Topic: IN CONTINUATION OF…YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH – Faithwheel.com – November 2019

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IN CONTINUATION OF…YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH

ACCEPT THE TRUTH

Dearly beloved, for you to know the truth that will make you free, you need to accept the truth. The truth is hinder in operations where He is not accepted, and this is one of the reasons why Jesus Christ couldn’t do great or greater works in His city or state (See Matthew 13:58). You can’t accept what you do not believe, and the unbelief of many Jews made it difficult for them to accept Jesus Christ the truth. Not until you know and believe the truth, you cannot accept it or Him. We have seen many facts about the truth. The truth is not of the flesh but of the Spirit, not earthly but Heavenly, not men pleaser but God pleaser, not respecter of any man but God alone. We know the truth is strange to those in the flesh or born of the flesh and of the world. Accepting the truth you don’t know and believe is like trying to make a Carmel go through the eye of a needle. Accepting the truth you don’t know and believe is like telling a man to take a coal of fire and put it in his bosom or to walk on coals of fire with bare foot. The truth is strange to all men born of a woman in various ways or degrees because it depends on what we know and believe. What people do not know they cannot believe, and what they cannot believe they cannot also accept the thing. It was more difficult for Apostle Paul in Athens to make people accept the truth more than in any other places he preached Christ the truth and His doctrine.

It was because the people of Athens know not the truth about God which brings about the inscription upon the altar titled “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Apostle Paul told them the truth about the God they don’t know and the truth was so strange to them that many couldn’t accept the truth, but few believed. The scripture said, “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: others said we will hear thee again on this matter.”—Acts 17:32. The truth was strange to them and they couldn’t accept the truth, because they don’t know and believe the truth. Did you see their reactions, some mocked, and others not convinced said we will hear thee again on this matter. To accept the truth is difficult for mankind because our knowledge varied even so our experiences varied. There are things meant for the kindergartens in teaching, the primary, the secondary, and the tertiary. It will be hard for you in primary to swallow the tertiary institution teachings; it will certainly be strange to you, because you can’t comprehend it. This is what it is also when we preached the truth to the carnally minded or those born of the flesh, they will find it difficult to accept the truth because they can’t accept what they don’t believe and can’t believe what they don’t know. And also because the truth is spirit or light and the carnal man is of the flesh and darkness, and we know the flesh and the spirit or light and darkness have no fellowship or relationship between them. The truth is hard to accept and I will show you another reason why people find it difficult to accept the truth. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:22-23, “For the Jews require a sign and the Greek seek after wisdom: but we (the Disciples of Christ) preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greek foolishness.”

Another reason why the truth is also hard to accept is because it cuts off your worldly expectation. Hear this truth, in CAMPUS FELLOWSHIP; we organized a program inside the campus for graduating student which was title fulfilling your earthly ambition. The minister invited for the closing day service was to speak on how to achieve success after school. After worship, he said God has changed his message immediately to another he never prepared for. He then preached on salvation, repentance, and righteousness. The ceremonial pavilion that was expecting a lively and bubbling message of inspiration and motivation was disappointed, and the hall was calm and quite than the graveyard. I stood up and went to the altar and drop money as a seed for the salvation of the unsaved, and all eyes in the hall gazed at me and they were mystified by my action because sowing of seed always takes place when ministers of God are preaching success, prosperity, and God’s blessings, which is the lust of many Christians. They were amazed to see me do such thing when salvation was preached, people were tired and some started sleeping, and many students still full of dead works will never believe God was speaking to them. Some will never called or agreed that such a message was God’s blessing, to some it was hash on them, but it was the truth, but some couldn’t just find any cause or reason to accept the truth because it wasn’t their expectations.

The Jews require sign, Jesus Christ showed them innumerable signs that He is the Son of the Living God, yet many of them did not believe in Him and accept Him. Their expectation was when the messiah is coming to this world, he should be born with a crown on his head or proclamation should be made before his birth, but Christ was not born as the assumed, presumed, and supposed he should be born or come into this world; so their expectation were cut off. Through the years God made it clear His Son will be born, the people couldn’t see what the messiah ought to be though God’s Word contained the plan, but they (the Jews) just could not understand. The way Jesus Christ made Himself known to them as the Son of the Living God made it hard for them to accept Him (See Matthew 13:54-58; John 7:25-31, 40-43). Paul knew the Jews because he is one of them, they are his people and they specialized in seeking for signs, but what the apostles could offer them was Christ crucified. The Greek are people seeking for wisdom mostly of the visible or worldly things. They have many philosophers in their history in academics today because of their desire for wisdom.

And it was the only thing they are highly interested about like the Jews with signs. But what the Apostle or Disciples of Jesus Christ could offered them was Christ crucified. The Greek and the Jews find the truth difficult to accept, they couldn’t accept Christ crucified because it wasn’t their expectations. For the Jews Christ crucified is a stumbling block and because of this they persecuted the Disciples of Christ always even before the heathen persecution started in A.D 64. The Greek hardly accept anything not in the area of their interest and you saw their reactions to the preaching of Paul at the Hill of Mars (See Acts 17:16-34). The Jews saw Christ crucified as a stumbling block and this made it difficult for them to accept the truth. The Greek saw the truth as foolishness because of this Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” The natural man, are those who know not the truth or are not born of the Spirit of God. The people of Athens mocking or scorning made Paul know this truth about the natural man after he preached to them and this is the same in every part of the world today wherever Christ crucified is being preached.

Accepting the truth is hard for them to do, but for you, you just have to accept the truth from the submission of your heart and I tell you, you will not feel any pain in accepting the truth with a humble heart. The truth is, “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.”—2 Corinthians 13:8. You don’t just accept the truth easily, prove (See 1Thessalonians 5:21) the truth whether He is the truth or He is the Son of God. And when you find the truth to be true just like the Bereans (See Acts 17:11-12); it means you have known the truth and you just believe and accept Him. Accepting the truth is the greatest problem the Jews have with Jesus Christ, the Jews don’t know the truth yet they argued that Jesus Christ is not the truth. And Jesus Christ told them prove me by my works, if I do not the work of the Father, believe me not, and even though you don’t believe me, but believe the works (See John 10:36-38), why? It is because they are the works of God and a blind man in John 9:30-38, speak of Christ works that if he was not of God he wouldn’t have been able to do such mighty works no man has ever done.

Telling someone he is wrong when you don’t even know the right is absurd, it is even confusion. The Jews also claimed Jesus Christ is not the Son of the Living God in spite of the awesome works and wonders He did before their eyes, yet they don’t know what the scripture they glory in that they know said of Jesus Christ (See John 5:37-47). They strive so much against the truth because they are not ready to accept the truth, because they do not know Him, so believing Him was a plight thing, and because they don’t know and believe in Him, accepting Him was even more complicated than anything. In John 6:53-61, Jesus Christ told the Jews the truth and it was so strange that any man today, maybe would have done strange things to Jesus Christ for what he said. There is always battle between the spirit and the flesh which will only end at the end of days on earth. Strange reactions always come up from people whenever they hear the truth, because the truth reveals their darkness and doesn’t please anybody nor is He a respect of men and their traditions. Some roar when they hear the truth, but nobody born of the spirit who knows Christ doctrine can roar whenever the truth is preached or whenever they hear the truth. But even many born of the spirit can also find the truth in certain things hard to believe and accept.

Example of such is telling people about the divine revelations of Heaven and Hell, many find it difficult to believe and accept it because the scripture do not give a deep details about them but rather make us aware of their existence, but even some Christians still say that Hell doesn’t exist, and it proves they really don’t know the truth, and such people can never believe anything you tell them from Revelation of Hell fire. But Christ Jesus has only revealed many things of these two world to some of us not everybody, some who have seen these revelations still find it difficult to believe and accept because they were not written in details in the Bible like the one Christ showed some of us. There are certain revelations that Christ has showed me, and when I tell some Christians they don’t believe it even though I show them scripture evidences or references. The truth is strange to human being in various ways according to our knowledge and faith. Some don’t believe in revelations, but others do, and some find it difficult to believe them, but others believe easily without any ado. Nevertheless, Christ the truth cannot change because of any man’s unbelief and failure to accept Him. Remember I said it before that knowing the truth is not by power or the works of the flesh, but the working of the spirit, and even so accepting the truth is the working of the spirit.

Jesus Christ in talking about accepting the truth, said, “All men cannot receive this saying, save to those whom it is given.”—Matthew 19:11. The truth is always strange to man because it reveal and slain our lusts and this makes it hard for man to accept Him or it. Except it is given to you by God to know, believe and accept the truth, it will be hard for you to do by your own power I mean your will-power. John the Baptist said, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from above.”—John 3:27. To accept the truth is even done by the Revelation your spirit receives that made you believe and accept the truth. We know the truth in our spirit and this is the difference between us and those who thought they can know the truth by their power from worldly view of the truth and by pastoral colleges or by their education. We know Him in our spirit and in our hearts and He influenced our lives in words and deeds, but those who know Him in their mouths only are not under His lordship and kingship. Those who have pride and haughty spirit can never accept the truth, the Bible said, “God resisted the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble.”—James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5. God don’t reveal the truth to the proud, arrogant, haughty, and rebellious people, and Jesus Christ said, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”—Matthew 11:25.

God always reveal the truth to those people consider by human wisdom as fools, weak, and nonentities, and not to the wise, strong, proud, and arrogant, lest they will glory in their wisdom, strength, and knowledge. And also because of what they think themselves to be, they don’t believe, know and accept the truth. And Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” These are other reasons why man finds it difficult to accept the truth, because it beats their assumption, presumptions, and suppositions. The Pharisees pride in their knowledge of the law academically and their haughtiness as teachers of the laws and in their traditions, makes God hide the truth from their spirits. So that they don’t know and believe, even accept Him or it, so that they can’t glory in themselves and their arrogance before Him. Jesus Christ simple seamless robe, no education background was a mystery that mystified the Pharisees how He knows everything without learning (See Matthew 13:54-58; John 7:15); even the thoughts of their hearts.
These things with other innumerable miracles makes many others believe in Him and accept Him as the Son of God, but the Pharisees were blinded to it by reason of their pride. Accepting the truth is easily done by those humble in their spirit or hearts. The proud can’t be given this grace by God to accept the truth or believe in Him, save only when they acknowledge to God of their folly and stupidity, then He will give them the grace to know, believe, and accept the truth. You have heard so much on this, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”—John 8:32.

CONFESS THE TRUTH

This is one thing that can never be neglected if any man will accept the truth; it is the condition that makes your acceptance of the truth acceptable to God. In the previous writings, I talked about the truth that it is hard for people to confess, because of what they will lose. No man has ever come to Jesus Christ without confessing Him, and no can ever come to Jesus Christ without confessing Him. Apostle Peter does, Nathaniel does, and everyone one of us that knows and believe in the truth does and you will do so if you haven’t confessed Him. It is a shame to many Christians today because they can’t confess they know Jesus Christ the truth publicly. And this is a result of their trust in the works of man-made law that is still found in almost all Churches which many Christians trust in for their justification and acceptance before God. And they can never have that perfect work that will give them boldness and confidence from their own selves to declare Him publicly. But this is not so with them who trust in the blood of Jesus Christ for their justification. They are bold and confident not in the works of their hands or of the law but the perfect works of Jesus Christ the truth. Confessing the truth can be done in two ways either in truth or in hypocrisy.

Those who confess the truth in hypocrisy have not the fruits of repentance to justify their confession to be true, that they know, believe and have accepted the truth. They know the truth only with their mouths but not in their hearts, and they are very common in every Church, they are known as the wolves in sheep clothing, the goats among the sheep, please beware of them! They live in word not in deed, and they can confess the truth publicly if that is what it takes for them to achieve their lusts and deceive the hearts of the simple, they will do it. But Jesus Christ said, “Wherefore by their fruits (words and deeds), ye shall know them.”—Matthew 7:20. But those who confess the truth in truth do it sincerely with their words and their hearts going the same direction and saying the same thing. They are willing and zealous to bring forth fruits that justified their confession, and that is the confession done in truth. The one done in hypocrisy is this, the word of their mouth and their hearts are going different direction for they are enemies. The true confession of the truth is written in Romans 10:9-10, which says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Confessing the truth is not acceptable unto God when you do not believe in the truth Jesus Christ with all of your heart. You mouth nevertheless can snare you (See Proverbs 6:2), if what you are confessing is different from what is in your heart that you believe, and you will certainly fall into confusion by reason of your confession in one way or another. What many Christians confess during their water baptism is different from what their lifestyle is today and it is different from what is in their hearts they believe, and these have been revealed by their fruits.

And show further confession can be done in hypocrisy or in truth based on the aftermath life of your water baptism. The mouth and the heart are not interwoven, the heart provide all that the mouth will ever say whether it is true or false. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 12:34, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” People can be evil in their hearts and yet speak good things to deceive the hearts of the simple and that is what we called hypocrisy. Those who believe in the truth do it first with their hearts, but not until confession is made with their mouths, they can’t be guarantee of salvation by God and they cannot be acceptable to God. Confessing the truth means that you know, believe, and have accepted Him, and as you accept the truth by confessing Him so also will the truth accept you for whatever you are. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”—John 8:32.

IN CONCLUSION
It is written, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” To know the truth is one thing, to accept the truth is another thing, to live, move, and have our being in the truth is another thing; the salvation of your soul from God’s wrath eternally can only be author by the truth you know, live, and have your being in Him. Give your life to Jesus Christ to RECEIVE HIS OWN. Don’t forget to repent and forsake your secret sins, worldly love and lusts. Share with your friends. Shalom!