Reference: John 8:30-32, and Isaiah 32:17-18
Looking at the religious world today withits many different organizations, I wonder how many experience the peace andtranquility that the word of God tells us about in the above scriptures that wehave used for our text?
What about you my friend, do you know whatit means to be free and can you truthfully say that you are experiencing a lifeof peaceable rest and perfect contentment? Now I have heard many say that theyare free and that they have the peace of God within, but I know for a fact thatmost people today are totally void of truth and go about speaking lies inhypocrisy having their conscience seared as with a hot iron. The apostle Paultells us in his epistle of first Timothy that in the latter days (which are the days we now livein) many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, anddoctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy. To speak lies in hypocrisy ofcourse means to say things that are untrue. Today there are thousands of peopleconfessing to be born again christians, but looking closely at the doctrinethey believe easily proves that the majority of them are not in accord withwhat the word of God truly teaches and reveals.
There are hundreds of differentdenominational churches in existence today and we know that all of them are notright in what they teach. This is true because we know that there is but oneway of truth that the Bible reveals. Allow me to say that we do have the rightto say and think what we want, but when it comes to the word of God there isbut one true way that the Holy Spirit reveals.
The Holy Spirit absolutely does not teacha doctrine contrary to what the Bible reveals. Now each and everydenominational organization will say that what they teach is the way of truth.They of course have this right to say and think this, but we know thateverybody can't possibly be right seeing how each one will have their ownversion as to what is truth and what is not.
If a person would be honest withthemselves and admit their condition as they actually see themselves, thenthere would not be so much confusion in the world today as there is. Mostpeople will not admit the truth on their spiritual condition simply because todo so will place them in quite an embarressing predicament. Most people willnot admit they are wrong because they are too full of pride... Pride will cause a person to lose out withGod simply because it will not allow them to humble themselves and see theposition they are really in.
Now the apostle Paul very plainly tells usto examine ourselves to see if Christ is truly in us or not. (read II Corinthians 13:5)Now how can we know that Christ is in us and that it is him that lives our lifefor us as the Bible very plainly teaches that he is very much so in the peoplewho are truly born again?
Now our text of John 8:30-32 tells us thatif we continue in God's word after we confess to believe on Christ then wewould know the truth and the truth would set us free. Now are you aware of whatit means to be free? Allow me to please say right here that only the truth willmake you free. If you have and know the truth, then friend you are mostcertainly free, but if you do not know the truth then you are not free.
Now to know the truth simply means thatyou know the truth concerning the many things that the gospel speaks about andreveals. Now you can only know what you have come in contact with. Jesus saidthat the Holy Ghost will guide us into all truth, but it takes time to know allthe truth that the gospel contains. I don't think any person can boast and saythat they know everything and that they can't be taught anything else. Thistype of person in my opinion would be deceiving themselves because the Bibledoesn't say when we will come to all of its revealed truths.
The Bible is a book that contains manydifferent subjects. All of these many different subjects are taught andrevealed to us by the Holy Ghost. As we are taught the truth on a certainsubject, no matter what it may be, this coming to the knowledge of this truth will set us free, meaning that wewill be rested and assured on this point of doctrine. To know the truth of acertain subject will cause a peaceful rest to our mind. Only the truth willhave this effect on our mind.
If what you may believe about a certainmatter is not the revealed truth, then your mind will not be at rest, but willrather keep on searching for an answer. Paul tells us that in the latter daysperilous times shall come. He gives us the description of what condition thepeople would be in. This condition would prevail simply because of the factthat truth will not be known. A teaching contrary to the truth will cause thecondition spoken of as being perilous times simply because only the truth canand will set us free. A lie will sear the conscience and cause people to speaklies in hypocrisy as Paul mentions in his epistle of first Timothy. Only the truerevealed truth on any subject that the Bible speaks of will set us free andgive us perfect peace. We are living in the perilous times where many arefor-ever-more learning, but being unable to come to the knowledge of the truth.What this simply means is that what people are calling truth today is onlysomething that will keep them forever searching endlessly not being able to befully assured in their hearts that they know the truth.
The things that you believe right now iseither the truth or a lie. What you believe about the subject of baptism or anyother subject is either the truth or it is not. If you have and know the truth,then you are free and you experience the peace that the word of God mentions inour text of Isaiah 32:17-18.
If what you may believe is not the truththen your mind can't possibly be experiencing the perfect peace of God. Thetruth will either have an offensive effect with you or a peaceable effect withyou. If you are a deceived person then the truth will be grievious to you.Anytime you rebell against what someone tells you about the Bible, then its anevident fact that you are not what and where you think you are. If you canrefuse a certain teaching based on the fact that it is not truth, then yourmind can be at ease and you will not be guilty of rejecting God's word oftruth.
If we fail to receive the love of truththen God will see to it that we receive lies to be eternally damned. (read II Thessalonians 2:10-12) If you know the truth then you truly know Christ, becauseChrist is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.