Dear Ones:
It was said of John Wesley, before he came to faith in Christ, that the idea of justification by faith was not real to him…he could not really grasp it. A wise brother in Christ instructed him to preach it… until it becomes real. This he did, and then he saw and grasped the reality of it. It changed his life, and as a result, thousands have come to Christ.
Someone has said that, “… truth is not mine, until it becomes me.” The Word (the Truth) became flesh…and dwelt among us. Christ is not only the objective truth, but the Person who IS truth. The eternal Christ took upon Himself human flesh, and dwelt among us. That which was true of Him in eternity, became flesh and blood in time and space. And so, the call to us is the similar, to believe the eternal truth, until the eternal truth becomes real in us…His life, His love, and His power…in flesh and blood…ours.
From a practical standpoint, how is this done? How do I take the “truth” and truly make it mine? First of all, we always begin by the reading of the word of God. It is as His word enters our hearts and minds, that light penetrates our darkness and ignorance. Secondly, trusting the Spirit of God as we read and study Scripture, we will certainly be impressed by certain truths, certain concepts…God calls them His thoughts and His ways. (Is. 55:8-9) But then, thirdly, we come to the moment where we must decide what to do with that which the Lord is showing us. If we are to grasp, believe, make our own these truths, then we need to PRAY them. It is a practical step towards grasping them, believing them.
In Isaiah 45, we discover the Lord’s words to Cyrus. They are very specific, and deliberately given to accomplish a certain purpose. For example: “Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates: and the gates shall not be shut.” (v.1) He goes on to say of Cyrus: “…I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways…” (v.13) Now, if we are sure that the Lord is speaking to us concerning these truths, should not we pray them back to Him for their realization by Him in us? Most certainly. We are to take that which is true, what God has revealed to us in His word, and bring it to Him, trusting Him for the realization of it in us. This He will do.
It is in grasping the truth, believing it, and looking unto Christ for the realization of it, that He makes it real…He makes Himself real to us. Then there will be the realization of the prayer: “O Jesus Christ dwell Thou in me, and all things else recede; My heart be daily nearer Thee, from sin be daily freed.”
Love, Dad