Open…

Open…

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. ~ 2 Kings 6:17

What an incredible experience it must have been for the servant to have the Lord open his eyes to the unseen … to peer into the heavenly realms and encounter spiritual realities hidden from our view. What incredible grace God bestows upon His people … to open our eyes to see those things that elude our natural sight.

In Genesis 21:19, God opened the eyes of Hagar, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled a skin with water to revive her thirsty son. In Numbers 22:31, the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. Indeed, there are times when the Lord enables us to see the supernatural in order to reveal with His will and to align us with His purposes. But as I study the Word of God today, my heart has been drawn to and identifies with the Psalmist who wrote: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18) Yes Lord, “Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:34)

In Luke 24, we have the story of two disciples who were walking along the road to Emmaus and discussing the crucifixion of Jesus just three days prior. A stranger approached them and began to walk with them; listening to their unfolding of recent events and observing their downcast hearts. Then He said to them: “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.”

The stranger expounded on the ancient scriptures to explain their prophetic revelations regarding the Messiah. He affirmed to them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah – the Holy One of Israel. And as He lingered to eat a meal with them that evening, Jesus opened their eyes so that they could recognize Him. In astonishment they asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:28-32)

Later that same night, after the two had returned from Emmaus with their amazing news, Jesus appeared to the disciples as they were gathered in conversation. They were startled and afraid at His sudden appearance. Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:44-45)

My friends, most assuredly, the Lord Jesus Himself is our Master Teacher! Our Savior fulfills every word declared through Moses, the Prophets, and His Spirit. (Hebrews 1:1-3) Indeed, the Spirit of Truth guides us into all the Truth. (John 16:13) And the Truth is Jesus Himself – the Word of God! (John 1:1; 14:6; John 17:17) Oh, how I pray that Jesus would open our eyes to see all the Scriptures concerning Himself; give us burning hearts to receive and understand them; and endue us with His power to believe them! Amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

No More Condemnation…

John 3:17 (NIV)

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Our Verse of the Day is perhaps the greatest news we could share with anyone who is struggling with their past failures and feeling unworthy of the redemption and reconciliation Father God has offered to the world through Jesus Christ! Self-condemnation can be a vicious stronghold to break if our concept of a God is one of judgment and wrath alone. To be sure, Scripture reveals both the judgment and wrath of God … but both are reserved for those who reject Christ Jesus and do not place their faith in Him. Indeed, this verse declares the kindness and love of God so that each person is given the opportunity to repent of their sins and failures. Let’s look at this verse in the surrounding context:

John 3:16-21 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

God sent Jesus to be the atonement for the sins of the world. That is the purpose for which God gave Him to us. It is the atonement of His blood that we are to believe and receive … to place our faith in Him and to proclaim His self-sacrifice as all-sufficient to pay our sin debt and to redeem us from the condemnation of sin. Whoever believes in Him is no longer condemned! Believers have been set free … forgiven … released. Believers are no longer under the law of sin (Cf. Romans 7:23-25) … but now abide under the law of liberty! (Cf. James 1:25) So the application here is to believe! Believe the testimony of God regarding His Son whom He sent to be our Savior. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Cf. Romans 2:4) As the Apostle John expounded: when we reject the testimony of God about His Son, Jesus, we have in essence called God a liar….

1 John 5:9-12 (NIV)

We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

God does not want us to live under the weight of condemnation, but God has made it clear that each human must make their personal decision about Jesus. Believe and receive eternal life OR reject and remain in condemnation. God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Cf. Romans 5:8) A person is not condemned for what they have done … the sin they have committed … or their failure to live up to the moral law God has decreed; rather, a person remains under condemnation for rejection of God’s grace … for refusing the forgiveness and redemption He has offered to us through the death of His Son. Think about it a moment! God willingly sacrificed His One and Only Son for the sin of the world. Jesus is the only atonement God would accept because of His own holiness. The blood of an animal sacrifice is insufficient to purge sin. (Cf. Isaiah 1:11; Isaiah 66:1-4; Hebrews 10)

So, when a person rejects what God has done … what has God ordained for true life in Him … He allows that person to remain in condemnation because they refused to receive the propitiation provided on their behalf. When a person rejects Jesus Christ … they reject the Father as well. (Cf. John 5:22-24; 1 John 2:22-23) It is not a loving God that sends a person to hell; rather, it is a loving God who makes provision for a person to be saved from the condemnation and wrath of sin. That provision is His Son … Jesus! And this is the message that we who are ambassadors of Christ are called to share. As Paul asserted: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

Romans 8:1-10 (NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Do you know anyone who feels condemned or has fallen into self-condemnation? Share this good news with them! God has made provision to remove all condemnation through Christ Jesus. Let condemnation be replaced with conviction! Yes, let conviction bring confession … so that we agree with God that His Word and righteous decrees are holy and just. Oh, there is hope for the sinner who feels condemned! There is freedom for the captive and the broken-hearted! For the kindness of God is intended to lead us to repentance! God sent His light into the world, and His light has overcome the darkness! (Cf. John 1:5) I pray we will share that light with whosoever will listen; and pray God will grant them the gift of repentance and bring them to a knowledge of the Truth….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. ~ Romans 5:15-19

There is Now … No Condemnation

Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Our Verse of the Day is a great reminder that those who believe in Jesus … those who receive Him as Lord and Savior … those who are IN Him through the power of the Holy Spirit … are no longer under condemnation. The Apostle John revealed these theological concepts in his Gospel narrative when he recounted the conversation that occurred between Jesus and Nicodemus, a member of the ruling Jewish Council:

John 3:1-19 (NIV)

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again (from above).” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You (plural) must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still, you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up (exalted), that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him.” For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The essential message is that Christ Jesus saves us from the certain condemnation of sin when we placed our complete faith in Him and His finished work on the cross to atone for our sin and redeem us from the penalty of sin – spiritual death and eternal separation from God . Condemnation does not happen because we have sinned. Condemnation of sin continues because a person has not believed in Jesus Christ for their salvation from sin. John even goes on to say that condemnation is the outcome of a hardened heart that desires the darkness of evil rather than the light of righteousness. We were condemned already … the death sentence of sin was upon us … until Jesus redeemed us from the empty way of life handed down to us from our ancestors. (Cf. 1 Peter 1:18-19) The Apostle Paul explains this issue in further detail for us:

Romans 5:17-19 (NIV)

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Look at what that Scripture states: ONE sin resulted in condemnation! ONE sin required the sacrifice of the Son of God upon a cross! Oh, how I pray none of us will ever take ONE sin in our lives for granted. One sin cost Jesus Christ His life to redeem us – just ONE sin! THAT is how God in His holiness views the offense of just ONE sin in our lives! So, we need to stop overlooking, rationalizing, and dismissing the thoughtless irreverence of the slightest sin we commit. Sin is that serious in separating us from God; and it requires the most extreme expression of atonement … an atonement none of us is capable to perform or offer for ourselves. But the good news for us is that there is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Though all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, God has demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Cf. Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8) This is the glorious news of grace that we should be sharing with those who have not yet come to a knowledge of the truth….

My friends, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath (condemnation) remains on them. (Cf. John 3:36) Only those who believe in Christ Jesus have been set free from the penalty of sin – which is death! Our sins and transgressions have been forgiven! We have been set free from all condemnation! Jesus declared, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (Cf. John 8:36) So, let us rest in His finished work and the promise of His word. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. ~ Psalm 32:1-2

What Is Truth?

Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Our Verse of the Day addresses the issue of sharing Truth. Pontius Pilate once asked Jesus, “What is truth?” Although we can see the context of this exchange in scripture, we cannot know for sure what Pilate meant with his retort. Let’s take a look at it for a moment:

John 18:33-38 (NIV)

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.

Jesus declared to Pilate that He was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. If anyone wants to know the truth, they should listen to Him. To that Pilate retorted, “What is truth?” But what was Pilate really asking or stating?

“What is truth?” Was he asking, “Is there really any truth in this world?”

“What is truth?” Was he asking, “Does the truth even matter?”

“What is truth?” Was he asking, “Is there an absolute truth that can be known?”

These are just a few possibilities. But what do you think about these questions? Jesus spoke a great deal about truth during His ministry – most of which is recorded for us in the Gospel of John.

John 8:31-47 (NIV)

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God Himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

John 14:1-9 (NIV)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.

John 17:13-18 (NIV)

I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is Truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

My friends, there is a Truth … an absolute Truth which we can know! The Apostle John, an eyewitness of Jesus, affirmed: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Cf. John 1:14) As the living Word of God, Jesus invites us to hear His voice and to follow Him. Indeed, Jesus has revealed the truth of God … and testified that His Word is Truth! He is the absolute truth; and He said, “The truth will set you free!” We are no longer slaves to sin because Jesus has cancelled its penalty and power through the cross. We are no long slaves to fear because perfect love drives out fear. (Cf. 1 John 4:18)

Jesus asserted the reason He was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Him. Jesus also said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (Cf. John 20:21) And so it follows that Jesus sends us to testify to the truth … that is, to testify about Jesus – the Way and the Truth and the Life! And Paul instructs us to speak the truth IN LOVE. For if we speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, we are only resounding gongs or clanging cymbals.” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. ~ Colossians 4:5-6

Christ – Our Sin Offering

1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV)

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Our Verse of the Day asserts an interesting theological statement, but I really do not like how it has been translated here in the New International Version (NIV). So, I thought that I might explore some other English translations for comparison. I found some that I think better express what I believe Paul was communicating here:

New Living Translation

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

New Matthew Bible

For he has made him who knew no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that we, by means of him, should be that righteousness which is accepted before God.

Tree of Live Version

He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

What I struggled with in the more widely known translations (i.e., KJV, NKJV, NIV, ESV, RSV, AMP, etc.) is this language: He (meaning Jesus) became sin or that God made Him to be sin. I just have a hard time conceiving that possibility in my mind. So, I was glad to see additional translations that confirmed what I believed Paul meant: the concept of Jesus “becoming a sin offering”. This is highly consistent with the surrounding context of “reconciliation with God” and with the inspired writings of the Apostle John. Let’s look at the additional context first:

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

And this language is consistent with the doctrinal material that Paul shared in the Book of Romans:

Romans 3:20-26 (NIV)

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

In my mind, Paul simply explained in greater detail what the Apostle John had attested:

1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

While John focuses on the love God demonstrated by sending His Son to become an eternal sin offering so that we might have eternal life; Paul deepens our understanding of HOW the love and grace of God has effectually accomplished our justification through Christ Jesus. Paul preaches an absolute home-run sermon which you will find in Acts 13:13-42. I highly encourage you to read the entire linked passage, but I want to focus on his conclusion:

Acts 13:38-41(NIV)

“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: “‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”

Although Paul is quoting Habakkuk 1:5 in Verse 41, he uses its prophetic application of warning for those who scoff, dispute, discredit, and do not believe the message being declared to them. He was urging them to not reject the Gospel or it’s proclamation of freedom from darkness or it’s declaration of hope and reconciliation with God. Yet, the religious and self-righteous could not understand or accept this message of love and grace or the justification afforded us through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus through His blood shed on a cross. Paul explains the reason for this spiritual tension and conflict produced in people when the Gospel is preached to them:

2 Corinthians 3:13-18 (NIV)

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is the veil taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

It is not that the Gospel is unclear; rather, it is that unbelievers are blinded by Satan. There is a veil of darkness that covers their hearts so that the light and liberty of the Gospel cannot be discerned. The Apostle John stated, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. (Cf. John 3:19-21) And Paul informed us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Cf. Ephesians 6:12)

My friends, we need to be aware of this struggle. There is spiritual warfare being fought on the battlefields of our minds. That is why embracing truth is so important! This is why we are sanctified (set apart unto God) by the Truth … which is found in Jesus, the Word of God. (Cf. John 17:17) So, I pray we will all take time to read, study, and be transformed by the truth found in God’s Word; and to share it with others. I think that is the most important thing we can be doing in these latter days.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:3-5

Know The Truth…

John 8:31-32 (NIV)

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

In our culture, it seems that many people have become uncertain of what is true. Indeed, it can be difficult to know what is truth and what is not when there is so much deception being promulgated around the world. It comes in so many forms: misrepresentations; information filtered with slanted biases; half-truths; withheld information; and just down right lies. It could, in some cases, be unintentional, but I think in the majority of the time, people intend to deceive and manipulate others for their own purposes, personal gain, pride, or their own narcissism.

One thing that I believe we can all agree on is that there is a great confrontation going on in our nation and in the world between the truth and falsehood … between light and darkness. We see it being played out every day in the media; on social platforms; and in our conversations with others. And the intensity seems to have escalated during the past 2-3 years. What can we make of all this conflict? What can we be certain of in these unsettled and uncertain times in which we live? Well, Jesus affords us some insight with our Verse of the Day:

John 8:25-36 (NIV)

²⁵“Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶“I have much to say in judgment of you. But He who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.” ²⁷They did not understand that He was telling them about His Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” ³⁰Even as He spoke, many believed in Him. ³¹To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” ³⁴Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I believe we can conclude that the teaching of Jesus is truth. In fact, the whole Word of God is affirmed by Jesus to be truth! What Jesus said and shared with the world is what the Father instructed Him to do. The Apostle John declared, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Cf. John 1:14; 1:17) When we believe in Jesus … when we trust Him at His Word … we will know the truth! And it is the truth that will set us free from lives of sin and rebellion. Indeed, when Jesus prayed for His disciples and for those who would believe in Him because of their testimony, He asked the Father to sanctify them to live in accordance with the truth; and then declared: Father, Your Word is Truth! (Cf. John 17:17) So, if we need a standard by which to know and judge what is truth, Jesus has confirmed the truth for us.

So, the best counsel I have for anyone who wants to discern what is truth in these turbulent times is to look into the Word of God, to look at Jesus, and come to the Light of the World. Jesus said, “I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (Cf. John 12:46) And when asked by Pontius Pilate during his trial, Jesus responded: “The reason that I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (Cf. John 18:37) And we need to understand that Jesus promised to fill us with His Holy Spirit … the Spirit of Truth – who will guide us into all the truth. The Advocate will not speak on His own; rather, He will speak only what He hears – and He will tell us what is yet to come.” (Cf. John 16:13) Perhaps this is what prompted the Apostle John to write:

1 John 4:1-6 (NIV)

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. ⁴You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Could this instruction for our spiritual discernment be made any clearer? To me, John is quite eloquent as he provides us the guidance to discern between truth and falsehood. And I am convinced this “test” of the spirits can afford us all the clarity we need to evaluate what false information is being propagated throughout the world now. My friends, it is imperative for us as believers to have a foundation of truth … the Word of God … both in our minds and in our hearts. It will equip us and empower us to navigate through the deception and darkness that permeates the culture of this world. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:19)

Jesus said His followers would be in the world but not of this world. He taught, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (Cf. John 15:19) And Paul advised: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Cf. Romans 12:2) And James affirmed: “God chose to give us birth through the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all He created. (Cf. James 1:18) And so, I just felt impressed to remind us of all these things….

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But be courageous! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

Your Word is Truth…

John 17:17 (NIV)

Sanctify them by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

Our Verse of the Day is found in a passage of scripture that captures the content of an intercessory prayer Jesus offered to God the Father. When Jesus was with His disciples just before the time of his betrayal, trial, and execution on a cross; He commenced a profound time of prayer specifically for them and for those who come to faith through their testimonies. The Apostle John recorded this prayer in his gospel account; and it affords the context for our verse:

John 17:6-23 (NIV) – Excerpt from the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus

⁶“I have revealed You (your name, your character, your being) to those whom You gave me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to me and they have obeyed Your word. ⁷Now they know that everything You have given me comes from You. ⁸For I gave them the words You gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that you sent me. ⁹I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰All I have is Yours, and all You have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. ¹¹I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of (keep them faithful to) Your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them and kept them faithful to that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. ¹³“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷Sanctify them by the Truth; your Word is Truth. ¹⁸As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.²⁰“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Here we discover that the disciples (and all those who believe) have been “set apart” from the world through Jesus Christ. And He emphasizes in this prayer that WHAT will “separate” His followers from the world is the Word of God. Yes, this is what the word “sanctify” means. It means to be separated from the world … to be “set apart unto God” and service to Him. It means to be holy … for the One who gives us life through His Son is holy! And, indeed, we should never lose sight of this declaration from the Gospel of John … and his eyewitness account of the glory of Jesus Christ: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Cf. John 1:1) And, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe.” (Cf. Hebrews 1:1-2)

When Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them by the Truth; your Word is Truth,” He was declaring to the disciples (and to us) that the Word of God is Truth. You and I can fully trust His Word. Jesus, the living Word of God, is Truth! You can trust Jesus when He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Cf. John 14:6) Applying the Word of God to our hearts and letting it transform us and renew our thoughts (minds) is HOW we become sanctified. “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Cf. Hebrews 4:12)

Again, in order to know the truth … in order to live in accordance with the truth … we have to be studying the truth in order to know it and to put it into practice. Indeed, as Jesus asserted, He gave His disciples the words that the Father had given for Him to impart … “and they accepted them.” So, I encourage you to keep reading … keep meditating … keep receiving from the Spirit the wonderful things of God found in His Word. His Word is our hope … our confidence … our assurance! His Word is alive! It contains truth that transforms. It will empower your life in ways you may not have experienced before. There is always something new … something fresh … awaiting you in the Word of God. And the Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (Cf. John 16:13)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~ John 8:31-32