John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. 3 John 1:3 For I rejoiced greatly at the brothers' coming and testifying to your steadfastness in the truth, even as you walk in truth. (4) I have no greater joy than these things, that I hear that my children are walking in the truth .
[Part 2 of 3] From what side are you looking at the matter? If you look at it from his side, you may feel that he is not yet saved. But if you look at it from the side of the Lord's work, you will say, "Brother, there is no change; you are still saved. You are saved when you feel hot, and you are still saved when you feel cold. Your feeling may change, but the work the Lord has accomplished for you and what God has given you will never change. You have to look at it from His end." The Lord says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." When a man's eyes are opened to see that he has obtained reality and truth before God through the work of the Lord, he will be free and he will be liberated. We must remember that we are not freed according to our feeling. Only one thing frees us: the reality which is before God. There was a brother who had definitely repented to the Lord and was a regenerated believer. After awhile, however, his inward feelings became different; he felt quite grievous, and he thought that he would surely perish. Another brother came along and said to him, "How do you know that you are going to perish?" He said, "I am not the same as before. I feel cold within. Neither my prayer nor my reading of the Bible is doing me any good." The other brother said, "That is the condition on your side, but let us consider a few questions from God's side. Has the work of the Lord Jesus been discounted?" "No." "Has the Lord's work changed from what it was before?" "No." "Has His work been annulled before God as if the new covenant were dissolved?" "No." "All right, we are sure that there is no change on His side. Therefore, according to truth and according to reality, you have not become unsaved before God. What has changed is your own feeling. You may feel that you are saved, and you may feel that you are not saved, but when God says that you are saved, will He change? You have to remember that salvation is a question of truth; it is not a question of feeling." When he heard this, he responded with tears, "It does not matter how confident I am; whatever I say or feel means nothing. If God says that I am saved, then I am saved." This is the truth setting us free. Spiritual reality liberates a man from his own feelings; it frees him. (Continued tomorrow)
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, General Messages, Vol. 37, The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, pp.149-150. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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