Today in our study we are talking about the "Passageway to the Heart". My own spiritual journey over the last several years has been full of ups and downs and God has slowly been teaching me great truths that have impacted my heart and mind and helped me to see the Passageway of God's love to my heart.
I have struggled in my christian walk with doubt about truly being saved. What does this really mean? Have I done enough, does my life really reflect that of a true christian? Do I need to walk the aisle again? Usually this these feelings would come up when a guest evangelist would show up and preach a good old fiery sermon. I struggled in my heart many times and would always come back to the day I was saved and what God has done in my life. I knew that I was a christian but I would always have in the back of my mind, did I really know what I was doing when I was seven? Well satan would use this to steal my joy as a christian and put me in a state of limbo and I would be consumed with thoughts about me and not about God.There is nothing worse than living in a state of limbo about your salvation.
You probably asking yourself what does this have to do with the Passageway to the heart? Just hang on a minute I promise there is a point to the story.
Well these feelings would come up off and on over the years usually when I was not walking with the Lord as I should have been. Different preachers would say the distance between heaven and hell is only 18 inches! The distance between your head and your heart. I have come to the opinion that this is not true, although well intentioned. God opened my eyes again to His great love for me and how it revolves around TRUTH!!
Bro Phillip has made the statement many times while standing at the pulpit that he knows more than the pulpit under his hand that he is saved. I use to hate it when he would say that. I would say how in the world can you say that with out an ounce of doubt. It didn't make sense to me. It would bug me every time he said it. I have recently been thorough a program called the truth project by focus on the family. In the program we discovered what truth is. Truth is Reality as Defined by God. This was an aha moment for me. You see Bro. Philip can say that he knows that he is saved more than he knows the pulpit is under his hand because Gods reality is more real than this reality ever will be. You see Gods truth (aka His word) is reality. What he says in His word is the way it really is, no matter what feeling or circumstance we may be going through. There are times that we may not feel saved or we are going through an unfair circumstance but what God says about us and His promises towards us will never be revoked. I can stand on Christ promises and claim them and have the victory and have joy no matter what is going on in my life. Because I am who the bible tells me I am.
Now before you go accusing of being Joel Osteen. I am not saying that if you just believe that everything will be OK and you are not going to suffer and you will have all the money you want, the name it claim it theology. THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM SAYING!! I am saying that no matter where you may find yourself you can say blessed be the name of the Lord whether in blessing or a situation of suffering because of the great love and promises that He has made to us. One day all will be made right, it might not be in this life but make no mistake Gods word (His reality) will be fulfilled.
Colossians 2:2-3 says "2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." You see God is the ultimate source of Wisdom, Knowledge and Truth. apart from His word we cannot know truth.
Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death."
Does this not sound like or country today. We have our own wisdom, we can save ourselves we don't need the bible anymore. (Sorry that was a side note).
OK now to my main point. The passageway to the heart is through Gods word. Just like my revelation that my salvation is dependent on God and I just need to trust in His truth. When we recognize Gods truth this brings forth revelation to us about God which in turn causes us to worship Him. Its like hearing a song about a struggle you have been through and the words of that song mean so much to you because you know that it is true. That's what worship is, that's why words are important (Worship tunes need to speak the word of God not just lyrics that kinda sound good, that's how we get crazy ideas when things just sound good) they communicate Gods truth and we in turn respond to that truth and worship the Lord because He is worthy. I think about Casting Crowns song "Praise You in this Storm" its hard not to start crying when you hear this song because of what God has taken you through or maybe even what you are going through right now.
On page 88 of our book the author says "There is no shortage of revelation or any lingering doubts about the love of God in heaven. God is present in all His glory, and His love for His people cannot be denied. Perhaps this is why worship continues night and day in heaven!"
What an awesome thought when we are presented with the truth of God, His full revelation we cannot help but to worship Him. Doesn't that make you want to run to the word!
I hope you all have a blessed day and thanks for letting me rant and rave on the blog.
Chad <><
If you ask how I know that I'm saved, it happened 2,000 years ago at calvary! It was not anything that I did, or if I did it right. It's the work He accomplished on the cross, and He definitely did it right! That's where we find our rest in Christ as Hebrews 4 talks about. We can rest in the fact that He has accomplished and finalized the work, and we never have to work to earn our salvation! That's the Gospel!
ReplyDeleteWhat?! No Day 20? =)
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