John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
John 8:31-32 (Amplified) says, "So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My Word (hold fast to My teachings) and live in accordance with the, you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
Jesus tells us that, "The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-Giving Spirit)," in John 16:13 (Amplified). Jesus prayed this in John 17:17 (Amplified), "Sanctify them (purify, consecrate, separate) them for Yourself, make them holy by the Truth, for Your Word is Truth."
We sometimes wonder why prayer and God's Word "don't work like we see in The Bible." We rely on our own way of doing these things and make them work in our lives. We say, "God knows what I mean" and/or "If it be His will." The above scripture tells us that, "Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ." JESUS IS TRUTH.
Many say, "God puts things on us, in order to teach us things," but Jesus said, "The Father and I are One." I can't remember hearing anyone say, "Jesus made me sick, in order to teach me something." Jesus and the Father are One, though. These words are not Truth and they don't carry any weight in God's Kingdom. In Malachi 2:6 (Amplified) God says, "The Law of Truth was in (Levi's) mouth and unrighteousness was not found in his lips, he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity."
We are to observe the Law of Truth, in our walk with God. Most Christians believe that God's Word is Truth, but they exchange Truth for tradition. Most have been taught that God uses sickness, which is the very thing Jesus bore on behalf while on the cross, instead of being taught that God teaches and chastises His people with His Word. It would be a miscarriage of Justice, if God put sickness and hard times, on us. Listen carefully to what Jesus tells His disciples, remembering that we are His disciples too, saying in John 15:1-3 (Amplified), "I am the Vine, and My Father is the Vine Dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing), He cuts away (trims off takes away), and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the Teachings I have discussed with You)."
Jesus tells us that, "He will never leave you or forsake you," so what does He mean when He says that "He trims off, takes away, and repeatedly prunes those who aren't bearing fruit" and how does He get more and better fruit? By His Word and His teachings, which are His Truth.
Jesus gives "The Parable of the Sower" in Mark 4:14-15,25 (Amplified) saying, "The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown in their hearts, but when they hear, satan comes at once and by force takes away the Message which is sown in them." When there is no Revelation of Truth, the branches need pruned back and have Revelation applied to them, in order to bring forth more fruit. The King James Version says, "He stakes up or ties up those branches that are not bearing fruit, so that they get more sunlight and will bear fruit." I stake up the tomato plants in my garden, so the branches can withstand the weight of the tomatoes and make them able to receive sunlight.
Jesus talks about seeds that have produced in the thorns and weeds, which He says are "The distraction of the age, cares and anxieties, which creep in to choke out the fruit." The vine and branches are fine, but the fruit was diminished by other things. Those who haven't been bearing fruit, will become bearers of fruit by His Truth and His Teachings, according to Verse 25, where Jesus says, "For to him who has, will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away by force."
When God's Truth (His Word) has been planted and takes root in your heart, then you will become bearers of much fruit. Many require pruning away and taking off the branch suckers (small branches that are taking life from the branch), in order to bear fruit. The branch suckers are the religious traditions and the trials and cares of the world, which prevent the Light and Truth of God's Word from bearing more and better fruits, in our lives.
Have you ever noticed how fruit trees in an orchid, have no branches below a certain level on the tree? Those lower branches are would-be suckers that don't bear fruit, but suck life (nutrients, water) away from the branches that would bear fruit. The orchard owner prunes and cuts these branches away, in order to grow more fruit. We've heard so many things that aren't Truth over the years, which might have been taught with the right spirit, but took away from the good branches. These teachings drew away the Life of God's Word, making it unproductive in the people's lives.
Paul writes in 1Corinthians 3:9 (Amplified), "For we are fellow workmen (joint-promoters, laborers) together with and for God; you are God's garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, you are God's building." We've spoken against the Truth of God's Word, because of the traditions and religious things we've learned. Paul admonishes, "Lie not against the Truth." Many have read God's Word as Truth, but haven't received it as "Truth." Many Christians deny the Truth that "We've been made to be the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus." We've replaced the Truth of God's Word, with our own idea of truth and continue to see ourselves as being "old sinners in God's eyes." This thinking diminishes our ability to pray, because of the Law of Truth that says, "You can't have faith God will hear, if you're still a sinner and have no place in Him, as His child."
When we deny that we're made righteous in Christ Jesus, then we're denying the Law of Truth and diminishing the Truth that we have access to God's Throne Room of Grace and are able to obtain His mercy and Grace when we need it. Only those who have been made righteous in His Own Righteousness, can have the right to come before Him. This is Truth and when we don't accept it as Truth, it holds us back from having faith in your prayers being heard and answered. Truth never changes, even though some doubt it.
Faith is rooted, grounded and based on Truth. When doubt enters in, faith drains out and Truth is shadowed in the believer's heart. Can someone be righteous in God's eyes and not accept His Righteousness as Truth? Yes. God's Word is Truth, even thought the world and religion says it's no so. If you've received Jesus as your Lord and savior, then you're now made righteous, with His Righteousness. THIS IS TRUTH! It is the Law of Truth and always works. You might not understand or accept it as being Truth, because of traditional teachings, but in Him, you're still righteous before God.
This is a lot of the pruning, that the Holy Spirit is cutting from the branches today. He does this by God's Word and teachings of Truth, according to Romans 8:7-8,9 (Amplified) which says, "That is because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot. So then those who are living the life of the flesh (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please of satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him." Paul continues writing about "Faith," to the people in the Church of Rome, saying in Verse 9, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the Life of the Spirit, if the Holy Spirit of God really dwells in you, directs and controls you." Romans 3:3-4 (Amplified) says, "What if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God and His fidelity to His Word? By no means, Let God be found True though every human being is false and a liar." The Law of Truth prevails, even when we refuse to accept it as Truth.
The carnal appetites and impulses of the carnal nature, with its carnal mind, are suckers that the Holy Spirit and God's Word will prune, trim and remove. Jesus said in John 8:32 (Amplified), "And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." Notice it says, "Will set you free." I thought that, "Whomsoever the Son sets free is free indeed." You are free, but when Truth isn't accepted as Truth, we find ourselves brought back into the bondage of man's religion and the doctrines of devils. Only the Truth will set you free. Once you're free, you must stay free
God's people had been in bondage for 400 years and were on their way to being freed in Exodus 14:12. They had to be totally dependent on God, for the first time in 400 years, because the Egyptians clothed and fed them as their slaves. When Moses led them out of Egypt, the Israelites had to cast aside the provisions of the Egyptians and wholly rely and have faith that God would provide for them. When the enemy came down upon them, they forgot the Truth, which was the covenant God had made with Abraham. They didn't believe God would or could fulfill His Promise to them, through the Abraham covenant.
Exodus 2:24 (Amplified) tells us, "And God heard their sighing and groaning and earnestly remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." God remembered His part of the Law of Truth, but they forgot their part, which was believing in His Truth. Exodus 14:14 (Amplified) says, "And they said to Moses, Did we not tell you in Egypt, Let us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the Wilderness."
We maintain our freedom in God, based on His Truth, because "His Truth will set us free." We've been made free by His Truth and only His Truth can keep us free. The enemy constantly tries to hold back Truth from us, by religious rituals and creeds. He tries using these things to overshadow the Truth, in order to bring us back under his bondage. These are the branches that God's Word prunes and cuts off. These are the suckers.
No comments:
Post a Comment