Reconciliation Ministries

God's Word, Part 2 - Frees You Up

"What is Truth?" Pilate asked Jesus when He was brought before him on charges He was innocent of. -John 18:37

God is True - Revelation 6:10, ...God's Son is True - Jesus said in John 14:6.."I AM …the Truth..." God’s Word is true Psalm 19:9, Revelation19:9.

The truth speaks of that which is real, genuine... reliable...The Purpose of Biblical Knowledge is to lead to a Knowledge of the Truth.

The Truth is Given in part, to Benefit and Bless you... Consider some of these ways...

The Truth of God's Word is Given to....
1. -FREE you up - "And you shall KNOW the TRUTH and the Truth shall set you free."- John 8:31-32

"Give me liberty or I die." was a rallying call for those once in bondage. And indeed Jesus Christ offers Liberty of the soul to the one who desires, and He does so by the Life giving Spirit of God through His Word which is Truth.

It is not merely Knowing intellectual facts, for as James says in his letter, in James 1:22 "But prove yourselves to be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who DELUDE themselves." So knowing truth is not enough. It is like a man who has seen his wife make a wonderful meal, and he memorized what she has done, the ingredients used, the temperature of the oven and time it must be cooked. He may even go throughout the land telling others of her wonderful recipe and end up starving to death if he does not PARTAKE of the meal. Many people know Intellectual facts about the Truth but until you SUBMIT to the Truth you will never Know the LIBERTY and Freedom which God's Word brings. Gods Word was given that you may KNOW INTELLECTUALLY AND EXPERIENTIALLY the Truth... WHICH IS ABLE TO SET YOU FREE... not only save your soul but also save you from false concepts you and I may have.

When Lazarus was raised from the dead. Jesus told the people to take off the grave clothes he had been wrapped in. Why? One reason, a man 's movement is restricted by being wrapped in bandages and also what does alive man have to do with dead things! So God has given you life in His Son, if you belong to Him. He wants you to live that life without being hindered. As He says in Hebrews 12:1 "...LET us also LAY ASIDE every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and LET us run with endurance, the race that is set before us." As a child of God you have the POWER to LAY ASIDE sin and to Live pleasing Him. Truth is Given to FREE YOU UP!

It begins with RIGHT THINKING. Often when we come to the Lord initially, we have false concepts. Romans 12:2 say to "RENEW your Minds." The battle ground for the Christian is ...our mind... What we think about God and His Word will determine how we view life. If our concepts are wrong then our conclusions of God, ourselves and others will be in error. So Just as the people took the bandages off of Lazarus, so he could WALK in FREEDOM. So too Galatians 5:1 says "It was for FREEDOM CHRIST set you free." Freedom does not mean as some would say "the ability to do as I please." No, it is the ability to do what God would have me do with this life He has given me and sustains, in order that it Pleases Him.

It is a new life with power to live according to the will of God as revealed in His Word. I am now FREE TO OBEY HIM, LOVE HIM and SERVE Him and Others, for His Glory and honor...now that's FREEDOM! No longer a slave to satan, self and sin, but Liberated by Him and for Him- Colossians 1:16.

God uses His Holy Spirit and the Teaching of His Word to FREE YOU and I up from things that would keep us in bondage and are hindrances to our spiritual new lives in Him.

The Truth is given to
2. - BUILD YOU UP- " And now I commend you to God and to the Word of His Grace, which is able to BUILD YOU UP and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."- Acts 20:32

God's truth is given to BUILD you up.
One way, is to Consider the TRUTH that is given in His Word about the RETURN of Jesus Christ. As we THINK on His truth we can be Built up in our faith to look ahead to Him Who is Returning and whom we will meet and be with for Eternity. For the Christian this is not the final chapter of our lives but a page heading toward a glorious Union, Communion and Reunion with the Lord Jesus. Let your mind think on His Return. Share with others this Truth and be Built up in your faith. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says we are to "BUILD one another up." Using His Word to build up one another is what we should be about and experiencing in our own lives. There is strengthening by His Spirit through His Word.


The Truth is Given to...
3. GROW YOU UP.
1 Peter 2:2 "Like new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that by it you may GROW..."

The most natural and instinctive thing for a new born baby is to desire milk. Before my wife gave birth to our twins, we painted the bedroom they would sleep in. As one was a boy and the other a girl, she painted the top half of the wall pink and the bottom half blue. She labored in making curtains the colors of the rainbow and got the room already for their arrival! But at 2 o'clock in the morning when they both started to CRY, they were not crying because they did not like the colors of their room, the flooring or the curtains. They were CRYING because they were HUNGRY and the only one who could Meet that need was MOM!!! They were ALIVE and with Life comes Hunger! And God's Word is able to Grow you spiritually to maturity. What milk is to a newborn baby, God's Word is to a child of God. It nourishes and enlightens and satisfies the inward Hunger of an individual. Indeed not only is it milk but it is "solid food" Hebrews 5:14 tells us.

God uses His Word and as The Holy Spirit teaches you the Truth and as you CHOOSE TO Apply God's Word to your life you begin to GROW Up spiritually. Indeed this is God's Goal for you to GROW UP. What would you think of a baby who at eleven months was beginning to "coo," it would be wonderful. What would you think of the same person who at the age of twenty-two could only say "dada" and "coo." You would say something is not right. What is not right? The child has not matured! So too God desires you to MATURE...to Grow up.

The Purpose of Discipling is for your Maturity
A. "And we proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching EVERY MAN with all wisdom that we may present EVERYMAN complete in Christ. According for THIS PURPOSE also I LABOR..." - Colossians 1:28-28. Complete speaks of Mature


One of The Purpose of Teachers, pastors
B. - "He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints...until we all attain to... a MATURE man... As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by Every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men...but speaking the truth in love we are to GROW UP in all aspects into Him, who is the Head even Christ."- Ephesians 4:11-15

Grow to be Like Him- Romans 8:28-29
B.- " To be conformed to the image of His Son."

God COMMANDS us to GROW - 2 Peter 3:18,
God gives us the CAPACITY to Grow.
GOD CAUSES the Growth - 1 Corinthians 3:7.. .
But we must COOPERATE And do our part- Philippians 2:12-13... Which is To Read His Word diligently -2 Timothy 2:15, and OBEY His Word - John 14:21, James 1:22-25 and we will GROW ... Only living things can Grow ... Growth speaks of change ... and you can be changed in attitudes and actions to be more like the Lord Jesus in your Behavior, representing Him as His Ambassador.

We have a Living HOPE-1 Peter 1:3
We have a Living SAVIOR-1 Peter 1:3
We have a Living WORD - 1 Peter 1:23...and because we are ALIVE in Him we can Grow, we can Change and become like Him in attitude and action, because of His empowering Spirit and as we submit to His Word.

You know when our twins were little, at night when I arrived home late after speaking I would sneak into their room and watch them sleeping. I never once told them to "Grow, Grow..." Because they have Life they have been Growing ... and neither dear friend will someone have to tell you to grow for it will be there for all to see as you Take God's Word and Obey God's Word you will grow as His Truth was Given to GROW you up. And what will you look Like as you Mature? Just like the Lord Jesus ...you too as I will... become servants, living to fulfill His will and living to serve others for Jesus sake. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:5 "...ourselves your servants for Jesus sake.' We serve out of love for Him ... and we are Maturing.

Gods Word is Truth ... it is Given to FREE you up, BUILD you up and GROW you up.

APPLICATION;
READ IT -1 Timothy 4:13
Get a specific time and set it aside so you may read God's Word. Get in the Word of God ... and let the Word of God get in you, Colossians 3:15-16.

STUDY IT - 2 Timothy 2:15
To Know Him and to Obey Him

MEDITATE ON IT - Psalm 1:2, Colossians 3:15-16

MEMORIZE IT- Psalm 119:11

APPLY IT - James 1:22

What is the Motivation for Obeying God's Word.
1. Expression of Love for Jesus Christ - John 14:21
2. Expression of Friendship to Jesus Christ - John 15:14
3. Evidence you are in the FAMILY of God- Matthew 12:28-50, 1 John 2:4-6

Aidan

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