The Truth

The Truth 

by David Brenneman 

"So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” John 8:31-38.

It's an on-again off-again battle for me.  Many people have comebacks for it.  When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. 

Quite often in my years around this world he likes to remind me of things I said in my darkest hour.  For many years that dark cloud hung over my head of that incident.  It took a sermon at an evening service over a decade ago to shatter that set of chains binding me.  

Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  The Truth came and broke those chains.  Telling me that not even I could unsave me.  That not even I was strong enough to undo what He did on the cross to save me.  I was in His hands and I couldn't take me out of there. That He is in His Father's hands and with even more certainty we weren't coming out of His hands.  Once saved always saved.

No reminders of past sins can break what Jesus did to save you or I.

This is another great example of why it's important to stay in the Word of God daily.  It's another reason to pray often.  Satan's not one to, and his minions don't like, hanging around those who earnestly pray.

Another battlefield is where we've succumbed before in life.  Satan's schemes involve trying to get us to engage him in areas of our past battles again.  Wanting both to seek a victory as well as waste our time.  Knowing that if we are so preoccupied then we aren't praying, we aren't seeking first Jesus's Kingdom and His righteousness. 

Exposing such threats also helps to remove the power of those things from being over us.  Sharing the need for prayer with others brings in reinforcements.  

It's such a wonderful place to be knowing that I can't unsave me.  Everyone has a past that they probably aren't proud of.  The Bible tells us such.

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13.

We don't need to face these battles alone.  Satan's going to try his best to wear us down.  He's also got to seek permission to do that as well. 

While he tries to yet claim victory in my past, he had to get permission to take me where he did back then.  My regret is real.  My sorrow over my responses to life back then I still feel.  But I am forgiven.  I am still a child of God.  I am still who He says that I am.  

You, my Dear Reader, probably have a past too.  It doesn't define you.   

The only thing that defines a person for eternity is whether or not they asked Jesus to be the forgiver of their sins and the leader of their lives.  

Jesus will indeed permit things to happen in order to have His workmanship in us to not just survive but to thrive.  We don't know  what all needs done in each of us to bring us to a deeper relationship with Jesus.  Some certainly need more work than others.  

All will face things that Satan's asked to come after us in. 

We can't know the depths of the sinful depravity that we find in in.  We are to trust Jesus in what He deems as necessary to grow in Christ.  We will need to face dark hours at times.  Some of those will seem so bleak that we will indeed wonder if we're truly alone. 

But these situations can't cause Jesus to break a promise He's made.  Yes my past is ugly and reprehensible.  It's disgusting to even me.  I don't like being reminded of it and how I utterly failed Jesus my Lord and Savior. 

Peter utterly failed Jesus and wept bitterly at his reprehensible actions. 

Jesus, after the resurrection, reinstated Peter.  Peter was forgiven and shown that his past didn't define him.  

They say that there's no tears in Heaven.  It will probably take something Jesus does to keep me from crying uncontrollably when I finally get to hold Him.  

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face. 

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace. 

All New American Standard Bible Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. A corporation not for profit.