Spiritual Growth
Mary seeking the light:
Hello, brothers and sisters! Recently, I’ve been bothered by one question. I wanna discuss with you. Gimme a hand, please.
Since believing in the Lord, I have been fond of reading the spiritual books written by spiritual leaders. Their words seem to come from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. I’ve learned a lot from them. What they expressed should be the truth. But lately, one preacher said to me, though their words are in line with the truth, they can’t be spoken as the truth. On hearing his word, I was puzzled: What’s the truth? Why aren’t the spiritual leaders’ words truth?
Posted by Mary seeking the light
Reply:
Joy Osmond:
Occasionally pass by. With respect, Sister Mary, don’t worry about that. The spiritual leaders’ words are indeed the truth. The entire religious community think so. There’s nothing to doubt about this.
John Wilson:
Yep, that’s right! Spiritual leaders’ words have been very beneficial for us. Of course, they’re truth. Mary, you can believe that!
Daphne deep in thought:
I don’t think so. The spiritual leaders are also corrupted by Satan. They often betray the Lord’s words, living in sin and confession. Can we say that their words aren’t really mixed with human will? Can we say that their words are truth? We can’t say that! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). In my opinion, only God can express the truth, and man’s words that are in line with the truth can’t be spoken as the truth.
Joy Osmond:
Sister Daphne, no one dares deny the Lord Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life. But the spiritual leaders’ words were enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Are they not the truth? As far as I can see, both the words from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and the words of the Lord are the truth. What could be wrong with that?
John Wilson:
You’ve got a point there, Joy. The Lord Jesus’s words are the words of God. Beyond a doubt, they’re the truth. But, the words enlightened by the Holy Spirit come from God, are they not the truth? I wouldn’t object to this.
Mary seeking the light:
All of you talk a lotta sense. But which one is right, I’ve no clue. Sister Daphne, your point is the same as the preacher’s I met before. Do you have other opinions? Would you like to talk about that?
Daphne deep in thought:
I’ve fellowshiped with my co-worker on this topic. In our opinions, if we wanna walk on the right path of believing in the Lord, it’s very important to come to grips with what’s truth, what’s knowledge and doctrine, and what’s the difference between the truth and the words in accord with the truth. At that point, we knew only a little but not clearly. There’s truth to seek on this topic.
Mary seeking the light:
Hearing what you said, I feel this issue is a bit deep. If we don’t understand the truth, it’s tough for us to pin it down. I hope someone who understands the truth will help us out with this query.
Music to my ears — Tony:
Hello, everyone! I noticed this post just now. What you talk about is meaningful and draws my eyes. About this topic, I learned a lot from a book. If possible, I wanna share with you guys.
Mary seeking the light:
Perfect! “Music to my ears — Tony”, go ahead!
Daphne deep in thought:
Yeah, we wanna get the answer.
Dust:
A lurker looks forward to your reply!
Joy Osmond:
Tell us, please. We wanna tell the difference.
Music to my ears — Tony:
Thank the Lord! Then let me share some opinions. Speaking of what’s the truth, what’s the words in accord with the truth and the difference between them, I’ve recorded some paragraphs of words. let’s read, “the truth is the most real of life’s aphorisms, and the highest of such aphorisms among all mankind. Because it is the requirement that God makes of man, and is the work personally done by God, thus it is called life’s aphorism. It is not an aphorism summed up from something, nor is it a famous quote from a great figure; instead, it is the utterance to mankind from the Master of the heavens and earth and all things, and not some words summed up by man, but the inherent life of God. And so it is called the highest of all life’s aphorisms” (“Only Those Who Know God and His Work Can Satisfy God”).
“You have to understand the actual scope of the truth and you must also understand what does not pertain to truth. Tell Me, if some people gain some insights and have some understanding based on their experiences from the words of truth, does this count as the truth? At best we can say that they have some understanding of the truth. All the words of enlightenment of the Holy Spirit do not represent God’s word, do not represent truth, and they do not pertain to the truth. It can only be said that those people have some understanding of truth, and some enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. …Everyone can experience the truth, but the situations of their experience will be different, and what each person obtains from the same truth is different. But even after combining everyone’s understanding you still cannot completely explain this one truth; the truth is that deep! Why do I say that all of the things you have obtained and all of your understanding, cannot be a substitute for the truth? If you fellowship your understanding with others, they may ponder on it for two or three days and then they will finish experiencing it, but a person cannot fully experience truth even in a lifetime, even all people together cannot experience it thoroughly. Thus it can be seen that the truth is very profound, there is no way to use words to fully articulate the truth, the truth put into human language is man’s aphorism; humanity will never experience it fully, and humanity should live in reliance on it. A piece of truth can let all of humanity survive for thousands of years, and truth is the life of God Himself, representing His own disposition, representing His own substance, representing everything within Him. If you say you have truth and that to have some experiences means that you have the truth, then can you represent the disposition of God? You cannot. You see, a person may have some experience or light regarding a certain aspect or side of a truth, but they cannot supply others with it forever, so their light is not truth, it’s just a degree to which a person has reached, the experience — the proper experience — a person should have, the proper understanding, which is a realistic aspect of the experience of truth. This light, enlightenment and understanding based on experience can never be a substitute for truth; even if all people have experienced a truth, and if they put all of their words together, this cannot be equal to that one sentence of the truth. …Just that the life of man will always be the life of man, and no matter how much your understanding is in accordance with the truth, in accordance with the meaning of God, in accordance with the requirements of God, it will never be able to be a substitute for the truth” (“Do You Know What Truth Really Is?”). Speaking of what’s truth and what’s the word in accordance with the truth, these words have made it quite clear. The truth comes from God. And all that’s expressed by Him, that’s the truth. It’s completely beyond doubt. So then what exactly is the truth? What’s the substance of the truth? Because the truth’s all God’s expression, it’s naturally the expression of the substance of God’s life, what God has and is, and God’s disposition. The truth’s the reality of all positive things. It never changes and will exist forever. The truth is God’s life being, with authority and power, so it can purify man, save man, perfect man, and can be man’s eternal life. God expresses the truth so that man can accept the truth as life, and live by God’s word. If man gains the truth as life, then his corrupt nature and satanic disposition will be absolutely cleansed. As long as man lives by the truth, then he can live out the likeness of a real man, and become the one that is holy, and after God’s heart. God then is able to fulfill the meaning of His creation of mankind. This is the ultimate result that God’s work of salvation will attain. After the great tribulation, the ones left alive are those who obey and worship God, those who gain the truth and are saved. Such mankind will be brought into God’s kingdom, enjoy the promises of God and receive the wonderful destination. This is the fact God’s words will fulfill and the fruits of the truth expressed by God. Although the words of those great spiritual leaders conform to the truth and edify others, they are not the truth, and can’t be equated with God’s word. You see, God’s word can be man’s life while man’s word simply cannot be man’s life. Indeed, the truth can purify man, change man, and can perfect man, but man’s words that are in accordance with the truth can’t purify, change, or perfect man. This is an undeniable fact! As we can see, a great many people have been used by God throughout the ages. But among all of them no matter how long they worked and how much they said, no one is able to purify, or save or perfect man at all. And why is this so? It’s because man’s words that accord with the truth are their limited understanding after they experience the truth of God’s words. What they express are only their opinions and views, and represent their own stature and understanding of God and the truth. Even if their pure understanding is in line with the truth, beneficial and helpful to man, they can only be considered as right words in accordance with the truth. But the words in accordance with the truth fall far short of the substance of the truth, and cannot be called truths. Men’s writings and sermons are out of their burden to the churches. Their purpose is to shepherd, console, and exhort believers, to help others resolve some difficulties and puzzles in belief in God. However, their words can only sustain people for a period of time, a stage. And the effect their words achieved is limited and can by no means replace the effect brought by God’s work. The fact is enough to prove that man’s words in accordance with the truth fall far short of the substance of the truth. So we can’t say that they are truths, much less the words of God. This is the main difference between the truth and man’s word that accords with it.
Mary seeking the light:
Such fellowship is so great! These words you share with me point out the essence of the problem. I’ve sought fellowship with many people, but no one has made them all so clear. Thank God! It’s the Lord’s leading. I’m gonna pin your post, save and share with my church friend.
Daphne deep in thought:
Indeed, your fellowship makes me see through what’s the truth and the words in accord with the truth. The truth can be man’s life, can purify man and change man’s corrupt disposition. Man’s words that are in accordance with the truth can only sustain people for a period of time. Their words can neither be man’s life, nor save man from their corruption. Only God’s words are truth. The words of spiritual leaders, no matter how close to the truth, can never be spoken as truths. This is absolute.
Pray with a pure heart in the morning:
Hi, I’m a casual passer-by. What “Music to my ears — Tony” shared hit the nail on the head. I haven’t heard it before in any other spiritual books. Thank the Lord! Keep fellowshipping! There must be a bunch of lurkers waiting!
Music to my ears — Tony:
Thanks for God’s guidance. God’s words are all the truth. Every word of God is sufficient for man to experience through the course of a lifetime. For example, to be an honest man, the Lord Jesus once required of man, “But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatever is more than these comes of evil” (Matthew 5:37). “Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). In addition, I’ve read one book. It says, “God has the substance of faithfulness, and so His word can always be trusted. Furthermore, His actions are faultless and unquestionable. This is why God likes those who are absolutely honest with Him” (“Three Admonitions”). From God’s words, we acknowledge that the significance of being an honest man is very deep. Only an honest man is the real man with humanity. An honest man is the likeness of a real man. God likes an honest man. That God created man, saves man and perfects man is to make man honest. The implication of “become as little children” the Lord Jesus said is being the likeness of an honest man. If we succeed in being an honest person, we will be blessed by God and enter into the kingdom of heaven. What’s the most precious of an honest man is that he can give his heart to God, believe in and love God with his heart, be innocent and open to God, truly associate with God, and have a heart-to-heart with God. Besides, an honest man performs his duty without transactions, intents and demands, or deception to God and others. These are the realities which should be possessed by normal humanity. It seems easy to understand and practice this truth of being an honest man. However, this is the most basic truth of being human, sufficient for us to experience through the course of a lifetime. No matter how much we experience and enter into this truth, we still feel incomplete and imperfect in being an honest man. We find we’re still crooked and crafty within, that our deception and transaction are still not cleansed thoroughly. We always think we don’t truly live out the likeness of an honest man. These are all true understandings when we experience this truth.
From this, we can see every one of the truth is a mystery which contains many practical meaning, and it is inexhaustible to us. No matter how much we experience and know the truth, we can’t fully clarify the substance of truths using man’s word, which is a fact. Therefore, the words of man, no matter how close to the truth, can’t be equated with God’s word that’s of the truth. They can never be spoken as truths. The truth is all possessed by God and only God is the truth. So, only Christ with the divine substance can express the truth. We just possess human essence and the being of humanity. Man himself isn’t the truth, or possessed of the truth. Thus, man can just express his opinions and knowledge. Even though they may have the enlightenment and revelation of the Holy Spirit, compatible with the truth, we can’t say they are equal to the truth. If someone insists on saying man’s words in line with the truth are God’s word and the truth, he’s purely a blasphemer and brings shame to God!
Dust:
Very nice! Today’s fellowship is pretty beneficial to us. Formerly, we worshipped those spiritual leaders, and looked up to those theologians and exegetical scholars who worked for the Lord many years, taking their words as the truth. We’re just too foolish and have no discernment. On hearing sister’s fellowship, I got to know it’s very easy to be deceived without the truth.
Pray with a pure heart in the morning:
We can be absolutely certain that man can’t express the truth, only God’s words are the truth. I’m ashamed that, as a theological student, I paid my attention to those theological theories instead of pondering God’s words and practicing them. Many years, my life has never progressed. Well, now I get to know, no matter whether man’s words enlightened by God or not, their words can’t be spoken as the truth but knowledge. These man’s knowledge and viewpoint can’t replace the truth and become our lives. With hindsight, I should care a lot about God’s words and practice them. Only in this way, can my life progress.
Daphne deep in thought:
You’re right! Only God can express the truth to supply us forever. Those who doesn’t possess divine substance can never express the truth. Even if we occasionally say something enlightened by Holy Spirit, these words are no more than a little bit light of the truth after we ponder the words of God. They’re limited for man’s life, can’t be man’s life, and far from the substance of the truth. Well, today’s fellowship really turns around the deviations in my belief in God.
Music to my ears — Tony:
Sister Mary, do I make myself clear?
Mary seeking the light:
Well put. Now I understand only God’s words are truth. Though some of spiritual leaders’ words are in line with the truth, but fall far short of the substance of the truth. They can’t absolutely be spoken as the truth! From now on, I’ll also read more the Lord’s words and practice His words. Only this way can I gain life. I’ll no longer take man’s words as the truth and blindly worship and follow man. Instead, I’ll only accept the words that are in accord with God’s teachings. If not, I won’t accept. Otherwise, it’s anyone’s guess when I’ll walk the wrong path and be abandoned by God. Thank the Lord! Now, I got to know. My heart’s bright and clear.
Source by:Find the shepherd
