TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”-John 8:31-32
Nothing quite like a dose of truth at the onset of a New Year! There is no substitute for truth. Honestly, where would World Economy go, if truth doesn’t undergird all of its transactions? Truth is so important in this World that paradoxically even in the Crime World of “LIES”, people have paid for their lives for not speaking the truth! Even in an as mundane an act as hiring an auto-rickshaw in the Indian context, imagine the reaction of the commuters, if they learn that meter designed to calculate the fare has been tampered with. Continuing to blow the trumpet about the importance of truth…ever wondered how the lie-detector machine works? Oh boy…on the principle that normally all of us speak the truth. Normal heart-beat and pulse-rate of a person speaking a lie would go awry, immediately registering on the “lie-detector” facilitating the authorities to nail the truth, as it were, straightaway. Amongst others’, one ennobling action of truth is that of liberation. Where truth is, fetters’ of a lie are bound to lie unshackled.
In this New Year’s message, I intend to focus on the truth in each of the three Christian doctrines of …Justification (a sinner is forgiven on accepting Christ as his/her Saviour), Sanctification (a forgiven sinner is transformed into a Christ-like image) and Glorification (Christians get raptured or on their departure from the Earthly realm reach the Heavenly shores whichever were to occur first).
Justification…
To be justified, is to have a right standing with God. Those of us born with an innate, Adamic rebellious nature can never get a right standing with God of infinite holiness by way of our finite human effort or reasoning. If the degree of human effort or intelligence were the criterion to get a right relationship with the Holy Creator, then where and how would one fix the limits for them? If limits are then set by finite human reasoning which tends to glorify the best, the beautiful, the intelligent and the mighty, then the rich or the strong or the most intelligent ones’ would apparently race ahead of “a common man in the street” in reaching the “target” of finding God’s favour (can it ever be measured?). Now viewing this paramount subject of getting the right relationship with Him, from the Almighty’s angle itself, remember first and foremost that God is fair. Would He not give equal opportunities to all in the most important subject of meriting the right relationship with Him? Yes, He would never allow the principle of fairness (which is at the core of His character) to get grossly violated by fixing “standards” which only the strong, rich or the intelligent can hope to attain. Oh yes, He loves the strong, the rich and the intelligent lot for it is not their fault that they were born that way. By the same token, He loves the poor, weak and simple ones’ too for it is not their fault either that they were born that way. Whatever be our social status or physical stature or IQ level, all of us born with an inborn, rebellious Adamic nature (Romans 3:23) need to get into a right relationship with the Most High One.
It is because God in His infinite wisdom knew that fallen man can never merit a right relationship with His perfect person by dint of finite human efforts that, He Himself offered way out of the impasse. Let the Bible take over…
Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.-Romans 3:23-24 (TLB)
We aren’t saved from sin’s grasp by knowing the commandments of God because we can’t and don’t keep them, but God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours—except that ours are sinful—and destroyed sin’s control over us by giving himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Romans 8:3
The proof of the pudding is in the eating thereof. You only need to ask forgiven sinners’ like Yours Truly when they passed from “death” to “life” on trusting Christ to know more about the nitty-gritty of this truth. None would be condemned for being born a sinner but would be condemned to Hell, only if he/she chooses to die as one, without ever seeking Christ, the only truthful way of redemption (John 14:6) from the shackles of sin, lies and eternal death.
Sanctification…
But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.-2 Cor 3:18
What is the ultimate purpose of our Heavenly Father in saving us from sin? To make us like His Son (1 John 3:2) both spiritually and in glorious bodily form. When we come to Him, at the point of salvation, let it be said that we come “warts and all”. From then on He starts sculpting us in His Son’s image by the Spirit He places in us to lead us in every area of our lives (Gal 5:16). Of course, there is N.T. Scripture at hand (Matt-Rev) whose teachings’ would be very much in consonance with the Spirit’s leading but when it comes to say very personal issues’ like can I view TV Serials or should I take-up full-time work or where I should minister for God’s glory…it is only the Holy Spirit’s leading (I John 2:27) that one has to follow.
Also consider this Scripture which is the very definition of growing into Christ-like image…
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.-2 Peter 1:5-11 (NLV)
Hmmm…moral excellence…knowledge…self-control…patient endurance…godliness…brotherly affection…love…now dear friends these virtues cannot be bought over the counter in a market place nor can they be acquired by attending a seminary training in a Bible college for a specific period of time. There is only one way to acquire them. Consistent cross-bearing (Luke 9:23) by walking continuously in line with the Scriptural teaching even while being led by the Holy Spirit on day-to-day basis!!! What is a Cross anyway that a revered Sadhu Sundar Singh went so far as to say “Cross bears those who bear the cross”.
Remember for a Cross (synonymous with pain) to be carried, it necessarily has to be in touch with your being. There lies the answer. The surrounding “unavoidable” irksome circumstances, which one cannot get away from…be it a country where we live in (can we leave the Country and flee if communal persecutions break out?), place of education/employment/business, marriage, parenthood or even one’s own body all constitute a cross. Surprised? No, I am not saying Holy Marriage or parenthood by itself are a cross but whatever irksome comes our way in faithful fulfillment of our responsibilities in these Holy relationships makes for a cross. These are the very ones’ the good Lord uses to shape us in to His Son’s image. Hey, Cross does not merely save us but it shapes us too. Realization of this truth will set you free ….for “irksome circumstances’ “ viewed with this spiritual vision (Romans 8:28) will no longer seem irksome, just as a bitter medicine tastes no longer bitter to a sick person who is appraised about its curative effects. Oh yes, let’s also remember to be thankful for the ever-bubbling joy of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37) within us which enables’ us to bear the Cross cheerfully for God’s glory in this paramount sanctification process. It is in this rarefied “atmospheric” mix of joy inside-pain outside that a Christian’s character gets built until that day in the Divine calendar would arrive when he/she would be able to take anything in his/her stride for the Father’s glory like the Saviour did in His earthly sojourn.
Oh there are some (not all) Charismatic souls who look at the Upper room experience (the kind the Apostles had-Acts 2) as a panacea for all ills in spiritual life and as such advocate the same as a recipe for perfection in a Christian’s life. Oh how off-track, can they be!!! While fiery infilling of the Holy Spirit is bound to turn a coward into a someone bold as a lion in the Lord’s Ministry like it did in the case of the Apostles (in OT times too, do not we see similar rush of “spiritual adrenaline” in the case of Charismatic judges like a Jepthah or a Samson-Judges 11:29/14:19/15:14), it’s role in perfecting a Christian vis-à-vis the timeless Cross-bearing is at best supplementary but never substitutionary. Verily, Verily I say unto you, there is no substitute to consistent cross-bearing for becoming Christ-like. Want further proof? Apostle Peter who wrote the above-captioned Scripture portion (1 Peter 1:5-11)…would have known a thing or three about Pentecostal experience having played a big role on that epochal day. Did it make him perfect? No as the event mentioned in Gal 2:11-17 still reveal some spiritual deficits in his persona. So is it any wonder that neither he or James (in their epistles) who were present in the Upper room the day the Church was born did not invite any of their readers’ to a ten-day fasting and prayer meetings in the Upper-room (yes it was still there, when they wrote the epistles) to initiate them into a power-packed Pentecostal experience, so that they can become Christ-like in a jiffy. Boy, if becoming Christ-like were that easy, the Master or his truthful disciples would not have prescribed the way of the Cross at all (I Peter 1:5-8/James 1:2-4). If realization of this truth, doesn’t set one free from the lie that some ethereal experiences’ (good in themselves) make one perfect, then nothing else will…
Well, God out of His grace filled with me with His “fire” on a rainy July evening in 1989 (six years after I had faithfully walked with Him as a Christian leading a life of complete consecration -2 Tim 2:21) when I an erstwhile timid (to public speaking/activities) Christian rose up to deliver my first sermon. So astounding was that experience that after I delivered an authoritative sermon, with an ethereal fire burning in my heart, I was afraid to use even the washroom for some hours for fear of dousing that “holy fire” by some “unholy” act. Did I achieve spiritual nirvana after that experience at once becoming Christ-like? No, I would be lying, if I say I did. So even at the cost of sounding repetitive, let me reiterate there is no substitute for faithful, daily cross-bearing with the Saviour power (I Cor 4:20) on the road to complete sanctification. Salvation is the miracle of the moment, becoming Christ-like is a life-long process.
Glorification…
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.-Matt 24:36
Be gone date-setters’ of Christ’s II Coming, for the truth that no one knows the date has set us free from believing your lies and indulging in many probable hypocritical actions. Out of sheer love for the Master, we are called to live freely a sincere God-honoring life day in and day out without putting up a mask of a Mother Teresa and participating in Charity, which would be the case in the case of many if the date of II Coming were to be publicly known. Quite often, the date-setters trigger several feigned acts of charity amongst their gullible followers’.
Even though, we do not know the exact date of our Lord’s return is it really on the anvil? Let’s consider this Scripture portion in this context…
When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.-Matt 24:37
What then were conspicuous by their presence during Noah’s day? Violence and Corruption…ladies and gentlemen (Gen 6:11)! Are we not greeted by terrible news of escalating violence and corruption in the media almost daily?
Well, when the sin has fully ripened and is worthy of punishment (Gen 15:16), the fair God would then unleash His righteous judgment upon this wicked generation like He did during Noah’s time, after taking the righteous solitary family of Noah out of the “harm’s way”. The same, unchanging God (Psalm 102:27/Heb 13:8) would do likewise in taking the “preservative salt” (read the Church with the Holy Spirit –Matt 5:13/2 Thess 2:7) out of the picture, before unleashing the seven years of horrific tribulation upon this morally depraved World (Rev 6-19). Yes, the truth is He cannot give expression to His just anger, when the oh-so-sweet, dove-like Holy Spirit indwelling the Christians is still around. We would be “away” (sigh) when unimaginable troubled times arrive (Isa 26:20-21). Now this truth should “set free” a Christian’s tongue in proclaiming a loud Hallelujah!!! As for those who have not yet trusted Christ yet but want to be found “in Him” (Romans 8:1), well it’s time to come out of fetters’ of trying to please God through futile human efforts and embrace Christ the truth Himself (John 14:6) and His righteousness which He is ready to impute to you free of cost. If you do it, without any further delay, then really A JOYOUS, REVELATORY NEW YEAR would follow!!!
Suresh Manoharan
Ps…with utmost respect to our Hindu friends (I Peter 3:15), we need to share the truths of the Bible with them, for the Vedic definition of the word Hindu is a “truth-seeker living on the Eastern side of River Indus”.
Note: This message replete with pics is also available at the following URL...
http://www.jandsmministries.com/message_Jan1_15.asp
