I am finally on the last two chapters of this book! It has taken me a while to get here, and I have had a lot of distractions! My next adventure is Fit For Your Assignment, and I will blog my way through that book as well.
Chapter 10 is called “Countering Lies With the Truth” and Chapter 11 is called “The Truth That Sets us Free.”
If we are to truly KNOW truth, we must start with “What is truth?” or rather, WHO is TRUTH? Jesus himself speaks in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me...”
He alone IS TRUTH. He does not tell us, “live this way so that…” or “You must obey these rules.” He says, “Come to the Father THROUGH ME.” That’s it. Once we have that relationship with Him, then He begins to reveal His Truth to us through His Word. To the unbeliever, the Bible is words on a page. To those who truly follow Christ, though, this Book is His Word, His Truth.
I do want to quote this paragraph on page 252: “The idea of ‘turning sinners from the error of their way’ is largely foreign in our day. The hue and cry of our postmodern culture is ‘tolerance,’ which means: ‘You can live however you want to live, but don’t try to tell me what’s right for me–it’s none of your business how I choose to live my life.’ As deception has inundated our culture, many believers have become hesitant to stand for the Truth, for fear of being labeled as intolerant or narrow-minded.”
I will say that in order for unbelievers to turn, we have to KNOW we are sinners. Scripture says there is not one of us who is without sin, apart from Christ Himself. To the unbeliever, I don’t think it works to walk around and say, “You know, that behavior/action/choice/way of life/book you are reading/show you are watching/etc. is sinful. You should stop.” I feel like there is more approachable-ness when I am aware of my own shortcomings and acknowledge that we are ALL sinners, big and small, myself included. I can share how God has worked in my life and revealed His Truth and my sin through His Spirit. It is up to the Spirit to reveal each of our sins to us individually. God is not one to publicly shame us. He will speak to you, and to me, in ways we can receive His messages.
I do agree with Nancy’s perception of our culture. I think it is even more evident today than it was when the book was first written in 1991. To the believers, though, I think that we do need to, in groups of 2-3, come alongside and talk of the Truth. This should be done with great care and love, and as free from judgement as possible. Even better, have someone in the group who has walked that path before share his/her personal struggle with the lies and the ultimate Truth that set him/her free! It is so much easier to accept and follow the truth when we have people to come alongside us and walk it with us.
Chapter 11 has 22 Truths that Nancy clings to as she walks her life path. Here they are:
1. God is good (Psalm 119:68; Psalm 136:1)
2. God loves me and wants me to have His best (Romans 8:32, 38-39)
3. I am complete and accepted in Christ (Ephesians 1:4-6)
4. God is enough (Psalm 23:1)
5. God can be trusted (Isaiah 28:16; Hebrews 13:5)
6. God doesn’t make any mistakes (Isaiah 46:10)
7. God’s grace is sufficient for me(2 Corinthians 12:9)
8. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover any sin(1 John 1:7)
9. The Cross of Christ is sufficient to conquer my sinful flesh (Romans 6:6-7)
10. My past does not have to plague me (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
11. God’s Word is sufficient to lead me, teach me, and heal me (Psalm 19:7; Psalm 107:20; Psalm 119:105)
12. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God will enable me ot do anything He commands me to do (1 Thessalonians 5:24; Philippians 2:13)
13. I am responsible before God for my behavior, responses, and choices (Ezekiel 18:19-22)
14. I will reap whatever I sow (Galatians 6:7-8)
15. The pathway to true joy is to relinquish control (Matthew 16:25; Luke 1:38; 1 Peter 5:7)
16. The greatest freedom I can experience is found through submission to God-ordained authority (Ephesians 5:21)
17. In the will of God, there is no higher, holier calling than to be a wife and mother (Titus 2:4-5)
18. Personal holiness is more important than temporal happiness (Ephesians 5:26-27)
19. God is more concerned about changing me and glorifying Himself than about solving my problems (Romans 8:29)
20. It is impossible to be godly without suffering (1 Peter 5:10)
21. My suffering will not last forever (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
22. It’s now about me; it’s all about Him (Colossians 1:16-18)
Take time to reflect on these truths and the verses that highlight them in scripture. Seek out more passages of scripture that solidify these truths for you! I challenge you! And, feel free to comment with verses you come across that reveal His Truth to you even more!
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