedom from oneself.
Since truth
and freedom comes only through the Spirit, it stands to reason that as long as
one persists in living as a human being, he will be in "bondage," for
human beings are "bound" to flesh and sin.
Human
existence makes us subject to discomfort sin and disappoint, but life in the
Spirit brings freedom because one is not trying to maintain a fleshly life.
Forsaking the flesh will also help us to obtain answers to our problems. Why? Because our problems are spiritual.
Remaining
open to the truth is a benefit not only to us, but to others, as well. Not only
do we find out that we can be set free, others are able to look at our lives
and see that they, too, can have victory.
What is a
good measure of whether one has really received the victory? The frequency with
which he reports how much trouble he has.
The truth of
salvation that will make us free is that our way is clear as long as we are not
trying to please God and the flesh at the same time. This is indeed,
impossible. The life dedicated to God must be 100% dedicated.
Part of the
reason that we so often seem "betwixt-and-between" is because we
insist upon dealing with our own problems. This forces us into ourselves and to
depend upon ourselves. Therefore, problems seem greater—particularly when they
come from those close to us. Perhaps our biggest tests are brought to us by our
mates—and our perception and expectations of them.
The help that
we have available, we must accept. Though the Lord has come to us as our Paraclete, He will not intrude. Therefore, we are helped as
we appeal to Him and praise Him. He is there for those who "...walk
uprightly before Him" and consequently as you are righteous, you are
victorious through Him.
If the people
of God are ever to be helped, we must "face facts." Largely, pastors
are reluctant to warn people of their transgressions against God. If the
scripture is true in speaking that it is the truth with makes one free,
obviously, the truth must be spoken or redeemed man will remain without power.
The sincere
man will go to the Lord for his answers when trouble comes. If we would only
ask Him for the truth, He would show us, regardless of our understanding. Why
would He do this? Because only through being shown the truth
will we know that our life can be changed. The very act of God showing
us something other than what we know also assures us that there is a better
day. This is meant to be encouragement, not discouragement.
With the
acceptance of truth comes the responsibility for change. All too often, instead
of accepting the responsibility, we try to use statements to justify why we
don't have to change. You know, this is really killing ourselves and other people. If we would only do as
God says, others would see that the truth of God works—and we would be doubly
blessed.
God's truth
is absolute and He runs His "business" as a theocracy. He does not
exist for us to practice our philosophical or logical skills. This is where
many are "missing the mark," for an attempt is made to retain one's
right to make decisions. Despite the popularity of this and the argument about
it being okay, God looks for those who trust and follow Him without question.
This is what was established in the beginning—and what will always be.
God is in he "blessing business." How many times have we heard this, yet how many of us go without? He has a great desire to bless us—not just for ourselves, but so that through this, others might be turned to Him.
Do you lack
blessings? Then, check your life. It very well may be that there is a simple
matter hindering you. If you are sincere, you will want to know and to change.
You will also understand that He cannot "bless" over any
"mess"—or the message would be sent that one's spiritual state is
immaterial. Yes, many blessings come through faith, but without a life that
witnesses to the blessing, your blessing will be limited.
It is time for us to be bold in proclaiming the full truth of God's word. No longer can we be silent, as if all churches and beliefs are equal. Many exist in ignorance, believing that what they are getting is all there is. We cannot let people die and go to hell believing a lie.