It's rarely preached, at least in my experience. But there is another aspect of God's will that seems to be overlooked. That is that God wills that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
My understanding (and experience) is that it is possible to be saved and yet not come to the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is so huge in scope that a lifetime is not long enough to explore every aspect. So what is "the knowledge of the truth"?
Let's remember that Truth is a person, Lord Jesus. Many Christians know about Jesus but do not know Him except superficially. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God........Ephesians 1:7
Why do we need wisdom and revelation? Because we start off our Christian walk the way a baby starts life, alive but knowing nothing except what we have by instinct.
For an embarrassing number of years, I judged my salvation by how I was feeling, whether or not I had failed, sinned, or what other people said about me. My usual state was one of confusion. I wrongly thought that this was humility. I was always putting myself down, not realising that in a way I was putting Jesus down.
I was always looking for a breakthrough. And one day, a wonderful day almost as blessed as the day I was born again, I received my breakthrough. And that was that I did not need a breakthrough! Some may not know what this means. Let me explain.
One evening, we were discussing my constant battles. As we talked, I saw that I already had, in Christ, everything that I was ever going to have from God. Better still, there was nothing I could do to affect this in any way. I could not go back in time. Jesus died and rose again 2,000 years ago. God included me in that incredible event when I received Christ. So what did I need to do? Nothing. There is no work I can do, I cannot add to the cross and I cannot take away from it. My believing or not makes no difference. God has done it. All I need do is accept it.
The difference in my life is immeasurable. I've had some of the hardest battles since that day. Once, I would go into depression, assuming that God was displeased with me so I had to suffer. How dumb can you get?
Now I am at peace, even when life gets difficult. I spent a few days in hospital after a mild heart attack. I don't know why I had the heart attack, but I am no less joyful and at peace. I will be going home if this life ends anyway. I am concerned for my wife. I don't want to leave her alone as she has no family to care for her.
If you are still looking at yourself, worrying if you are pleasing God or getting life wrong, look up and live! Jesus did not only die for your sins. He died for you, the sinner of those sins. He included you in His death so that you could be free of the old life. He rose again, and so did you, so that you can experience the new, victorious and overcoming life.
Remember that Jesus lives in you to cause you to be all that God requires you to be. Jesus does that with or without you. How much better it is when we ask Jesus to live out His life through us, as well as in us. Remember too that you are hidden in Christ with God Colossians 3:3). One preacher said that if God had a refrigerator, He would have a magnet with your picture on it because he loves you so much. Not quite. When God looks at me, He sees Jesus. And Jesus is still the Beloved in whom God is well pleased.
God put you into Christ. All we have to do is stay where God has put us. In order to do that, we do need to know the basis for our faith, and that is the Word of God. We need to be diligent and we need to be full of truth that sets us free. It can be a great adventure of discovery of God's love and power. Victory overpowers defeat, love conquers fear and we have peace that no one understands, not even ourselves.
My understanding (and experience) is that it is possible to be saved and yet not come to the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is so huge in scope that a lifetime is not long enough to explore every aspect. So what is "the knowledge of the truth"?
Let's remember that Truth is a person, Lord Jesus. Many Christians know about Jesus but do not know Him except superficially. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God........Ephesians 1:7
Why do we need wisdom and revelation? Because we start off our Christian walk the way a baby starts life, alive but knowing nothing except what we have by instinct.
For an embarrassing number of years, I judged my salvation by how I was feeling, whether or not I had failed, sinned, or what other people said about me. My usual state was one of confusion. I wrongly thought that this was humility. I was always putting myself down, not realising that in a way I was putting Jesus down.
I was always looking for a breakthrough. And one day, a wonderful day almost as blessed as the day I was born again, I received my breakthrough. And that was that I did not need a breakthrough! Some may not know what this means. Let me explain.
One evening, we were discussing my constant battles. As we talked, I saw that I already had, in Christ, everything that I was ever going to have from God. Better still, there was nothing I could do to affect this in any way. I could not go back in time. Jesus died and rose again 2,000 years ago. God included me in that incredible event when I received Christ. So what did I need to do? Nothing. There is no work I can do, I cannot add to the cross and I cannot take away from it. My believing or not makes no difference. God has done it. All I need do is accept it.
The difference in my life is immeasurable. I've had some of the hardest battles since that day. Once, I would go into depression, assuming that God was displeased with me so I had to suffer. How dumb can you get?
Now I am at peace, even when life gets difficult. I spent a few days in hospital after a mild heart attack. I don't know why I had the heart attack, but I am no less joyful and at peace. I will be going home if this life ends anyway. I am concerned for my wife. I don't want to leave her alone as she has no family to care for her.
If you are still looking at yourself, worrying if you are pleasing God or getting life wrong, look up and live! Jesus did not only die for your sins. He died for you, the sinner of those sins. He included you in His death so that you could be free of the old life. He rose again, and so did you, so that you can experience the new, victorious and overcoming life.
Remember that Jesus lives in you to cause you to be all that God requires you to be. Jesus does that with or without you. How much better it is when we ask Jesus to live out His life through us, as well as in us. Remember too that you are hidden in Christ with God Colossians 3:3). One preacher said that if God had a refrigerator, He would have a magnet with your picture on it because he loves you so much. Not quite. When God looks at me, He sees Jesus. And Jesus is still the Beloved in whom God is well pleased.
God put you into Christ. All we have to do is stay where God has put us. In order to do that, we do need to know the basis for our faith, and that is the Word of God. We need to be diligent and we need to be full of truth that sets us free. It can be a great adventure of discovery of God's love and power. Victory overpowers defeat, love conquers fear and we have peace that no one understands, not even ourselves.
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