Truth Or Untruth

We concluded yesterday's offering with a verse of Charles Wesley’s hymn as our prayer. Our prayerful desire was and still is that we learn of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We fervently want to know true simplicity, as our souls are weaned and kept low, always and only willing to know Him.  

Today as we continue to stand where we are, with our eyes fixed on that which has been placed before us, we return to Mr. Wesley’s hymn and confess with heart, mind, soul and strength these submissive words.

Of my boasted wisdom spoil’d,

Docile, helpless, as a child,

Only seeing in Thy sight,

Only walking in Thy might.

We stand and see in order that we may continue our walk in God’s might. Where are we standing, and what are we seeing? We are standing and seeing some extremely well-known words of Apostle Paul.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4: 13

What are we seeing of Paul? What is he saying to the people, his fellow believers in God, who are the Church? Is he saying that he is invincible? Certainly not! Is he claiming to be superhuman? Definitely not! Is he speaking as a delusionary, one who lives with his head in the clouds? Absolutely not! What then is Paul saying to his fellow believers and to you and me? Paul is saying that he has a Superhuman, Invincible, Boundless Lord and Master, who works His ways in Paul. If the action of seeing, in our present purpose for this week, means to view, to appreciate, to understand and to know, then stand and see.

It’s as straightforward and simple as this. You are a person who has no money, and I mean none at all. Get this straight in your mind. You are not saying, that you have no money, but you have some small change in your pocket. You are not saying that you don’t have money, when you have a meagre sum in the bank. That is how many of us will speak, for we mean that compared with others, we do not have money. That is not what is meant here. It is that you have no money whatsoever to your name, not even a cent. This situation may be hard for some of you to get around, but trust me, it is the daily life of many.

As a person who has zero money but who, by the Lord’s providence, has been landed a job with a multimillionaire, this is what happened. You have been given full privilege of using the millionaire’s bank card to do the work for which he hired you. As you zealously and happily do the work you have been given to do, you notice that the purchase of a bus or coach is needed, to transport workers who come to and fro, from different places, to work in your boss’s fields. You have not got a red cent of your own to even purchase a bicycle for yourself, but there you are, in the financial strength of your boss, quite confidently using his card, to purchase the vehicle to transport others. 

Someone sees you buying that vehicle cash and says to you that you must have a great deal of money and that you must be a millionaire, to be able to purchase this in cash. O no! You promptly and boldly reply. This is my boss’s card. He is the millionaire and with his card, I can do all things that he needs me to do. I work for someone who has enormous wealth. Need we hear more?

Is this not exactly what Paul is saying to fellow followers of Christ Jesus as himself? Is that not what Paul, a servant of Jesus, is saying to you and to me, we who are proud and ever ready to claim and profess that we are servants of Jesus? Can’t we hear Paul saying it in this way also? On my own, I can do absolutely nothing, for I am too weak, too ignorant, too poor, too powerless, too incapable and too empty to do anything for Jesus, big or small. However, with His strength and power which He has given to me, through His indwelling Holy Spirit, there is absolutely nothing that is impossible for me to do that He requires me to do in His Name.

Listen to this deeply cutting word, regardless of how painful it may be for some, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joint and marrow, for it is perhaps the only way to still some of us to really stand, see, admit and submit. As long as you have your boss’s card, you can do anything he requires you to do. Now that is fact, not fiction or delusionary thinking. In exactly the same manner, as long as you have your Jesus’ Spirit, you can do anything He requires you to do. This is factual, not fictional or delusionary thinking and speaking.

Stand and See! Truth or Untruth!