Liberating Truths That Can Change Your Life (Pt. 1)

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32

Over the past several months I've been on a personal journey of discovery in regards to truth and temptation.  Temptation is "common to man" (I Cor. 10:13) and unfortunately I am frequently it's victim, or more honestly, it's participant. One of the things that I've discovered through the study of scripture and from wisdom received from other believers is this: when I fall into temptation and sin, there's always

1). a lie that I'm choosing to believe, and
2). a truth that I'm choosing to reject. 

And the lies are numerous (and often pretty creative). In fact, the Bible describes Satan as a "the father of lies" (Jn 8:44). That means he's reeeeaally talented at lying and selling it as the truth. His greatest trick is tacking on a half truth to the lie to make it easier to swallow. (A half-truth, by the way, is what's also known as a whole lie.) That was the very nature of the first temptation of man. II Corinthians 11:3 says "the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning" and the result was her rejecting the truth God had spoken to her and instead, embracing the lie that the serpent was peddling. 

That's the typical pattern Satan likes to employ. (see Gen 3:13, Deut. 11:16, Romans 7:11, I Cor. 3:18, II Cor. 11:13, Gal. 6:3, Jam. 1:26) And the truth is that sometimes we deceive ourselves so cleverly that Satan doesn't even have to lift a finger.

So, what are some of the lies that you buy into? Do any of these sound familiar?

"This will give a satisfaction that you can't get if you follow God's stuffy rules."
"God's got other concerns. You need to take control of this situation if want it work out right."
"You got keep this up this act or your friends are going to reject you."
"You'll only be bending the rules, and besides, if you don't go along with this you'll lose your job and be ruined."
"Maybe God didn't really say..."

While the lies are numerous and catered to each temptation, I believe that there are just a few simple truths that if we were to wholehearted put our trust in them, put them to memory, and repeat them to ourselves in the moment of temptation, we could conquer any lie thrown in our path to tempt us to despair, falter, or sin. In fact, acting on these simple, liberating truth can change your life completely. And those truths are found in God's Word alone.

Jesus said to those "who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (John 8:32)

My next blog post will share some of the "Liberating Truths" that I've recently begun to employ in times of temptation. I look forward to sharing them with you in hopes that they may benefit you and strengthen your faith!

YOUR NEXT STEP: Reflect on the most recent temptations that you've fallen into. What was the inner dialogue that accompanied your decision to sin? What we're the lies that you embraced? What scriptures in God's Word could help you combat those lies next time? Look them up and memorize them this week.

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

How the Gospel Can Transform This Community Pt. 3 - The Gospel and Hopelessness

 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13.

       Let's consider now another one of the root problems in our community that the Gospel can conquer and by doing so, transform our community: Hopelessness. Hopelessness contributes to a slew of evils and problems in any community. If a person cannot imagine a rewarding future, if there is nothing for them to look forward to, then there seems to be very little reason to deny oneself any and every immediate pleasure right now. Drug addiction, drunkenness, overeating, gambling, sexual promiscuity, lying, stealing, cheating - Why wouldn't a person engage in these activities if there is no hope. Like it's said in I Cor. 15:32 "If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" It makes sense.

       If there is no hope, why would I bother myself with efforts to help the poor, heal the sick, restore relationships, or anything that might put me out? Why would I care about anyone? I have only of few short years on this planet to live it up as much as I can and enjoy whatever I can experience and then I just die and return to the dust to be forgotten. John Piper puts it this way: "Hopelessness destroys moral conviction by making it look ludicrous. And therefore it destroys almost everything that is beautiful and precious."

       And without the Gospel, there is no hope for the future. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (I Cor. 15:17). Without there being some sort of hope beyond the grave, the kind of self denial and sacrifice it takes to lift a community out of darkness and poverty and sin becomes extremely difficult. The energy it takes and the sacrifices made may seem heroic for awhile, but the little and momentary praise that may come with your efforts will soon be overtaken by the meaninglessness of it all if you really feel like once death comes, that's it.

       We can start programs to help lift people out of poverty, help their fellow-man, end drug addictions, etc., but without hope, those doing the good deeds will tire and fade and those "benefiting" will see little reason to expend the effort to make those changes. So what has the power to awaken hope and transform the heart so that the sacrifice required to take the steps to kill the influence of drugs and alcohol, lift people from poverty, end racial strife, and cure the ills of society all the while pleasing God and exalting Jesus as Lord? The only answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings with it the promise and hope of eternal life. And it comes with the powerful assurance that God is for and not against us. And if our God is for, then who can ever stop us? Who can stand against us? Who defeat us? (Rom. 8:31). For we are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:37). Living in the power and hope the gospel "is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (I Tim. 4:8).

       Just imagine what would happen to our community if Hopelessness we're not an issue. If, in fact, people held onto the only true and unwavering hope of the Gospel? Perhaps more men and women would step up to the plate and say with Paul "I will gladly spend and be spent for your souls" (II Cor. 12:15). Perhaps our communities would be transformed for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

How the Gospel Can Transform This Community Pt. 2 - The Gospel and Satan

THE GOSPEL AND SATAN

"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." I John 3:8

      I started this conversation on the power of the Gospel to transform communities a little over a week ago by saying that my goal was to show "that the pure, unadulterated Gospel - the truth that God sent his Son to die for our sins, graciously forgive us and give us power through His Holy Spirit to live as new creations - can conquer every root problem in our community". Today we'll start with what I consider to be the biggest root problem in our community: Satan and his work.

      Let's be clear up front that the Bible teaches that Satan is a real supernatural being who the Bible calls the "god of this world". He is in absolute opposition to God and his mission is to steal, kill and destroy (Jn. 10:10). There is little doubt that where there is hopelessness, confusion, sinful and destructive behaviors and attitudes, the Devil is deeply at work. The Bible is clear about Satan's work in our world: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers" (II Cor. 4:4), "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44), "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (I Pet. 5:8).

      What power does a city council vote, a petition, a community moral initiative, or a message of personal responsibility or structural change have against this supernatural power? None. Absolutely none. It's like taking a squirt gun to fight a forest fire. So how is anyone to stand against such a deceitful, murderous power as Satan? There's only one weapon: the name of Jesus Christ. Why? "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work" (I Jn 3:8). How did he do that? By bearing our sin and dying on the cross so that "through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil" (Heb. 2:14) and by doing so he "disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him" (Col. 2:15). There's nothing else in this world that has that power. John Piper writes "The Devil is stronger than all humans, all armies, all politics, and all human morality put together. We have no chance against him except by one means, the power of Jesus Christ operating through us because he dwells within us." "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (I Jn 4:4).

      The gospel conquers our hearts, bring us to repentance and faith in Christ, and frees us from the rule of Satan. Satan is then made helpless by the God who dwells in us and has "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Mt. 28:18), who "commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him" (Mk 1:27). And this power moves in the world through those that have believed in Jesus and have his Holy Spirit living inside them.

      If the root problem of Satan and his work is to give way in it's influence on domestic violence, depression, paralyzing fears, hopelessness, corruption, and blatant sinfulness, it will be through the power of Jesus Christ or not at all. What would our community look like if thousands of people came to faith in Jesus and began resisting Satan in the name of Jesus and watched him flee from their homes, neighborhoods, and community?

     YOUR NEXT STEP - "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only" James 1:22.
- Write down the name of two or three people in your circle of influence that don't know Jesus and begin praying for an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. In this way you'll begin disarming the power of Satan in your community one life at a time.
- If you are a Christ-follower, begin praying against the power of Satan in your community in the name of Jesus. Perhaps pick a certain community issue close to your heart, or a particular person in your local government to pray against the influence of Satan in their life.

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

How the Gospel Can Transform This Community

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

I've decided to make it apart of my week to put up a blog post each week with whatever it is that's on my mind presently. Most currently I've been reading a book by John Piper called "Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian". In it there was a small chapter that really got me thinking about how truly powerful the Gospel is to transform lives, to transform families, to transform mindsets, ways of life, and, what is most presently consuming my thoughts, entire communities.

I've entitled this series of posts "How the Gospel Can Transform This Community" because 1). it's my hope to show one by one that the pure, unadulterated Gospel - the truth that God sent his Son to die for our sins, graciously forgive us and give us power through His Holy Spirit to live as new creations - can conquer every root problem in our community; and 2). I say "this community" because as I write this my thoughts are centered on the Fountain Valley area, the community I've come to know, love, and care for over the past 5 years. However, the transforming power of the Gospel is pervasive throughout every community in the world, so what I'll be sharing truly applies to whatever community you live in and have a heart to see revolutionized by the power of the Gospel.

There are a lot of ideas and debate about what is needed and what is effective for producing positive change in a community, whether it's through educating people for personal accountability creating positive change that's starts with individuals and their families or it's through structural intervention with new programs and community initiatives. These definitely have their place and it will take much more informed and intelligent people than me to figure out those issues. My concern isn't that these social ideas (from both right and left) are not true or helpful. My concern is that they are at their best still just human effort and are not filled with the supernatural power of God, they're spiritually hollow and impotent.

John Piper writes that "the gospel of Jesus does not enter controversy as another ideology or philosophy or methodology for social improvement. It enters like dynamite. It enters as the power of the Creator to reconcile people to himself and supernaturally make them new." That most succinctly states my staunch belief in the power of the Gospel to transform communities over anything else. It's my goal over the next few days or weeks (however long it takes me to think this through and find ways to express it) to explain this claim and consider how explosively the Gospel can enter a community and conquer the destructive forces that Satan employs to tear them down.

YOUR NEXT STEP: James 1:22 says "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only" So, at the end of each of these posts I'll give you a suggestion or two of ways that you can take a step toward putting into action what's been talked about.
- Consider starting your day with a moment of prayer for your community. Find out the names of some of your government officials, the police chief, school superintendent, etc. and lift them up in prayer that God would soften their hearts to the Gospel. Pray that God would use you in some way to be a God-centered, Bible-saturated catalyst for change in your community.

In Christ,
Ryan Fillinger
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO