I so love my Wednesday night Bible Studies with my Single Mommies and my Single Ladies! Such sweet young women, and it's so exciting to see all that the Lord is doing in their lives. This week's lesson is very powerful...Pursuing Truth.
Lies Young Women Believe
(and the Truth that sets them free)
A Bible Study written by Doris Weeaks, based on the
above mentioned book,
written by Nancy Lee DeMoss and Dannah Gresh)
Lesson
Three - How Can I Pursue Truth?
These first few weeks of our study have focused on
"The Landscape of Lies." We had our Introduction Lesson, where we got
our minds thinking about the whole concept of lies. We even told a few
ourselves, when we wrote a little sentence or two that contained 3 truths and 1
lie. We then talked about where lies originate, and learned a little about
"The Father of Lies" - Satan. And, last week, we talked about the
progression that took place for Eve to allow
Satan to talk her into believing and acting on his lies.
Let's
recap: The progression went like this:
· Eve listened to a lie
- she got close to the serpent and entertained his suggestion.
· Eve dwelled on the lie
- she conversed with him and considered what he said.
· Eve believed the lie
- she believed the Serpent's promise was more trustworthy than what God had
said.
· Eve acted on the lie
- she ate the fruit.
The
same is true for us. First we listen
to a lie. Then we dwell on it. Then
we begin to believe it, and before
long we're acting on it. Eventually,
those sinful behaviors become a pattern in our lives and we find ourselves in
bondage - feeling trapped by the things we thought would make us happy and
free.
What
did you discover about how Satan's desire for our destruction differs from
God's plans for our lives?
God's plans are always
for our good (in our best interests) and not to cause harm; to give us a future
and a hope! Satan's plans are ultimately for our destruction, and he uses
deceptive measures to get us to think that God's ways are outdated and
impractical for our lives. Where God's plans are to give us a future and a
hope, Satan's are to ensnare us in his traps and to be enslaved to the very
things we thought would bring us happiness and fulfillment.
How
were you able to personalize this verse?
In my life, this verse became embedded in my heart
when I went through my divorce. I was alone with a baby boy and barely able to
make ends meet. This verse ministered to me so much, because I knew that my
life was not going to stay that way. I just knew that God's plan was better
than any of the choices I'd made for myself, that led me to the point where I
was at that time, and that I was going to trust Him and His plan for my life,
and that of my son, from that day forward.
Is
anyone willing to share a story from their own experience with following the
progression into sin?
Looking back, I can see how this "progression
into sin" played itself out in instance after instance in my life. Sadly,
the majority of my "biggest sins" occurred after I became a Christian! It's amazing how easy it is to repeat
the "progression process", once you get the hang of it - ha ha. Ok,
it's really not funny, but it is much easier to give in to the devil's lies
than it is to be obedient to the Truth. Because Truth isn't a concept. Truth isn't just "the opposite of a lie." Truth
is a person! And that person is Jesus.
Pastor Rick Warren puts it this way:
“Jesus told
him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father
except through me.’” (John 14:6 NLT)
Truth is
not a principle. Truth is a person: Jesus Christ.
One of the
clearest and best-known statements by Jesus is “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT).
Notice
Jesus says, “I am the truth ...” He doesn’t say truth is a religion or a ritual
or a set of rules and regulations. He says “I.” Truth is a person.
This is
what separates Jesus Christ from every other leader of every other faith. Other
leaders have said, “I’m looking for the truth” or “I’m teaching the truth” or
“I point to the truth” or “I’m a prophet of truth.” Jesus comes and says,
“I am the truth.”
A lot of
people say, “I think Jesus was just a great teacher.” But he couldn't be just
that. No great teacher would claim to be God if he wasn't. Either Jesus is
conning 2.3 billion people who believe a lie, or he was nuts — or Jesus
is who he said he was.
Everybody’s
betting his or her life on something. I’m betting my life that Jesus is who he
said he was.
And the great theologian, Charles Spurgeon has this
to say:
Then
said Jesus… And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free. John 8:31-32
Let me say
boldly that it is not the difficulty of discovering truth, but the
unwillingness to obey it, that makes it so rare among men. Our Lord said,
"I am the Truth." And again He said, "The Son of Man is come to
seek and to save that which was lost." Truth, therefore, is not hard to
find for the very reason that it is seeking us! So we learn that Truth is not a
thing for which we must search, but a Person to whom we must hearken! In the
New Testament, multitudes came to Jesus for physical help, but only rarely did
one seek Him out to learn the Truth. The whole picture in the gospels is one of
a seeking Savior, not one of seeking men. The Truth was hunting for those who
would receive it, and relatively few did, for "many are called, but few are
chosen."
I'm willing to bet that most of us have no problem
believing Jesus is Truth, when it comes to our
salvation. No one wants to willingly
spend their lives - earthly or eternal - separated from God! Besides, who
doesn't like a "free gift!?!" And, while there's absolutely nothing
we did or can do to deserve the gift of salvation, someone did pay for that
gift - and that person is Jesus.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Freedom is not Free?" It's most often used in reference
to the men and women in the military who are sacrificing their lives to protect
freedom and democracy in areas where it's being threatened. Yes, America is a
"Free Country" - but that Freedom came at a price and it still does.
In the same way, a huge price was paid to free you
from your own sin. It cost Jesus His
very life - and it should cost us ours, too. Actually, the cost involved in
believing Satan's lies is much higher, because of the consequences of our sin.
Why are we so willing to accept God's free gift of salvation, yet not be
willing to pay the price it takes to enjoy the benefits of that very gift?
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I mean, it's kind of like Jesus knocks at the door
of our home (our hearts), and we happily ask Him to come in, only to tell Him
he's not welcome to come past the front entrance. Or, maybe we let Him come sit
down on the couch, but we're not about to let Him come in to every area of our
house/heart! I'm not going to allow Him to come into the kitchen - I don't want
Him to see what I eat and drink. And, I'm not going to allow Him to come into
the room where my TV and computer are - I don't want Him nosing around what I
watch and listen to! And, I definitely don't want Him to come into my
bedroom!!!
Isn't that how we are??? Here's the thing: He already knows! Nothing is
hidden from Him. And He's never going
to be content with standing inside the doorway or just sitting on the couch
being ignored. He gave His life for you for a reason - because He wants
to be free to roam in every room in our hearts! We're the ones that shut Him
out. We're the ones that keep Him at "arm's-length" and yet whine and
complain when we feel like He's far away from us!
And the truth is, He really can't enter the areas of our life that are filled with sin. It's
like watching an episode of the TV show "Hoarders" - Most of the
people on that show have built up their collection of "stuff" over a
period of years. Some of the rooms in their homes are completely shut off
because of the "stuff" that is in them. Other rooms have only a
pathway to walk to get to them - and even that is treacherous! What becomes
obvious, as you watch the show, is that some type of trauma or heartache has
brought on the hoarding. The hoarding insulates
them from people that they think might hurt them. Or, they collect the
"stuff" because they lost someone dear to them and this is something
that can't be taken from them.
While this might be something you could never
imagine happening in your own home, it is quite possible it's something that
has happened in the home of your soul
- your heart. The problem with the hoarders, and the problem us, is that
we shut out the very Person/people that can help us. We'd rather keep on living
our lives with the lies cluttered up around us, than to have Jesus (and people
He sends into our lives), come along side us and help us to clear the junk out,
so that we can live our lives the way we were meant to live them, and the way
they function best.
Romans 1: 18-32,
is pretty clear about what it means to exchange the Truth of God for
Satan's lies:
v. 18 But God shows his anger
from heaven against all sinful, wicked people
who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
v. 19 They know the truth
about God because he has made it obvious to
them.
v. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have
seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature.
So they have no excuse for not knowing
God.
v. 21 Yes, they knew God,
but they wouldn't worship him as God or
even give him thanks. And they began to
think up foolish ideas of what God was
like. As a result, their minds became dark and
confused.
v. 22 Claiming to be wise,
they instead became utter fools.
v. 23 And instead
of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped
idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and
reptiles.
v. 24 So God abandoned
them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things
with each other's bodies.
v. 25 They traded the truth
about God for a lie. So they worshiped
and served the things God created instead
of the Creator himself, who is worthy of
eternal praise! Amen.
v. 26 That is why
God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and
instead indulged in sex with each other.
v. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual
relations with women, burned with lust
for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within
themselves the penalty they deserved.
v. 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to
their foolish thinking and let them do
things that should never be done.
v. 29 Their lives became
full of every kind of wickedness, sin,
greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception,
malicious behavior, and gossip.
v. 30 They are backstabbers,
haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful.
They invent new ways of sinning, and they
disobey their parents.
v. 31 They refuse
to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy.
v. 32 They know
God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
Did you see yourself in that passage? I know I did!
In fact, your assignment this week is going to be looking carefully at this
passage again, and identifying the areas where you've exchanged the Truth of
God for a lie. I'll even make it easy for you, I'll give you a list to check
off! Be sure and ask God to help you answer the questions TRUTHFULLY!
Romans 1:18-24 Check List
Answer the following questions as honestly as you
know how. In fact, pray before taking this little quiz and ask the Lord which
areas HE thinks you've sinned or exchanged His Truth for Satan's lie/s.
______ 1. I
have suppressed the truth [of God] by my wickedness (sinful behavior).
______ 2. I
know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to me.
______ 3. I
have seen the earth and sky.
______ 4. In
and through everything God made, I can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal
power and divine nature.
______ 5. I have no excuse for not knowing God.
______ 6. I
have claimed to know God and not really honored and glorified him as God.
______ 7. I
haven't always given God the thanks He deserves.
______ 8. I
have thought up foolish ideas of what God is like.
______ 9. My
mind has been dark and confused.
_____ 10. I
have claimed to be wise.
_____ 11. I
have been foolish.
_____ 12. I
have allowed people, even animals, to become more important to me than God.
_____ 13. I
have done shameful things that the lusts of my own heart desired (sexually
impure).
_____ 14. I
have felt abandoned by God.
_____ 15. I
have done (willingly allowed to have
done to me) vile and degrading things with another person.
_____ 16. I
have traded the truth about God for a lies.
_____ 17. I
have worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator
Himself.
_____ 18. I
have indulged in sexual activities with another woman.
_____ 19. I
have thought it was foolish to acknowledge God.
_____ 20. My
life has been full of every kind of wickedness (ungodly, mischievous, spiteful)
.
_____ 21. I
have been sinful.
_____ 22. I
have been greedy.
_____ 23. I
have been hateful.
_____ 24. I
have been envious.
_____ 25. I
have committed murder.
_____ 26. I
have quarreled (been disagreeable, fault-finding).
_____ 27. I
have been deceptive (not completely truthful).
_____ 28. I
have been malicious (had ill-will, evil intentions) in my behavior.
_____ 29. I
have gossiped.
_____ 30. I
have been a backstabber.
_____ 31. I
have hated God.
_____ 32. I
have been insolent (boldly disrespectful, rude).
_____ 33. I
have been prideful (arrogant).
_____ 34. I
have been boastful (to brag vainly).
_____ 35. I
have invented new ways of sinning.
_____ 36. I
have been disobedient to my parents.
_____ 37. I
have refused to understand.
_____ 38. I
have broken promises (been untrustworthy).
_____ 39. I
have been heartless (unloving).
_____ 40. I
have been merciless (without pity, sorrow or remorse) .
_____ 41. I
know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet
I have done them anyway.
_____ 42. I
have encouraged (applauded, approved) others to do them, too.
So, what's your total? Out of 42 questions, how many
of them have a check mark in front of them? More than you care to admit, I'll
bet. While it's true, none of us are perfect, we should certainly be able to
see that there is room for improvement. In fact, if you don't see anything wrong with any of the
things mentioned on that list, you might need to stop and ask God if you're really saved! If you can engage in any
of the activities above and NOT feel badly, or a conviction from the Holy
Spirit that what you're doing is not pleasing to God, you REALLY need to check with God about your salvation!
The key to pursuing Truth is to agree with God
about what He says sin is. Stop
trying to justify your sinful behavior to God - it won't work! He's not going
to change HIS standards for YOU! And don't just be "sorry" for your
sin. One reason you might not experience a life-changing victory in your life
is because you're only sorry until you want to [insert your favorite sin here]
again!
The way to life-changing victory is to REPENT of
your sin. What does that mean? Well, the dictionary says it means to regret, sorrow for, or to wish to have
been otherwise, what one has done or left undone; to change from past evil; to
feel contrition (brokenhearted for sin).
Are you just upset with yourself that you did
something you said you weren't going to do anymore? Or are you brokenhearted that you sinned against
God?
Are you sorry?
Or are you sorry enough to quit/stop?
Are you going to just beat yourself up because you
screwed up again? Or are you going to stop believing lies and begin to believe
that Truth is a person, and that Person is Jesus.
Are you ready to take the focus off of yourself and focus solely on falling in love with the
one Man who will never stop loving
you, leave you, or forsake you?
He's either standing outside the door of your heart
knocking, wanting to come in and be your Savior, or He's inside
somewhere...wherever you'll allow Him
to be.
It's your choice.
" If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all
unrighteousness. If we claimed we have not sinned, we make him out to be a
liar, and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10)
