Tuesday, March 28, 2006
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8 (NASB)
I don’t know how many times in witnessing encounters I’ve heard the statement, “Well I’m a good person. God is love and He won’t send a good person like me to hell…”
But you see that ideology, or line of thought, is a good ol’ boy line of thinking. It comes from too many years of hearing preachers only say that “God is Love!” never knowing that in Scripture is a clear depiction that yes God is love, but it is not love that we understand it to be. It is a HOLY Love.
A love that loves what is holy-despising and rejecting that which is NOT holy as He is. What does that mean? If you are not completely perfect, from childhood until death, you will be rejected by Him. Why? Because your holiness is not even close to what is necessary- nothing but filthy rags before Him.
But this is how we are deceived. It is the positive side of the view. That we are good enough is the deception. The idea that anyone could gain heaven on their own is ludicrous.
The language used implies that the deception is on ourselves from within ourselves. In other words, we are so corrupt in our nature with sin that we think we can deceive even our own self. Only through the revelation and light of the Holy Spirit can we see the reality of our own condition.
Total depravity is dead on here. We cannot see the truth because we have pulled our heads under the covers (on ourselves) that we don’t need grace or forgiveness or a Savior. There is such a good job of deception that when confronted with the truth, we deny it.
Therein lies the negative. If we can’t see our selves for who we really are, then we will never know who He really is. The truth will not be something that we can be apart of when we deny that it is needed. What is it that is needed?
Hear then the word of the Lord:
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 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'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 "I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father." 39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said* to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 "You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies . 45 "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God."
John 8:31-47 (NASB)
“If you continue in My word…and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free…” We find freedom when we see who He is. How do we know who He is?
By His word.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron “Tree” Landis
Psalm 1.3
1 John 1:8 (NASB)
I don’t know how many times in witnessing encounters I’ve heard the statement, “Well I’m a good person. God is love and He won’t send a good person like me to hell…”
But you see that ideology, or line of thought, is a good ol’ boy line of thinking. It comes from too many years of hearing preachers only say that “God is Love!” never knowing that in Scripture is a clear depiction that yes God is love, but it is not love that we understand it to be. It is a HOLY Love.
A love that loves what is holy-despising and rejecting that which is NOT holy as He is. What does that mean? If you are not completely perfect, from childhood until death, you will be rejected by Him. Why? Because your holiness is not even close to what is necessary- nothing but filthy rags before Him.
But this is how we are deceived. It is the positive side of the view. That we are good enough is the deception. The idea that anyone could gain heaven on their own is ludicrous.
The language used implies that the deception is on ourselves from within ourselves. In other words, we are so corrupt in our nature with sin that we think we can deceive even our own self. Only through the revelation and light of the Holy Spirit can we see the reality of our own condition.
Total depravity is dead on here. We cannot see the truth because we have pulled our heads under the covers (on ourselves) that we don’t need grace or forgiveness or a Savior. There is such a good job of deception that when confronted with the truth, we deny it.
Therein lies the negative. If we can’t see our selves for who we really are, then we will never know who He really is. The truth will not be something that we can be apart of when we deny that it is needed. What is it that is needed?
Hear then the word of the Lord:
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33 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'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 "I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 38 "I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father." 39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said* to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham. 40 "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 "You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies . 45 "But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 "He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God."
John 8:31-47 (NASB)
“If you continue in My word…and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free…” We find freedom when we see who He is. How do we know who He is?
By His word.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron “Tree” Landis
Psalm 1.3
posted by Aaron L. at 3:13 PM | 
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