THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT!

You know that I have always been excited about the power of words to help people. What is true? What works?

One of the puzzles over the years have been people who are great at memorizing the truth and spotting it’s practical application for others and unable to use it themselves. Patients with the diagnoses of borderline personality disorder are awesome  co-therapists and can memorize the Bible and see how it applies to others. They can share it in ways that bless others but turn right around and ignore the truth so much that they try to kill themselves and run from all of life’s challenges and even from success. Anti-social personality disorder people can fake the truth so well that they convince you that they are genuine and really love the Lord and can be trusted. I was recently conned by a couple who were so seemingly genuine and needy that I still like them and wish I could believe that somehow I was mistaken in my perception that they ripped me off. The Bible teacher that contributed most to my practical understanding of using God’s truth for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness, could not apply the same truth in the lives of people close to him. I knew of an Army chaplain who quoted scripture so well he could convince his victims to have “godly” sex with him.

YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE! What a promise! So why doesn’t knowing the truth well enough to repeat it, teach in and use it to help others set these people free?

Well, I don’t pretend to KNOW the answer, but you know me by now, I always have an opinion but want you to ponder this puzzle before I share my thoughts. So go ahead and ponder a bit.

Now the sobering truth is you and I must be careful that our own KNOWLEDGE  goes beyond what they did if we want to be free. Knowledge just puffs up I need wisdom.

The clue lays in Jesus’ words “I AM THE TRUTH!”  It is all about ongoing relationship with Jesus. If you know him, really know him, HE will set you free!

This word ‘know’ is interesting. It involves, “In all you do seek to know him better and he will direct your paths.” It is knowledge by experience, the kind of knowledge I mean when I say that I KNOW Lois after being married to her for 45 years. (Wow that sounds old!)

Why do I read, the truth, my love letter and loving advice column from Jesus? (the Bible) So I can brag to others about how much I know the book or so you I may know the author? Do I read it so that I can say “Sure God’s ways work for others but not for me so someone somewhere has to fix me I just can’t do my part; I’m trying and it just doesn’t work.”? Do I read it so that I can look godly and get people to like me and maybe take advantage of them.

FREEDOM comes from only caring about Jesus, talking to him without ceasing,letting him comfort me and assure me of his unlosable love, fearing only the pain I might cause his loving heart, longing only for his wisdom his peace, talking like an infatuated high schooler to everyone who will listen, talking only about him. Then there will be nothing significant that I can lose, nothing to fear. “They were their whole lives in bondage because they feared death.” For to me, to die is gain, and the life that I now live down here, I live by the strength of his faith in his own ability to finish what he starts despite the feeble flesh he has in me to work with. He loves me now and will present me to himself a lovely bride without wrinkle or blemish!

Jesus called himself LOGOS the perfect truth,THE TRUTH THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH —  JESUS ALL OF JESUS AND NOTHING BUT JESUS!