Minute Post: Receive the Love of the Truth

-


Second Thessalonians 2:10 says, “And in all deceit of unrighteousness among those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.” 

In the past, I read this verse thinking that they “did not receive” because it had not been given. But clearly God intended to save! The following verses further expound that God sends them to an operation of error that they may believe the lie because — verse 12 mentions — they have taken pleasure in unrighteousness.

This portion of the word is on the coming of Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, and how presently the mystery of lawlessness is already operating as signs that the Lord’s second coming is imminent. 

To be sent to an operation of error by God is terrifying. Watchman Nee warns that in the last days people will accumulate wealth in an unprecedented way with multiplications of material enjoyment and lustful indulgence (Collected Works of Watchman Nee, Vol. 61), I suppose thinking that strong finances can secure and enrich our existence. 

I have to be honest. I may not say out loud that I love money but the temptation to strive for financial stability and prepare for the future definitely creeps in. It is causing me to be anxious and uncertain concerning my position in this realm of livelihood — making money, just putting food on the table, or is there something in between?

Two verses arise in my heart. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33). Furthermore, Luke 21:36 states, “But be watchful at every time, beseeching that you would prevail to escape all these things which are about to happen and stand before the Son of Man.”

I’m convicted that I may not have received the love of the truth wholeheartedly. We are closer to the end than ever before. Do I truly think money can save me from future calamity and whatnot? Am I living in a grey area of okaying certain worldly pleasures while seeking the Lord and call it a “balanced” Christian living? Have I abandoned my own smarts to depend fully on the Father who provides and gives? Am I watchful that the Lord is coming soon? Am I ready to stand before Him and be held accountable for my living? 

Recently I made my condition of preparing for the future known to an older sister in the Lord and she simply responded, "Eventually we have to learn the reality of depending on the Lord." Her words shine on the fact that I have not. I have not learned, I have not received the love of this truth fully.

Pontius Pilate rhetorically questioned, "What is truth?" The Lord proclaimed in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth (reality) and the life." 

Oh Lord, have mercy. Be my truth, be my reality. Be the grace that I may live up to this standard, receiving the love of the truth by living in it. And not only I but may all Your people rise up to love Your Word and enter into the reality of Your Word. May we convert the word into spirit and life by exercising our spirit to contact You in Your word. May the written word becomes the living word and may the living word becomes the applied word in our lives.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christians on Campus - The Reason I Went to College at UT Austin

-
Image
John 8:32 on the UT Tower in Austin, Texas About Christians on Campus For decades, members of Christians on Campus have endeavored to focus on Christ and Christ alone. In-depth Bible study, building up spiritual companions, and mutual fellowship in the homes are some among many highlights that characterize the club activities with Christians on Campus.  My Experience with the Club I'm not a paid marketer. I'm just a living testimony of how Christians on Campus has changed my human and spiritual life. I don't even know how to begin thanking the Lord for His mercy and sovereignty in placing me where I need to be, so that I can grow. This series of blog posts on Christians on Campus is just my personal testimony and experience as a young Christian in college, nothing more, nothing less. So let me begin here.  Christians on Campus was the reason I went to UT Austin. After I graduated from high school, I had to go abroad for college (I'm from
Read more

Summer 2012 Puerto Rico Blending Trip: The People

-
Image
Please read my previous post to find out more about the island of Puerto Rico . Without a doubt, Puerto Rico has it all:  nature and culture . Yet what I enjoyed the most was meeting Christians, young and old, and having a rich fellowship with them (despite the language barrier that we had since I don't really speak Spanish). I also met a lot of college students who were affiliated with Christians on Campus. Their endeavor to reach the young people on campus, to bring the gospel to them, to fellowship, and to dive into the Word of God was too precious!  From Puerto Rico with Love. I realized that even though we were so far apart geographically, we all, in Texas and in Puerto Rico, had been endeavoring to do the same thing: gaining young people for God . Furthermore, even though we didn't speak the same language and weren't brought up within the same culture, there was always a prevailing atmosphere of love and joy among us. At the end of
Read more

Crossing The River Jordan

-
Image
"And the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant of Jehovah stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel was crossing over on dry ground, until all the nation had completely crossed over the Jordan." (Joshua 3:17) I attended a virtual crystallization-study of the Books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. Like always the in-depth trainings held by Living Stream Ministry have been landmarks in my Christian life, prompting me to come to the Lord Himself to dwell on the revelations unfolded in these sessions of spoken messages. I take them as messages spoken from the Lord Himself. This time I was struck by the record of the children of Israel crossing over the River Jordan to enter into the good land. The parting of the Red Sea is quite famous, where the children of Israel exited the world (Egypt) and the ruler of the world with his evil forces (Pharaoh and his army) were buried. In our Christian life, the crossing of the Red Sea is a picture of our baptis
Read more

Only Lovers Can Be Mighty

-
Continuing from my last post on our Christian mission in choosing to be part of the mighty ones  is another quote by R. Kangas, inspired by the divine romance portrayed in Song of Songs chapter 3: "We are not trained to be mighty ones merely by being sent to a barren place to pass through one hardship after another. Rather we are trained by maintaining and nurturing our love toward our Beloved. Our Beloved is the mighty One. His love prevails... We should not allow the enthusiasm of war or the thrill of victory to interfere with our steady, developing, ongoing romance with the Lord." The mighty ones are God's army, beautiful in the Lord's eyes and terrifying to the enemy ( Song of Songs 6:4 ). Yet what's so astonishing about this army is the fact that all these ones are firstly LOVERS! In a sense, to the mighty ones, they do not go to war to win, they go to war to "waste" their lives upon the One whom they have loved. To the mighty ones, this spiri
Read more

MVP: The Most Valuable Person in the Lord's Eyes

-
Image
Last week I wrote Only Lovers Can Be Mighty . Being a lover and a warrior are two sides of the same coin. This week though I was reminded of a fellowship I had with Mr. Danker, an older brother in the Lord, concerning: Who would be the most valuable person in the Lord's eyes? Previously I considered being a lover and being the most valuable person as pretty much identical. I mean if you're a lover to someone, then by default, aren't you the most valuable person in that someone's eyes? Our answer would, of course, be yes. Now let us consider together. If that lover of yours truly, deeply, fervently, crazily love you, but simultaneously strong in the sense of always insisting upon his/her ways, styles, concepts of values, standards, and opinions; is he/she still practically the most valuable person in your eyes? Tough question, isn't it? But I would say practically no. Please do not misunderstand me here. I have not defined the characteristics of a true lo
Read more