YOUR SOURCE OF TRUTH
GETTING TO “KNOW” Y O U
WRITTEN BY GAYLE L. WALLACE
“…. if any man (woman) be in Christ, he (she) is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, ALL things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
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Never in my life had I ever imagine myself sharing my many blessings in book form. I have always taken notes when the Lord would give me revelation knowledge, but my journals would only seem to be inspirational to my own consoling, during my own trials.
There is one thing I have grown to understand and see in my relationship with the Lord is that one has always got to be willing to change. As long as I am constantly willing to accept the changes the Lord has to make in my heart, I could easily begin to see God.
For years my prayers and desires had been to have a close, intimate relationship with God. I didn't just want to hear what other people said about him, and what he could do, but I wanted to experience those things for myself. I could clearly see the need for changes in my life and at different times I would be shocked to know what kind of person I really was in the flesh. I can’t say that my transformation at times was not painful, because THE TRUTH can HURT, especially when you’re in DENIAL, but it is LIBERATING.
Nevertheless, I was on a mission, seeking to find THE TRUTH at all costs. THE TRUTH helped me put SELF aside and to get to KNOW my OWN wretched thoughts and understandings. God’s Word shined a LIGHT upon the inside woman and gave me a MIRROR VIEW of who I really WAS.
No matter what I discovered about my wretched SELF, I sought to achieve and find THE TRUTH. Today, I praise God for the indwelling Holy Spirit that fulfills me with the promises of HIS WORD. Happiness is always having something or someone to look forward to outside of yourself.
I am confident in knowing that Jesus is ALWAYS there for me. My prayer is that whoever is reading this book today will SEEK to be changed by THE TRUTH. In addition, may the wisdom of our heavenly Father fall upon them through the Holy Spirit who empowers them with understanding and guidance in this world of deceiving sins as well as protect you from doubt. Amen.
There are four perspectives I want to share with you about how God’s Word SHINED a LIGHT upon ME and GAVE me a MIRROR VIEW of who I really WAS.
First, I really WAS a “new creation” in Jesus Christ, but the “un-transformed mind” made me continue to believe I WAS NOT a “new creation,” but WAS still the OLD me in the flesh.
A MIRROR VIEW of who I really WAS meant facing the "past" ME in the flesh and accepting the "redeemed" ME as a “new creation” in Christ. “...Behold, I was shapen in iniquity (THE OLD ME); and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts (THE NEW ME): and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom (GOD'S TRUTH)...” (Psalm 51:5-6 KJV).
“...The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies...” (Psalms 53:8 KJV).
“...I was born a sinner ….” (Psalms 51:5 NLT). “...I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. …I [am] …a slave to the sin (the symptoms of that terminal condition) …” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). “…the wages of sin (the end result) is death…” (Romans 6:23 KJV). “…For all have sinned (all have a sin nature)…” (Romans 3:23 KJV). “…all have ... come short of the glory of God (all are born WITHOUT the indwelling Holy Spirit)…” (Romans 3:23 KJV).
It is extremely DIFFICULT to SEE ourselves as the scriptures, GOD’S TRUTH, describes us. The reason for this is that most people concentrate on how they appear, in the flesh, to themselves and others, while GOD, WHO IS TRUTH shines the LIGHT upon the HEART.“...God SEES NOT as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART…”(1 Samuel 16:7 NASB). “…No one needed… to tell him (God) about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart…” (John 2:24-25 NLT). “…[The] ...Lord (God), which knowest the hearts of all men…” (Acts 1:24 KJV). “… He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked…” (Psalm 11:4-5 NLT).
“... the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword ...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart....” (Hebrews 4:12 NASB).
Many people see themselves as “GOOD” hearted people because they base their spiritual righteousness on what they DO in the flesh or other faithful works done in or outside the church.“...The lord is GOOD…there is none good but one, that is, God...” (Nahum 1:7 & Mark 10:18 KJV).
If there is NONE ‘GOOD” but God, then NO human being is GOOD without HIM. “….Apart from Me (the indwelling Holy Spirit and his Word) (TRUTH), you can do nothing (you can DO good deeds, but you cannot BE good)…” (John 15:5 NIV).
“…There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not…” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV). “…ALL HAVE SINNED and fallen short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23). “… [ALL have become]…..unclean and [their so-called] righteousnesses (efforts to BE good is) as filthy rags….” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).
People want CREDIT, ACCOLADES, or REWARDS for being “GOOD” hearted people who are generous with their donations or other charitable deeds. “…There is [NONE]...that doeth good, and sinneth not…” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV).
“…The flesh (the sinful nature’s effort to be good) profiteth nothing…” (John 6:63 KJV). “…And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor (donations), and though I give my body to be burned (charitable deed), and have not charity, it profiteth me NOTHING...” (1 Corinthians 13:3 KJV).
“...God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart…”(1 Samuel 16:7 NASB). God looks at the “…hidden man (woman) of the heart…” (1 Peter 3:4 KJV). It is“… from within, out of the heart of man (woman), proceed evil thoughts … [doing religious deeds] … these … come from within, and defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23 KJV). The HEART “…is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked…who can know it [except God?]…” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV).
GOD’S TRUTH is straight forward, simple, and enables you to SEE clearly WHO you REALLY are versus who you THINK you are or who you APPEAR to be. “...which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity...” (Matthew 23 KJV).
“…Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men ...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer ...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides ...Ye fools and blind ...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith ...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess ...Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous...Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:13-33 KJV).
“…He answered and said unto them, Well hath
Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites,
as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me...”
(Mark 7:6 KJV).
“… [ALL have become]…..unclean and [their so-called] righteousnesses (efforts to BE good is) as filthy rags….” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).
The previous scriptures are ONLY a few that describe who people are IN THEIR FLESH. “ … the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these …” (Galatians 5:20-22 NASB). “… from within, out of the heart of man (woman), proceed evil thoughts (thoughts that DIRECT or put COMMANDS of one’s behavior)…these … come from within, and defile a person (make their behavior unclean and make them walk in the flesh)...” (Mark 7:21-23 KJV).
God’s people or children ACCEPT God’s WORD as TRUTH. “…Thy word is TRUTH…” (JOHN 17:17 KJV). “… The Spirit of truth (the WORD) …will guide you into all the truth. …” (John 16:13 NIV). “...[God’s people]... shall know the truth...” (John 8:32 KJV).
God’s people KNOW the WORD of GOD cannot LIE; God’s character doesn’t change and therefore his promises are immutable too. “...For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself (immutable character)....God...[wanted]....abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel (immutable Word), confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things (his character and his word), in which it was impossible for God to lie...” (Ephesians 6:13-18 KJV).
“…I am the Lord, I change NOT…” (Malachi 3:6 KJV). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever…” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV).
God’s people also KNOW that by FACING and ACCEPTING who they WERE in the flesh helps and empowers them to BECOME who they ARE, right NOW, in CHRIST. “…Who will free me from this life that is dominated by SIN? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord (the WORD OF GOD)…” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT). ). “…Therefore if any man (woman) be in Christ, he (she) is a new creature…” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV). “…if the Son (Jesus Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit)…shall make you FREE, ye shall be FREE indeed.” (John 8:36 KJV). “...ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free....” (John 8:32 KJV). “... It was for freedom that Christ set [his people]... free...” (Galatians 5:1 NASB).
“... the truth shall make [God’s people]... free...” (John 8:32 KJV).
GOD’S TRUTH, as part of his plan of salvation, is to help his people understand who they WERE before Jesus Christ, so they will voluntarily desire and choose to BECOME “like” Jesus. The old IDENTITY is GONE. New Creations are NOT what they USED to be in the FLESH. “...You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language...” (Colossians 3:6-8 NLT). “...once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true...” (Ephesians 5:7-9 NLT). “... thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God...” (1 Corinthians 6:10-11 NLT).“…old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new...” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
THESE SCRIPTURES ARE TRUE ABOUT EVERY CHILD OF GOD!! “…The truth shall MAKE YOU FREE…” (JOHN 8:32 KJV). “… all things are become new...” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
GOD’S TRUTH tells God’s people who they USED TO be IN THE FLESH, so they can LOOK and SEE who they ARE in CHRIST JESUS. “….let us make man (woman) in “our” image, after our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26 KJV). “…..God created man in his “own” image…..male and female created he them…” (Genesis 1:27 KJV).
“…Therefore if any man (woman) be in Christ, he (she) is a new creature (creation)...” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).“...and man (woman) became a living soul (soul) ... [AGAIN] …” (Genesis 2:7 KJV).
“…be conformed to the image of his Son…” (ROMANS 8:29 KJV). “...Be … imitators of ...[Jesus]…” (Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 5:1 ASV). “… growing in every way more and more like Christ…” (Ephesians 4:14-16 NLT). “…In this world we are like Jesus…” (1 John 4:17 NIV).
“...For in him (Jesus Christ) we (God’s children or people) live, and move, and have [their] being (their NEW IDENTITY and freedom)...” (Acts 17:28 KJV).
God said about Israel, “...For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth...” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
“…I am the Lord, I change NOT…” (Malachi 3:6 KJV).
“...[God’s people]... are [STILL]...a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light...” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).
GOD’S TRUTH says HE has called, his people, out of DARKNESS into the marvelous LIGHT and it is an honor to be called by God, the Holy Spirit. However, on their OWN, God’s people will NEVER live up to their calling. . “…The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to [the sin nature]. …I don’t really understand myself, for I want to [live free from sin] …but I don’t [choose to depend upon God’s indwelling SPIRITUAL LIFE]... Instead, I do what I hate. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is [the sinful nature]… living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to [live free from sin] … [which]… is right, BUT I CAN’T…Who will free me from this life that is dominated by [the sin nature and its practices]?” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT).
EVERY person upon earth can willingly and voluntarily CHOOSE to go to God to SAVE them. The lost and spiritually dead soul chooses to receive or accept Jesus Christ as their SAVIOR “…confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and … believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (ROMANS 10:9 KJV). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (ACTS 16:31 KJV). “...Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost...” (Acts 2:38 KJV). “…I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God…” (ACTS 8:37 KJV). “...those (people) who had received his word were baptized;..” (Acts 2:41 KJV).
“…. if any man (woman) be in Christ, he (she) is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, ALL things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
Once SAVED, the redeemed soul chooses to continually trust and depend upon GOD’S TRUTH to work WITHIN them and HELP them live FREE. “…Christ liveth in [the redeemed]…” (Galatians 2:20 KJV). “….OLD THINGS (life without the indwelling Holy Spirit) are passed…” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV). “... It is God (the indwelling Holy Spirit of TRUTH) which worketh in [the redeemed] both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 KJV). “… the God of peace… that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip [the redeemed]... with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in [the redeemed, through the indwelling Holy Spirit of TRUTH]… what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ…” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV). “…The …HOLY SPIRIT …is the SOURCE of [all freedom from the FLESH]. …it is …God who does the work IN and THROUGH all of [those]... who are his. The HOLY SPIRIT DISPLAYS God’s power THROUGH each of [them] … (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT).
God is COMMITTED to HELPING the redeemed LIVE FREE. “…He helps me…” (Psalms 28:7 NLT). “…The Lord who made you and helps you says: Do not be afraid …my servant …my chosen one…” (Isaiah 44:2 NLT). “… The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness…” (Romans 8:26 NLT). “…You are my helper and my savior…” (Psalms 40:17 NLT).
God people are NO LONGER controlled by their FLESH. God’s TRUTH tells them to: “... discipline [their] ... body and make it [their]... slave...” (1 Corinthians 9:27 NASB).
“…The sinful nature (the flesh) is always hostile to God. …” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).
“…The sinful nature (the flesh) ...never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. …” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).
“…[God’s people]... who are still under the control of their sinful nature (the flesh) can never please God. …” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).
“…[god’s people]... are not controlled by [their]... sinful nature (flesh). [they]... are controlled by the Spirit if [they] have the Spirit of God living in [them] …” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).
“… (Christ lives within [his people], so even though [their] body (flesh) will die because of sin, the [indwelling Holy] ... Spirit [of TRUTH]... gives [them]... life because [they]... have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to [their] mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within [them] …” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT)
“…Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature (flesh) urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit (the indwelling Holy Spirit of TRUTH) you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature (flesh), you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God (the indwelling Holy Spirit of TRUTH) are children of God…” (Romans 8:1-14 NLT).
Through repentance and baptism, the redeemed soul, receives the GIFT of the indwelling Holy Spirit of TRUTH, which EMPOWERS to live right, live FREE, and endure the Christian journey.
“… the God of peace… may he work in [the redeemed, through the indwelling Holy Spirit of TRUTH]… what is pleasing to him (freedom from sin), through Jesus Christ…” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV). “…the Father... [that DWELLS within YOU]… he doeth the works…” (John 14:10 KJV).
God’s people say: “...I can do all things through Christ...” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). He will “…strengthened [his people]… with might by his Spirit [of TRUTH]... in the inner man (woman)…” (Ephesians 3:16 KJV). “… [He strengthens his people]…according to the POWER that worketh IN [THEM]…” (Ephesians 3:20 KJV). “… God … work[s] … in … [his people] … what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ…” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV).
“...HE (SHE) THAT “SHALL” (choose to) ENDURE UNTO THE END SHALL BE SAVED...” (Matthew 24:13 KJV).
“...He (the indwelling Spirit of TRUTH) who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ...” (Philippians 1:6 KJV). “…he doeth the works…” (John 14:10 KJV).
A MIRROR VIEW of who you really WERE means facing the "past" YOU in the flesh and accepting the "redeemed" YOU as a “new creation” in Christ. “...Behold, I was shapen in iniquity (THE OLD YOU); and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts (THE NEW YOU): and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom (GOD'S TRUTH)...” (Psalm 51:5-6 KJV).
FACING THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE TO LIVE A CHRIST-LIKE LIFE.
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