For the Truth Only

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:5-8 ESV).

It is not enough to just pray a prayer or to make a profession of Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. The Scriptures teach that faith in Jesus Christ, if it is genuine God-given and God-persuaded faith, which is biblical faith, will result in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26).

So, it is not what we profess with our lips that matters for eternity. It is what we believe in our hearts which will be evident by how we live, i.e. by how we conduct our lives, either as slaves to sin or as slaves to righteousness. For if sin is what we obey, and if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to the Lord and to his commandments under the New Covenant, then the Scriptures teach we do not have eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Jesus taught this as did his NT apostles, and this is taught all throughout the New Testament. True faith in Jesus Christ comes from God, it is gifted to us by God, it is not of our own doing, not of the will nor of the flesh of man, and it is persuaded of God. And since it comes from God and is persuaded of God it is going to align with God’s will and purpose for our lives, too. And God’s will is for us to die to sin and to live to his righteousness.

[Jn 1:12-13; Jn 6:44; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 12:1-2]

So, if you are someone who is professing faith in Jesus Christ, who is relying on that profession of faith to get you into heaven, then please read the above noted Scriptures, and please do this self-examination recommended by Paul to see if you are in the faith or not. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).

And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience to his commands (New Covenant), then we have eternal life with God. For if we deny him in this life, he will deny us (see Luke 9:23-26).

Now some of what Paul expressed here was in direct reference to the false accusations that he and Timothy were being faced with, but most especially Paul. But Paul was living an exemplary life, which is why he sometimes told the people to follow his example. But he also faced a lot of criticism and false accusations. And so he frequently had to come to his own defense which was literally in defense of the gospel of Christ, too.

But his encouragement to the professing Christians in Corinth was for them to make certain of their salvation, especially since it appeared that some of them might still be living in sexual immorality, impurity, and sensuality, and were actively engaged in hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder, etc. For Paul taught that if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to the Lord, that we do not have eternal life with God.

Now I like it that Paul said, “For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.” Amen! We should all be those who practice telling the truth and who do not deliberately and knowingly tell lies. This is not saying that we are going to get everything right all the time, but that truth telling is to be our practice, and not lies, and that we must be diligent to make certain that what we are saying is the truth, to the best of our understanding.

The Prayer

Written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, 

Alberto Testa and Tony Renis

I pray you'll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don't know

I pray we'll find your light

And hold it in our hearts

When the stars go out each night

Remind us where you are.

Let this be our prayer

When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

To a place where we'll be safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqFCbtRz1Z0

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