Truth is Greater Than Experiences
A Bible study reminding believers that spiritual experiences are temporary, but the unchanging truth of Christ and Scripture is what truly sets us free and anchors our faith.
Jake Hooper
Truth is Greater Than Experiences
Often times people too much emphasis on their spiritual experiences instead of the truth of Christ that we really stand on. Jesus says that truth sets us free and that he is truth itself.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Study Question
Why do you think Jesus says truth is what makes us free and not power or something else?
It's not a spiritual experience that sets us free and its not based on a feeling. It is entirely based on the truth of Jesus and who he is and what God has promised us in his word.
Grounded in the Word
One of the most important things is that we are grounded in the truth of God's word. It is our sure footing that keeps us on track. It is something we can hold in our hands that acts like a check and balance when our feelings get lost in space. We should be guided by the Holy Spirit but we never put that feeling above what is revealed in scripture already; because God will never contradict himself.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Study Question
How can we better stand on these promises of God?
Have you ever been discouraged because you felt like God was far away?
When we wake up in the morning and thanking God for making us clean; that sets up your day to be looking for opportunities to serve him and be the kind of representative that we were always meant to be. Its the truth that sets you free with a renewed mind and a transformed mind.
- It's often not prayer that we need, but to better understand the truth that God has already revealed.
Often times we have a hard time of letting go of our past mistakes and fully accepting that God has forgiven us. When we stand firm in our new identity as representatives of Christ and walk in that path, then we are set free from the mental burdens and heaviness of life. It's not longer something we should take personal. Often the gospel deeply offends the flesh and the Word of God cuts deep to the bone.
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Study Question
Why must we be clean in order to be active serving God?
We must stand on the truth that Christ has redeemed us. If you accept that gift, you must know that you are totally washed clean as promised and any feeling about that is irrelevant. We cry out to him in our mistakes, but understand quickly that your slate is clean once again, and you are ready to continue serving the Living God.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
When you are seeing clearly what is important and the wisdom of God, the rest of your body will follow suit and vice versa. If your eye is filled with light, your body will be too. We have to see clear so that we can be clear.
Study Question
How can we be sure that we are filled with light?
10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Paul writes to the Corinthians about problems in the church over sin and divisions. He is suggesting that forgiving is a community level action as a whole that binds us all together.
- Division and strife is one of the Satan's favorite devices. His means of doing that is by turning us away from the truth of scripture
Living by Feelings and Senses
We often place the experience of being a Christian far too high when we don't need to walk with God by feeling, but firmly standing on his truth and his promises. If we are chasing experiences then we are opening ourselves to the possibility of deception. When countenances are fallen (when we are upset and fail to understand), that is when sin is at the door. That is when the enemy has foot in your door to make you stumble.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Study Question
Have you ever doubted that you belonged to Christ? How did you overcome that feeling?
there is only the present time and things to come in the future. adversity is not about you. The devil wants to suppress the Kingdom of God on earth by tricking you to not build it up.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Many people say they don't feel God like they use to or have quiet periods of no grand experiences and they start to get worried if they are still his children, if they are still redeemed and reconciled and that is something that we need to stand on the truth. God has told us he saved us and if we accept it, we are in his grace. There's no feeling it, it is just truth.
Conclusion
Truth is what sets us free and that freedom comes with a renewed mind. This truth of God comes from scripture and the hearing of what the apostles preached. We have the privilege to hear what God spoke to them and it transforms all who hear and obey his words. Jesus is the Word of God and he is the Truth, the Way, and the Life.
17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
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