"King of Truth and Our Savior, Jesus Christ"

Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.





Am I standing in truth? Where does truth "begin?" And when I say, "begin," I mean, where is that center from which all truth springs? Does it begin with saying, "God exists"? No. Why? Even if man knows that God exists, he does not know Him.

I know that space exists. Even though I look up at the great expanse during the day, I see only the blue sky and one star, our sun. But come night, and my eyes are "opened," in an allegorical sense, and I "see" the expanse known as space, and all the stars therein, even to the center of our galaxy. My knowledge of space became deeper and more meaningful, because then I had only known of its existence, but now I have gazed into it---this did not prove to me of its existence, but expanded my understanding of it.

And so, in the same sense, man knows that there is a God---there is some sort of divine power---but he does not know Him, or who He is.

This thought came to me as I read this verse, in 1 John 2:22--

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?"
Jesus is He who opens to us Truth, because He opened and opens to us who God is---who He is, where He is, and what He is.

Jesus said the Samaritan women at the well,

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24).
Hearing these peculiar words, she was lost. Jesus showed her a segment of truth, and she did not know what to make of it. Why do I think so? Look at her answer:
"The woman said unto Him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things." (John 4:25).
I don't know what You're talking about, but I know that when Messiah will come, He will tell us the truth! That is what I hear her saying. Without even knowing it, though, she pronounced a prophecy, a prophetic truth: with Jesus begins the truth, given to man through the revelation in Christ.





Friends, if we want to find the truth, lets begin with Jesus, who was and is in the beginning and in the end---praise be to Jesus!

So, we have believed in Jesus Christ, our dear King and Savior, through whom we recieved eternal salvation, and who has regenerated our spirit. But we still live here on earth, and our actions have consequences.

Jesus came to "...destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8). In my understanding, this means that Jesus came to heal those wounds inflicted on us by our sins, and to free man from his fleshly prison. We were once prisoners of the flesh and its desires, and many of us have not yet accepted the freedom offered by Him. We still remain chained by sinful, destructive habits and desires.

If I am battling a sinful habit, it does not mean God does not love me or has left me. I believe this way because it is written:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1).
The genuine desire of my heart is to live under the leadership of the Spirit, and in this I know I am in Christ Jesus. But, as Paul writes earlier,
"For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (Romans 7:19).
He's saying that he wants to do good, but can't do it! The evil deeds, though, which he so desperately does not want to do, he does!

What has happened to me?! Why can I not be freed from these evil passions or desires?! It is because the problem is not in "what happened to you," but rather, "what has not happened to you."

And what "has not happened" to me? I have not embraced the truth---that is what has not happened.

Jesus saved us from eternal death, yes and amen, but He also saved us from this world and the passions therein. As I have said earlier, our actions have consequences: our actions leave trails---either a good trail, or a bad trail. Based on this trail, we either lose the enemy, or attract the enemy.

There is a certain carnivorous slug which dwells in the ocean. This slug, called the navanax, hunts using a rather simple method. Slugs, like on land, leave a trail of slime as they slither across the ground, or ocean floor. The navanax finds a trail made by another slug, and slithers along that trail of slime. Sooner or later, it catches up to the slithering slug, who is unaware of the predatory slug on its heels, and falls prey to the navanax.

So it is with our actions, or deeds. When we sin, it is hurtful to God, because we inflict pain and hurt on ourselves. Our actions and deeds leave one of two trails: either a fragrance (good), or a stench (bad).

"What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:21-22)
We return to those bad, destructive habits or passions or desires not because God has left us, but because we have not yet been freed from the prison called the flesh. Living by the flesh, or under the dictation of the flesh, we leave a trail of stench through which the enemy pursues us, and terrorizes us---and it hurts, I know.

What do we need? Freedom? Yes, but, first of all, we need the Truth. Why?

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32).
Glory to God.





And where does truth begin? With Jesus and in Jesus Christ. Paul, after his genuine, heartfelt confession which we read earlier, in which he said the things I want to do, I don't, and the things which I don't want to do, I do, he then writes:
"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" He answers himself and us in the next verse: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:24-25).
Or in other words, we receive freedom through Jesus Christ, because only truth liberates, and Jesus is the Truth! Praise Him!

However, friends, God, through Jesus, gives---but we need to receive. The enemy wants to say to you that you are nothing, that God does not love you, that you are useless, unpleasing, worthless, a goner, dead, doom and gloom! But the enemy lies! Who is Satan but the father of lies. What he says is all lies and deceit. In this way, he wants to drive you and knock you off the Path of Truth, because what he says is not truth.

What the LORD says is Truth! Freedom and liberation begin when we take His Word[s] and believe it---which doesn't mean you wait for a "feeling", but simply believe it like you would a friend who is telling you about something---and speak His Word out loud. And the Word of God tells me:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
The Word tells me:
"Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39).
This Word is speaking to you and me, my friend, who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. This does not mean that we should simply give in to lust and flesh, and everything will be okay---no! We want to be free from the flesh to live in the wholeness of the Spirit, do we not?!

We begin with humility---not debasement---with humility. Humility is to see and admit who you really are. I, Andrey, am a person in need of Jesus, loved of God, saved in Christ, and one who has put his trust and hope in Jesus---Father, help me learn how to fully lean on Your power in the Holy Spirit; and I know that, although I am weak and fragile in flesh and spirit, I can always rely on the fact the You love me regardless, and You, Jesus, died on the cross for me! I am alive because of You, and in You.

And so are you, friend. To even touch Truth, we must humble ourselves, and proceed in Truth, not in the lies of the enemy. Read the Word, say the Word, and believe the Word! Lets begin with and in Jesus!

Amen!

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