The Scourge Of Racism
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Released January 5, 2024
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As the Lord led in last week’s post, we saw how representing God, Jesus Christ by His own testimony came into the world as part of His mission “to bear witness to the truth,” (John18:37, NKJV). As God in eternal unity with the Father and Holy Spirit, He is “truth” and ‘“the truth’” as it concerns the message of salvation He was also sent into the world by the Father to proclaim (Deuteronomy 32:3-4; John 8:13-30, 14:6, NKJV). It is in the context of salvation that He asserts by remaining in His ‘“word’” believers in Him would truly be His ‘“disciples,’” ‘“know’” Him ‘“the truth’” and they become ‘“free,’” (John 8:31-32, NKJV). Only Christ in the Gospel can set men free from sin!1
‘“…the truth shall make you free’” is one of a number of words and phrases lifted from the Bible and corrupted by misapplication while being used in many ways by professed Christians and rank unbelievers (John 8:32b, NKJV). Though it is true having knowledge of the truth in a matter can be very liberating, this is not what the Lord Jesus is speaking of when He makes His statement to the Jewish listeners who had believed on Him. Indeed, they got their hackles up in offense right away at the statement because they did not receive it from Christ as something beneficial. But they correctly heard in the Lord’s statement that they were in some kind of bondage.
In smugly refuting the Lord’s statement they cited their connection to Abraham and did not tell the truth in saying they “have never been in bondage to anyone” since God reveals to him his descendants would be slaves for over four hundred years as they were in Egypt (Genesis 15:12-16; Exodus 12:40-42; John 8:33, NKJV).2 This was followed by localized oppressions in the land as well as the major Assyrian and Babylonian captivities in which they were removed from it (Nehemiah 9:36-37). Following those days, though they were not enslaved, the Medo-Persians, Greeks and currently Rome oppressed them. Even so, the Lord spoke of a deeper form of bondage that is spiritual.
He said, ‘“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin,’” (John 8:34, NKJV).3 Human slavery to sin began when the first man, Adam, yielded to it in Eden and brought upon him and his progeny the promised divine penalty (Genesis 3:1-11, 17-19, 22-24, 4:1-7; Romans 5:12-14). Rooted in the body, sin exerts such power, influence and control in the desires, thinking, attitudes, words and deeds of its hosts that they can be described accurately as nothing but slaves. Sin in presence and its works originating in the heart also spiritually pollute or “defile” a man before the holy God who has no fellowship with it whatsoever (Isaiah 59:1-8; Mark 7:14-23, NKJV).
However, back in Eden God showed how He could cope with sin in man on a temporary basis by shedding the blood of an animal; taking its life instead of man’s (Genesis 3:21). He developed this in the Law given to Israel which when done right gave the people an annual temporary atonement for and release from their sins (Leviticus 16). All along though, God’s plan called for eventually setting willing men free eternally from sin’s penalty, power, presence and pollution as He intimated at another of the great feast days of Israel, Passover (Exodus 12:1-14). What the Jews who believed on Christ yet disputed with Him that day did not realize is He was God’s Passover Lamb (John 1:29-34)!
Christ goes on to instruct His would be Jewish followers the slaves of men do not have a permanent place in the house of their masters, but a son does (John 8:35). They stood in the presence of the only begotten Son of God with an eternal standing in His Father’s house. If He as the Son of God therefore, set them free from bondage to sin through the truth of His finished work in the Gospel, they would “be free indeed,” (John 8:36; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Hebrews 9:22-10:18, NKJV). For it was Christ alone who enabled the Father to remove sin’s penalty through forgiveness; who broke its power, made a way for eternal freedom from its presence and pollution through His cross (Romans 3:21-26, 5:1-8, 6, 7:7-8:17)!
Thus, by remaining in His word, we as those Jewish believers should have been, are to be earnestly seeking to know the truth better and deeper rather than arguing with Him.4 Then we would understand more fully and “rejoice” in all that Christ accomplished for us (Romans 5:9-11; Colossians 1:3-14; 2 Peter 1:1-11, NKJV). This includes having access to God’s forgiveness of our sins through confession and repentance as often as needed (1 John 1:5-2:2). Then too, we will have eternal freedom not only from sin as sons made gloriously immortal, but every evil and hurtful thing that would enslave us; living and reigning with Christ “forever and ever,” (1 Corinthians 15:47-57; Revelation 21-22:5, NKJV)!
1 Read the April 7, 2024 post, Suffering For The Truth, under the category, Glory To God!
2 Many professed American Christians also falsely believe themselves to be grandfathered into salvation because of heritage or parents that were Christians. If you are one of them please take heed and realize you can only be saved by making a personal decision to repent of your sins which like everyone else you have and believe the Gos- pel of Christ. Watch this Ministry’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Reconciled To God, on our YouTube channel.
3 Committing sin is the evidence we are slaves to it! Among the sins many white conservative evangelical Christians commit daily is the practice of racism. Learn more by getting my book, The Scourge Of Racism. It is available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. The E-Book version is also available at major E-Book sellers. Also, please watch another Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on our YouTube channel to hear Christ’s call for you, O professed Chris- tian, to turn back to Him in obedience and faithfulness to His Word.
4 This is the heart of every aspiring strong man and great woman of God in Christ’s image I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics. It too, is avail- able at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. The E-Book is also available at major E-Book sellers.
A brief, but amazing exchange occurs between Christ and Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor during the period of His arrest, interrogations and before His crucifixion. After answering Pilate’s question about being ‘“a King’” in the affirmative, the Lord further asserts He ‘“was born’” and came ‘“into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’” Pilate, representing human skeptics from all time was not impressed retorting in reply, ‘“What is truth,’” (John 18:33-38, NKJV)? Standing before the governor was truth Personified in perfection willing to suffer and suffering for it to the point of the death He was about to die!
Pilate’s skeptical question echoes down through the centuries to this hour where truth in the eyes of many is a relative matter that exists only in the minds of those who embrace their own view of it. This is absurd of course, since even in the non-Christian world truth is testable. Tell yourself all you want in your truth that jumping in front of a speeding car will not harm you and the reality of the truth will prove you wrong every time if in fact you would survive to engage in such foolishness again! Objective truth exists because it originates with “a God of truth” who brought His creation into existence resting on many principles of His own nature and character (Deuteronomy 32:1-4, NKJV).
Indeed, truth is intrinsic to the nature of the Triune God. Since God is a God of truth, God does not and “it is impossible for God to lie,” (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:1-2, Hebrews 6:16-18, NKJV). When the Lord Jesus Christ the Second Person of the Triune God came into the world, He came in the absolute fullness of His divine identity as “the Word” and consequently with other attributes of God, fully displayed “truth” (John 1:1-2, 14-18, NKJV). Near the end of His ministry, He identifies the third Person of the Triune God as “the Spirit of truth,” who in turn also displays truth as part of the eternal Family’s living emblem (John 14:15-17; Galatians 5:19-23; Ephesians 5:8-10, NKJV).
The whole special revelation of God’s written Word in the Bible is truth exactly because it is inspired of God (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). The Lord Jesus Christ validated the written Word as truth as He quoted and upheld as well as taught from it, (Matthew 4:4, 5:17-26). Representing, living out, speaking and teaching the truth as He did during His years on earth fulfilled the very important part of His mission disclosed to Pilate about Him being born and coming into the world to bear witness to the truth; truth about and from God. The truth He proclaimed was so powerful, it could set those who believed in Him free from slavery to sin (John 8:31-36)!1
Conversely, those who reject Christ’s words of truth about and from God in unbelief not only remain slaves to sin, but deception since their father and ruler is ‘“the devil’” who murders and lies as a matter of course (John 8:37-46, NKJV).2 As with Pilate that day, unbelief in Christ and His words renders men blind and deaf to the truth even standing right in front of them. This is why it is only those ‘“of God’” and ‘“the truth’” through faith in Christ who hear it and His ‘“voice,’” (John 8:47, 14:6, 18:37, NKJV). For this cause we who believe in Christ have also been the beneficiaries of His prayer to the Father seeking our sanctification by His truth (John 17:16-19).3 Before cynical Pilate, Israel and the world Christ bore final witness to the truth by suffering and dying for it (John 18:39-19:30).4
1 Read the March 24, 2024 post, Christ Came To Save Sinners, under the category, Call To Repent.
2 Scripture teaches “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one,” (1 John 5:19-20, NKJV). Thus, if you are not rolling with Christ, by default you are rolling with the devil! This sobering truth should jolt wayward professed Christians to the core! Graciously, Christ at this hour is calling His strayed ones to return to Him. Watch this Minis- try’s Strong Man Of God Online Rally, Return To The Lord, on our YouTube channel to hear Him.
3 Having been sanctified by the truth of God, Christians are supposed to also represent, live out, speak and teach it in the image of Christ. This is certainly the heart of every aspiring strong man of God I write about in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and what the Lord through me rebukes in His Church as failure in my latest release, The Scourge Of Racism. Both are available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. The E-Book versions are also available at major E- Booksellers.
4 Christ did not walk back anything He had proclaimed or taught in truth about and from God to save Himself. Our willingness to suffer and even die as Christ for the truth is fully expressed as His will in the charge and example He gives His disciples (Matthew 16:24-27; 1 Peter 2:21-23) and displayed in His apostles (2 Corinthians 11:22-28, 13:8).
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