Christian Living

Stay in the Truth

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
09/02/21
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“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

In the present day, many are bewildered by how our society continues to surprise us with the evil we see. We should not be as the world has always been filled with evil, as the god of this world was here before we arrived upon the face of the planet. I was not here in the way back then, but history has shown that man has never had a love for his neighbor as his love for himself. I do not mean to say all men, but most men. It is more intense as there are more people in the world today displaying their wickedness. It should not be a surprise as the Bible has told us this would happen and continue to occur until the fullness of God’s time has come.

The Bible also teaches us that many will come with false and misleading doctrines of twisted truth, which will lead us further down the path to destruction. “See to it that no one misleads you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” (Matthew 24:4-5)

The Word of God is the absolute truth, as it was the only word in the beginning and will be the only word that remains at the end of time. “But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:25) We who have heard and been taught the truth of God’s Word should hold fast to its truth and guard it every day that none should deceive us by their twisted ideas and worldly philosophies. Test everyone who teaches you that their words measure to the word that you have received by the Spirit of God, which councils your hearts. Those that deliver their conning word do so for their advantage and not for the glory of God, but their own interest. “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” (Romans 16:17-18)

When we repented, we turned from such foolishness of the world for the truth of God’s Word, the hope found in salvation through faith in Jesus our Christ, and will not allow again to be fallen into the pit. Stand firm on the truth the Holy Spirit has given, take refuge in the Lord’s promises, and not the meaningless bribes of foolish teachers. Hold fast to your confession that Jesus is Lord and Savior, and rest in the truth of your heart that He is risen and will raise you to glory with Him. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:23-24)

Paul gave this advice to his son in the faith Timothy that Jesus came and lived amongst men for the purpose of His love for them. In His righteousness, He showed us the way to freedom in Holiness. Jesus gave His life on the cross that men could be set free from their bondage of sin and death. By His grace, we can receive salvation through faith in His promises. Anyone who teaches what is not witnessed by the truth of Jesus’ Words does not meet the perfect standard. “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2” 13)

Christians have and will always find resistance to their testimony of the hope they have is Jesus Christ. The Christian is an alien in this world as their citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. Their Heavenly Father is God the Creator. The Christian lives in this world in the truth of Jesus’ gospel message of redemption for mankind, yet, the world hates the message. Man’s sinful nature draws upon their heart’s love for the empty pleasures of this world. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

I have seen hysteria of people over the spotting of UFOs in the past and thought how silly. I have come to realize who true their hysteria is. Christians are aliens living in a world full of people who belong to this world. The resistance towards them is growing each day. The world is content, although hopeless, in the falsity of their wishful hope and rejection of truth. Therefore, they reject the alien Christians and the truth they live by. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” (John 15:19)

The world says we are free yet denies the freedom we have been granted to practice the Christian faith we live by openly. We have this promise from our Lord and stand upon it because it is a truth that will stand beyond this world and the time we live in here. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Despite that, the world hates the truth and hates those who live in the truth of Jesus Christ. As faithful Christians, we continue the desire for godly living by abiding by Jesus. “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

The freedom that Christians have will never be in this world. Some will move through this world without much restriction, as they are blessed to be in a place that accepts diversity in open thought. That is not true freedom, the freedom the Christian has. The greatest fear of mankind is death. All know that the day is coming when they will face death. Death is a fearful mystery to those who don’t know anything beyond that quick moment when they leave this realm for the spiritual; realm. There is no hope for them when they face the judgment of their maker, the Lord God Almighty. The truth of the Christian is they are free from the bondage of sin and death. “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28)

The freedom the Christian lives here in the world is the liberty found in the Lord. God is Spirit, and His Spirit dwells within His children. Christians have the liberty that comes from their relationship with the Lord. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) The sadness of this is the world lives in the bondage of sin and the second death. The second death is unspeakable torment through eternity. The Christian has unspeakable glory in God’s Kingdom through eternity. Jesus died for the sins of the world, and those who accept that truth in faith, receive His forgiveness and have liberty from God’s wrath. Those who reject Jesus and His truth do not. “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18)

Jesus is the only truth to find the way to the presence of God. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). There is no other way, no other religion, ritual, god, or way to purchase salvation, but faith in the Word of God, His Son Jesus. Jesus paid the wage of sin, death, and His forgiveness is the only way out of this world alive. Receive the completeness of life by seeking, finding, and receiving His forgiveness today. “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:9-12)

Thomas Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, April 28, 2020