February 2009

This month’s view is for all those who see themselves in the Valley of Decision during these trying times. You may be looking for answers, similar to the main character in the classic novel Pilgrim’s Progress. He found something either missing or present in his life while searching for the truth on his way to the Celestial City. He eventually finds absolute truth, love and forgiveness in God’s Word – the Bible. His progress through life is being portrayed in a new movie by the same title.

Absolute Truth

I hope it doesn’t take terribly destructive circumstances for you, as it did for me, to realize that God’s Word is truth. There was a way that seemed right to me, but the end was death.1 I searched for answers in anything and from anyone who crossed my path. While running from God, I tried to convince myself with various philosophies and false doctrines that I was okay, but found out that only the Bible holds the answers to a righteous relationship with God.

I came to see that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.”2 We need to be absolutely sure that we have the facts in focus.

You may be struggling with trusting that God’s Word is true. There are opposing voices in this world, contending for your trust. The Apostle John recorded Jesus’ words in His Gospel when He prayed for all believers, “Sanctify them through Your truth, Your Word is truth.”3 This is a common theme in Scripture: “The entirety of Your Word is true, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”4

Absolute Love

The Bible is God’s love story to all of us. How our first parents, Adam and Eve, turned their backs on God’s love in the Garden, yielding to sin’s temptation, only to be rescued by God’s loving kindness time after time. The LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself,”5 though they had rebelled against Him in unbelief.6

The Word did them no good because they didn’t believe what God told them.7 They did not believe that He loved them, therefore, they were overcome by fear, doubt and unbelief. Finally, “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from His judgment.”8

I didn’t believe in God’s love, but one day the Lord gave me the gift of saving faith. On that day, I heard a woman in the visiting room, who was not even visiting me, say, “…God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”9 That word sparked faith and opened my heart. Six months later, I surrendered my heart entirely to Jesus. Finally, I experienced the love I had been looking for all my life.

Absolute Forgiveness

The Word of God tells us that “…our own conscience either accuses us or tells us we are doing what is right.”10 “For all have sinned, all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”11 You may deny wrong, because you deny God’s Word. In the past few years, we’ve been bombarded with the book and movie The DaVinci Code. The basis of this book was taken from the Gnostic gospels, which are not inspired Scripture. Gnosticism claims “spiritual” knowledge that supersedes the written Word of God. It teaches that sin committed in the physical body does not matter; absolute indulgence in immorality was permissible; one could deny sin even existed and disregard God’s law.

The Apostle John addressed the Gnostic heresy, saying: “If you say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His Word has no place in our hearts.”12

The choice is yours whether to receive God’s absolute truth, love, and forgiveness. The Apostle John went on to say, “He [Jesus] is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins, but the sins of all the world.”13 Your sins have been forgiven, but it is your choice whether to receive it. The Lord says: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice that you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!”14

A Prayer For You ...

Our Father, our King of all Heaven, we pray boldly in the knowledge that Your Word is truth. It can, like You, be relied upon to bring righteousness to those who trust in it. We believe in the sacrifice of Jesus because You have told us we can trust in Him. You have given us Jesus, the living Word of God, who sanctifies us. We pray Father that as we seek the truth of Your Word in our study of Scripture that we are cleansed from our worldly ways of thinking and obtain the mind of Christ. Then we will choose blessings, not curses; life, and not death, and will be used by You to bring life and blessings to others. We thank You for Your Word, in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture References (New Living Translation):

1 Pro. 14:12
2 2 Tim. 3:16, 17
3 John 17:17
4 Psa. 119:160
5 Jere. 31:3
6 Heb. 3:7-19
7 Heb. 4:2
8 Rom. 5:8,9
9 John 3:16
10 Rom. 2:15b
11 Rom. 3:23
12 1 John 1:8-10
13 1John 2:2
14 Deut. 30:19

Acknowledgement: A special thanks to Sherry for transcribing this months view!