The Truth Shall Make you Free

To Honor Jesus Christ, Glorify God, Encourage Believers, & Warn All
Est 06-16-2007 Changed 06-23-2007
 

This information is offered with the hope that YOU can come to KNOW the Lord personally.

Personally speaking, it was a hard journey, let me tell you.  Your journey may be different in details, but it will be no less a "trip"!  I did not learn any of this at seminary or at church; the Lord Himself taught me and he took his time doing it.  I speak from experience and I can tell you that these things are true; this is not "religion", but my actual experience.  See "circumstances" below.  The Lord has made me to drink the wine of astonishment [I am astonished literally at what He did] and has shown me hard things [it is not easy to follow Christ and what He tells us is not easy to accept].  (Psa 60:3)  He has made me glad through His work and he has made me triumph in the work of his hands [I now realize it was all His work, what a joy!]  (Psa 92:4)  Praise Him forever!

What if your feelings say "Can this be true? I am not interested in this stuff.  It's just a fable, a myth.  I don't want man's religion.  I have seen too many hypocrites.  I am too tired to pray, to walk, to talk with God, to resist the world; I must be lost?"  The problem here is that you do not have the truth; you have instead your feelings.  Feelings and truth are not the same.  One can say "I feel this and I feel that."  However, what is the truth?  Perhaps you have tried in vain to obtain truth from preaching.

Alas, the preaching you hear sounds like mere doctrine.  Probably because it is mere doctrine.  The preacher can preach only that which is a reality for him.  If he attempts it, when it is not a reality to him, it is mere doctrine devoid of life and reality.  One does not receive enlightment from seminary.  Only through the enlightenment of the Lord does one receive the reality.  See Proverbs 1:23 for an explanation of this process.   Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.   (Proverbs 1:23)

"...when truth is preached, it becomes doctrine if there is no enlightenment.  But when it is preached with the light of God shining upon it, this truth becomes a revelation.  Having revelation is possessing truth.  All who have doctrines have their minds full of ideas; but all who have revelation have life and reality... Truth is not obtained through preaching; it comes from the enlightenment of God... Whoever sees the reality [truth] is the one who has received the enlightenment."   - Watchman Nee, From Faith to Faith, 1984.

What is the reality?  I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)  (not will overcome, have overcome).  I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.  (John 17:4)    It is finished.  (John 19:30)  And you hath He quickened: who were dead in trespasses and sins.  (Eph 2:1)   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Eph 1:3)  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:    (Eph 1:4)

If  ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  (John 8:31-32)  You are made free once you are in possession of the truth, the reality of your nature and position and the reality of God and His work.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD.  (Heb 10:31)

The word of God contains the truth and the Spirit of God will reveal to you the meaning of these words.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,  whatsoever I have said unto you.  (John 14:26)

Are you aware that a being without sin is still not good enough for God?  Here's the proof. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. (John 5:19)
If someone so naturally perfect and pure and beautiful as the Lord Jesus could not do anything from himself, how much more needful is it that we not try to do anything from ourselves.  If He who himself came from heaven would not rely upon His perfect flesh but relied instead upon the Holy Spirit, how much more ought we to depend upon the Holy Spirit.  Whatever the Lord Jesus did He did according to God's will, relying in the process on the power of the Holy Spirit.  Watchman Nee, From Faith to Faith, 1984  (emphasis in original)

Jesus said, I can of mine own self do nothing... (John 5:30)

The flesh does not want to die and follow this path.  Everything in us fights against this path.  To quote Watchman Nee (From Faith to Faith) on this topic-
The work of the cross is finished, but you are still undone... This is to say that your own condition does not agree with the truth before God.  And this is where the difficulty lies.  Oftentimes we do not know what truth is...  As we approach God, we rely on our own feeling rather than on the truth of God, on our own experience rather than on His truth.  Let us realize that God's truth opposes your feeling and your experience....Fruit bearing is not the result of the clear exposition of the teachings and doctrines of the church, nor is it the consequences of familiarity with Scripture passages.  It is the result of falling into the earth and dying.  [emphasis added]

What do we make of the title of Watchman Nee's book, From Faith to Faith? For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Rom 1:17)  Notice that it says "live" by faith, clearly a process and the same verse that captured Martin Luther and ignited the reformation.   Notice that all is done by the Lord as you move through the steps below.  Salvation is of the Lord. 

From the book, Nee quotes John Calvin-

From faith, for righteousness is offered by the gospel and is received by faith.  To faith, for as our faith makes progress, and it advances in knowledge, so the righteousness of God increases in us at the same time, and the possession of it is in a manner confirmed.

A number of years ago I wrote the following piece and I just found it tucked in a book on my desk.  It is a little diagram explaning the From-Faith-To-Faith idea and the process of salvation (from the possession of salvation to the realization and confirmation of salvation).  The 8th day is the day of resurrection, the new beginning, the day of circumcision (putting away the flesh, circumcision of the heart, Jer 4:4, Rom 2:29).
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.  -- Romans 8:29-30  
(1)
The Word
 (2)
Hearing
 (3)
New Birth
 (4)
Faith


FROM
FAITH
 "Circumstances"
Chastisement
 (5)
Repentance
 (6)
Separation of
Soul and Spirit
 (7)
I am Nothing
 (8)
Renewed Faith

TO
FAITH
The Word is spoken
 The Word enters
the Spirit "quickens"




"Baptism" by the Holy Spirit
 		the gift of
God
Eph 2:8-9
 Sanctification

I die daily
-- 1 Cor 15:31


"Baptism" by fire


being made conformable unto His death
--Phil 3:10
 Death of "flesh"




 		I know the
difference
between
soul and
spirit-
between "me" and
the
Spirit
 Self judgment
 Praise the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ
(waving your arms around in "Lakewood" can not come before step 7.  Corollary-There ain't no champions here)
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
-- Romans 10:17

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
-- John 6:63


For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
-- 1 Corinthians 12:13 









For whom he did foreknow...




...in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.  --Eph 1:13
 		And again, The Lord shall judge his people. -- Hebrews 10:30


Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress
--Psa 4:1

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth
-- Heb 12:6



it is good for me that I have been afflicted; that i might learn thy statutes
--Psa 119:71


Day and night thy hand was heavy upon me
--Psa 32:4

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus
--2 Cor 4:10

 Turn you at my reproof: ...
--Pro 1:23








the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and...
-- Mark 1:15

Mortify the
deeds of the body
--Rom 8:13


I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction
--Isa 48:10
 make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice
--Psa 51:8


See
Heb 4:12
 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. -- 1 Corinthians 13:2



judge not, that ye be not judged
-- Math 7:1




he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son
--Rom 8:29
 ... behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
--Pro 1:23


...believe the gospel
-- Mark 1:15


My lips shall utter praise, when thou has taught me thy statutes
--Psa 119:171
FROM
FAITH

The
Author
Heb 12:2
 Some deny the chastening is the work of God
--Jer 5:12-13
 The Kingdom of God reigns when the authority of God is accepted (on earth or in the heart)

...the kingdom of God is within you
--Luk 17:21
 		Whom do i hear?

Answer- "I"
hear my own joy and gladness and then my "bones"
rejoice

 Those who have been "spanked" exercise self judgment. Consequently, they do not dare judge others
 TO
FAITH

The
Finisher
Heb 12:2
According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.  (Eph 1:4)  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you... (John 15:16) 

Our salvation is certain and sure because it is not the work of men, including and especially ourselves.





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Please e-mail us with questions or comments today.   I may be wrong, but, the Bible is never wrong.  

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"I am the way, the truth, and the life" - Jesus Christ
 
John 14:6