28)
Then
said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know
that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me,
I speak these things.
29)
And
he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always
those things that please him.
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.
|
I |
t
should come as no surprise to the saint of God that the flesh is the area in
which the devil rules. Now, the verb "rules" is the operative word,
here, for understanding it opens to us the whole definition of exactly how the
devil destroys us. Educating the saints of God in the principles of
spirituality and holiness is the only
way to counteract man's natural proclivity to cater to the flesh.
Too
often, in dealing with unsaved family and friends, we talk to them about
changing their lives. This is misdirected and an unprofitable use of witnessing
time, for the only help that they will be able to obtain is through the Holy
Ghost. Therefore, our conversation must first
revolve around their receiving of the Holy Ghost. Lasting change is
accomplished only through the receiving and following of the Holy Spirit of
God.
The
"truth" makes us free in several ways: 1) The truth of the Word of
God allows us to know our freedom from the devil and in the Lord and 2)
When we are willing to accept the "truth" of why the Lord allows
certain tests, trials and situations to come to us, we are then
"freed" from ourselves.
For
the longest, the Lord has been trying to get us to accept that all tests come to teach and to train us. Unfortunately, too few of us
have learned this, so instead of being prepared to handle the greater things of
the kingdom, we still struggle with our own affairs. You see, because
unfaltering trust is essential to our ability to be used in kingdom affairs,
the Lord allows limited things to "trouble" our earthly lives so that
we might become used to depending on
Him. This would enable us to do actual "hand-to-hand" combat with the
devil concerning really important
matters--and come out "on top." When we deal with what is sent to
prepare us for greatness as if it is the greatest, we "short
circuit" the learning process (so to speak) and consequently, must begin
over again. Considering the volume of things sent to us on a yearly basis and
the principles not learned from them,
one can easily calculate the time being wasted.
There
is always understanding to be gained through a test, but only by consulting the
One Who allowed it. Our failure to do
this is the most frequent explanation of why we so often go without
understanding.
If you have been called to be a
"purveyor" of truth (i. e. a
"minister"), you must first know some truth to impart. This is neither a small nor light
matter, for one's success or failure in salvation could depend upon you. So, if
you are not willing to apply yourself and be "first partaker," how
much of a "call" could you really have--and from whom? You know,
ministry is more than being able to sing or "hoop." It is actually a
great responsibility involving having enough integrity to present Jesus only. In other words, not Jesus
mixed with your mama, your favorite televangelist or your favorite book. True
ministry should be the least "glamorous" of the occupations, for the
commission of the true minister is to
direct all glory, honor and praise to the Chief
Minister –Jesus Christ.
So
much that the Lord has done and so many promises of the scripture are taken for
granted. No doubt, at least half (if not more) of what has been done for us and
what has been accomplished through salvation is neither appreciated nor
understood. We so easily break the "seal" (by sinning) with which the
Lord has stamped us when the purpose of that seal is to allow us to know the
things "...freely given to us of God." If we really understood this,
how could we so cavalierly decide that what we want is worth a
"breach?"
To live by, operate in or espouse the truth, today,
carries with it a high price. Particularly if we are speaking of a ministry,
the "cost" often involves bodies, money and the espouser's
reputation. We also know, however, that neither the fame, riches nor acclaim
that the World offers are able to approach the smallest reward for operating in
God's truth. Therefore, the deciding factor in one's life; the
"yardstick" by which he decides what will rule his conduct will be
his honesty, integrity, sincerity and most importantly, his love for the Lord. As
you go through your personal "checklist of virtues," who can you honestly say "calls your shots?" n