Liberating Truths (Pt. 2)

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

In my last post I talked about how that every time I fall into temptation there's always

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

Today I just want to quickly present these few "Liberating Truths" that I have recently found helpful in combating temptations to sin. I've found that whether the sin I'm tempted to is "big" or "small" if I rely on the Holy Spirit to remind me of these truths and firmly hang on to them, these simple truths can help me find a way of escape out of temptation. (I Cor. 10:13)

Because these truths are rooted in God's Word, with each truth phrase I've included verses of scripture that backs up that truth that I've been working on memorizing alongside each truth. I've seen from the example of Jesus' temptation that combating temptation with the truths of scripture is the best way to go. The first four truths I've borrowed the wording from an author named Tim Chester. His book "You Can Change" is both deeply biblical and gospel-centered as well as very practical and I recommend it. But without further ado, the Liberating Truths:

Liberating Truth #1 - God is Great, so I don't have to be in control.
“For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods." - Psalm 95:3
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28
(Also see Matthew 6:25-34)

Liberating Truth #2 - God is Good, so I don't have to look elsewhere.
"In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

Liberating Truth #3 - God is Glorious, so I don't have to fear others.
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory" Psalm 115:1
"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" Psalm 118:6

Liberating Truth #4 - God is Gracious, so I don't have to prove myself.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
"If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." Romans 11:6

Liberating Truth #5 - In Christ, I am a new creation, so I don't have to define myself by my sins.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - II Cor. 5:17)
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." Romans 6:6-7

I hope to unpack each of these truths individually in the coming weeks to explain the potential for drastic change in your life if you'll simply believe and act on these truths of scripture and the character of God.

YOUR NEXT STEP: Which of these truths do you find hardest to believe? Which is hardest for you to act on? Which truth do you need to memorize this week to combat temptation? 

In Christ,
Pastor Ryan
Fusion Church
Fountain, CO

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