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The Truth Will Set You Free

In the Gospel of John, the author records a statement from Jesus to the Jews who believed Him. If they abide in His word, they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free.

Therefore, Jesus said toward the Jews believing Him, “If you abide in My word, truly you are My disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

The response of the unbelieving Jews was to refute their need for freedom immediately. However, all those who sin are slaves to sin, John 8:33. The sin referred to here is not the acts of sin that a person does. Instead, it is specific to the sin nature of a person. All those doing sin (the act of lawlessness) are slaves to the sin [nature].

As the steward of our dispensation, Paul is given instructions on how to have victory over the sin nature. In Romans chapters six through seven, he writes of his experience with applying the doctrine of the truth in comparison to how the law works against the sin nature. Through this, we clearly understand what Jesus was referring to as the truth. The truth is a specific doctrine that frees a person from slavery to commit sin so that he is able to produce righteousness.

The first aspect of this doctrine is to know. Those who abide, feel at ease, in His word must know it.

Know that we have died with Christ and have been raised to walk in newness of life.

Or do you not know that as many as have been immersed into Christ Jesus, into His death have been immersed? Romans 6:3

Therefore, we have been buried with Him through the immersion into the death, in order that just as […]

The Truth Will Set You Free2024-05-05T13:07:49-07:00

Applying “The Truth” to our Lives

1 John 1:5-10 And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you, “God is light, and darkness is not in Him. If perhaps we should say, “We have fellowship with Him.”, and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth. However, if perhaps we should walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another of the same kind, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If perhaps we should say that we have no sin, we cause ourselves to wander and the truth is not in us.  If perhaps we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous in order that He should forgive our sins and should cleans us from all unrighteousness. If perhaps we say, “We are in a state of having never sinned.”, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

The desire to produce sin is a constant struggle in the life of every believer. We all face those temptations that are just so hard to resist. We may struggle with these desires, and sometimes even put up a good fight, but ultimately we given in and get entangled with things that we know God does not wants us to be involved with in our lives. This often leads to a life of shame before God. We promise we will not do it again only to end up back on our knees for the same problem.

However, the Christian life does not need to be a life of shame and failure. to have victory over these desires, we need to understand where they come from […]

Applying “The Truth” to our Lives2016-10-12T06:02:45-07:00

The Inarticulate Babbler Carnal

And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as inarticulate babblers in Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:1

Carnal means to be emanating the things of the flesh. Those who are carnal are not able to understand Spiritual things, for when the mind is focused on fulfilling soulish (emotional) desires, the desires from the Spirit are not discernable, 1 Corinthians 2:14. One of the predominate signs of a Christian being carnal is one who causes divisions within the local assembly, usually through manifesting the religious works of the flesh. From the flesh comes idolatry and religious superstitious awe, both of which are presented as following God, when in reality they are seeking self-gratification and prefer feelings over the truth. If a person is considered wise and learned, let that one show proper works in objectivity of mind concerning wisdom, not in bitter envy and selfish ambition, for these are carnal, not Spiritual in nature, James 3:13-14. Where there is envy and selfish ambition there is disorder and all accomplished works are fallow because this type of wisdom is not from above, but is demonic in kind, James 3:15-16.

When a Christian is carnal, their mind is framed on the things of the flesh, not on Spiritual things, and therefore their actions will always produce unrighteousness and even sin. However, not all the desires from the flesh have a bad appearance to them. Religious superstitious awe involves religious things often involving the appearance or atmosphere of a building, or the way the clergy are presented to the assembly and separated out as those that are more “religious” than others. Religious superstitious awe heavily relies upon feelings, focusing on so called “worship services” and […]

The Inarticulate Babbler Carnal2023-11-23T18:04:12-08:00

To Hold Down (κατέχω)

To hold down (κατέχω) conveys the act of preventing, hindering, or holding onto something or someone.

In the parable of the land owner who planted a vineyard and leased it out so that he could go to a far away country, the vinedressers sought to hold down his son’s inheritance by killing him (Matthew 21:38). By slaying the heir, they perceived that they would be able to prevent the owner from taking what was rightfully his.

While talking about the Kingdom of the Heavens and how the message is impacting those hearing it, Jesus speaks the parable of the sower and the seeds. Unlike the message of salvation today, which holds an inherent ability to save a person (Romans 1:16), the good news of the Kingdom of the Heavens could be snatched out of the heart of those who heard it. However, those who heard the word with a proper and good heart, prevented the loss of the message in their heart, resulting in bearing fruit (Luke 8:15). Therefore, their lives were impacted by the message of the Messiah because they believed God.

A quality of the wrath of God is manifested today against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold down the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). The wicked do not succeed because they evade justice, but rather, because God gives them over to uncleanness and the strong desires of their hearts due to their rejection of the truth. As a result, their minds become depraved, calling good evil while being filled with all forms of unrighteousness, thus bringing upon themselves the fullness of judgment (Romans 1:32).

When we were in the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our […]

To Hold Down (κατέχω)2024-11-21T05:57:43-08:00

Sheol (שְׁאֹ֖ול) – Hades (ᾅδης)

Where the worm does not die

Sheol is the Hebrew word that describes the place in the center of the earth where humans who have died reside. Within its compartments are unbelievers and some of the fallen angels who are bound, waiting for final judgment. Prior to the resurrection of Christ, all those who were saved resided in Paradise, which was in the upper chamber of Sheol. Hades is the Greek word for the same place, which comes across into English as hell. However, the English concept only refers to the lowest part of Sheol, where the unsaved humans reside.

Sheol has three chambers. The lowest part is where the fire burns (Deuteronomy 32:22) and the unsaved reside. This is the place where the worm does not die. Worm refers to the sin nature of a human, not a physical worm (Isaiah 66:24). The abyss is the holding area for fallen angels, and within the abyss is a pit for malignantly evil angels. Paradise is the residence of those who were saved before the resurrection of Christ.

During Christ’s earthly ministry to the Jews, the unbelieving ones kept pressing for a sign even though He had given substantial evidence to them that He was the Messiah. In response, Jesus states that no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, Matthew 12:39-40. In Peter’s first address to Israel after the resurrection of Christ, he quotes the prophecies concerning Christ and Hades. King David, who was a prophet of […]

Sheol (שְׁאֹ֖ול) – Hades (ᾅδης)2024-05-12T06:55:50-07:00
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