Living in the Fullness of His Truth
A missionary colleague arrived one Sunday evening for some downtime, a coffee, and some good conversation, just as he had done many times before. He admitted, “It had been a hard day.” Then his phone rang. He talked at length with a fellow-church member regarding some misunderstandings. They prayed together and then hung up the phone. Still looking a little unsettled, he turned to me, briefly explained the situation, and asked what I thought. Not really knowing how to answer, I simply said, “Shall we ask the Holy Spirit?”
Hence began a ninety-minute encounter where my friend had, in his own words, “the most significant spiritual experience” since his conversion. The Holy Spirit gently revealed issues, mostly regarding his identity in Christ, and replaced each lie with His truth and revelation.
Struggles common to all
Over the years, we have had the privilege of praying with many believers and seeing them come to a revelation of the fullness and freedom they have in Christ.
From seemingly small issues right through to destructive sinful habits, we are all aware of the temptations that are “common to mankind” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV). People of all ages and stature contend with bondage to sensuality and pornography. Many missionaries struggle with an overwhelming sense of having to perform, comparison to others, and a fear of failure. More subtle strongholds of the mind like isolation, loneliness, and feelings of hopelessness sap life from countless believers.
However, sinful actions, negative thoughts, or destructive attitudes are not the issue; the root of these problems is a misunderstanding of who God is and who we are in Christ. Instead of the truth of God, somehow a lie has taken root, crushing out joy and peace.
The answer, then, is not just in stopping sinful actions, thoughts or behavior, but true biblical repentance; the changing of one’s mind and aligning it with the truth.A pastor’s wife struggled with performance and perfectionism for many years. She believed she had to earn approval from God through all her religious activities. The Holy Spirit exposed a lie about her value and showed her that His love for her was not based on her performance in any way. God touched her deeply and taught her to rest in His love in a way that she had never experienced.
Get together and get honest
Getting together with other believers and being honest about life is essential to walking in the fullness and freedom that Christ has already given us. Too many believers, especially pastors and leaders, live at an arm’s distance from one another, remaining unable to reap the true benefit of “carry[ing] each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).
Isolation is a huge enemy to the believer. Humility and openness are the antidotes. Non-judgmental, confidential, grace-filled relationships should be a non-negotiable part of our biblical church life. These need to be number one priority over and above any ministry or service focus. These relationships are much more important than negative accountability which often just focusses on sin and outward behavior. True biblical community concentrates instead on identity and encouragement.1A young missionary failed terribly in the area of sexual purity. Upon confessing it to his mission leader, rather than grace, acceptance and restoration; he was condemned, judged and made to feel like a complete failure. The response of his overseer set him on a long-term path of further sin and isolation.
Getting practical
- Who do you have in your life who you trust more than yourself and has the freedom to confront you?
- Do you have relationships with people nearby with whom you can be completely honest, in a confidential setting, and know that you won’t be judged harshly or condemned?
If you don’t have people in your immediate area to be this “community”, consider sharing regularly with someone on Skype or by telephone.
Knowing the truth and exposing the lies
But there is more to this than just having a coffee and a chat. Our gatherings must be led by the Holy Spirit and focused on the revelation of who He is, who we are in Christ and the power of God for us to walk in freedom.
We begin this process with biblical truths and promises of God. Anything that does not line up with these is obviously not of God. Romans 8:6 says: “… the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (NIRV). That means that anything in our minds and hearts that does not give life and peace is not of the Spirit and we can simply “repent” and change our minds.
This is what Jesus promised in John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.” Paul echoed this throughout his writings: we already have all things in Christ and any lack we feel is simply a smoke-screen of the enemy that keeps us focused on a lie and keeps us from fullness. Disturbances we feel in our hearts can be like warning lights, showing us that we need to refocus on the truths of God. He is more than willing to expose the lies that we believe so that He can replace them with His truth.We have seen countless believers confess feeling distant from God, or feeling that God is constantly angry or displeased with them. Almost without exception the actual root of the issue is an experience of a distant, detached and often-angry human father which led them to believe the lie that God was the same. Through forgiveness, rebuking of the lies, and declaring the truth, these people come quickly to experience their heavenly daddy like never before.
A simple way to pray
If you have a known issue, take some time either alone, or with a trusted friend, and ask God the following questions:
Why am I feeling like this?
Show me any lies that I may have believed about You, or about myself.
Write down anything He shows you.
Now ask the Spirit: What is Your truth about this matter?
As He reveals His truth, simply break the lies, and declare the truth in Jesus’ name.
Encounter His love
The truth is not a concept or a law, but rather the person of Christ himself. Our on-going encounter with Jesus keeps us walking in complete freedom. Many of us are busy doing stuff for Jesus, but are reluctant to sit at His feet and fellowship with Him (Luke 10:38-42).
Make it a point today to sit at His feet and enjoy His presence.
Getting Practical
- Ask God for a revelation of who He is, and who you are in Him.
- Write down the truths and promises from God’s word so you can declare them daily.
Jef Linscott came from NZ with YWAM in 1992. He and his wife, Aya, are now independent missionaries working in discipleship, publishing, and encouragement to prepare the church in Japan for harvest: http//www.onfire.jp. You can contact Jef at jeflinscott@gmail.com.
1. Note how Jesus gently restored Peter after his failure through emphasising his identity and calling in John 21:15-17.