Proclaiming Truth – Part 1

This week, Michael writes that the Word of God reminds us who we are, where we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we’re going. Yet, the spiritual battle rages all around us. When we’re in the center of the will of God, we’re in the calm eye of the spiritual hurricane. In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter wrote in similar times: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. God himself has chosen us. The purpose is that we should show forth the praises of His glory ... to be a witness of His love, mercy, and grace.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. He has made us righteous in Christ ... for Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Therefore, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 1 Peter 2:10-12 continues, “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

God has called us as aliens and foreigners in a fallen world of darkness. We may be natural born citizens of the United States or anywhere in the world, however, we’re spiritually born-again citizens of heaven. We have been “born again” not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever. Because we have been called into His righteousness through Christ, we’re to abstain from fleshly lusts. Lusts are “overdesires”, meaning anything that we desire over our desire to walk in fellowship with our Lord. The first of the Ten Commandments says in the KJV: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” The literal translation of the Aramaic text is, “thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.”

The world speaks against Christians for being “intolerant.” They are tolerant of the evil of this sin-sick world. However, they are intolerant of God’s righteous standard in His revealed word. John 3:20-21 says, “he who doeth evil hates the light neither comes to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he who does truth comes to. the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.”

1 Peter 2:-1513 continues: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:”

We’re encouraged to submit to the ordinances of man. Righteous ordinances are for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of those who do well. The freedom we have is to use our liberty not as servants of men, but as servants of God. In doing well, we will put to silence the evil of foolish men. According to Romans 12, be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. We have a moment by moment decision to do the right thing. The right thing is to do as Jesus would do. In. Jesus’ words, “know ye not that I must be about my father’s business?”

Let's continue Micael's message on "proclaiming truth" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian