Truth

„But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:23)

Jesus in his conversation with the woman of Samaria explained the problem of people who, in those days, worshiped God. Too much pressure was put on external forms of praising Him, hence the great attachment of Jews to the Temple of Jerusalem, or the attachment of Samaritans to Mount Gerizim. People had a similar relation to God’s law; it was important to strictly obey it, not just accept it.
Meanwhile for God, it was neither the place nor the external form of praising Him that was important, but rather the internal motives of the believers. „The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, ... if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off ... But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Dt 30:9-14). Jesus, speaking of true worshipers, suggests that there can also be false worshipers. Among them are those who have not based their faith on the spirit and on the truth, so it is very important that our own faith doesn’t lack those two ingredients. The words „Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 7:21) clearly state how crucial that is.

   The spiritual aspect of faith is the contact with the Holy Spirit, through which the conversion from sinner to sanctified man is possible. Humbling before God and allowing his Spirit leads to reversal from sin, the culmination of which is acceptance of the Holy Spirit “permanently”, that is being born anew. The effect is shifting from “bodily” values to spiritual ones, „put off the old man with his deeds” (Col 3:9).

   Erasing of lust, greed, anger, vehemence and spite, replacing them with cordial compassion, kindness, humility, kindliness and patience, is a confirmation of basing faith on the Holy Spirit. Whereas turning away from sin, living according to God’s standards and keeping the commandments are a confirmation of being born anew: „Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 Jn 3:9). 

                What happens after rebirth? Does accepting the Holy Spirit guarantee salvation? Jesus told Nicodemus that „unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:3), therefore baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a guarantee but rather a permit to redemption, similar to a visa that gives us a right to enter a particular country, but in order to get there, you must submit yourself to a control at the border. Does the Bible confirm that, and are there statements in it that confirm a possibility of losing your chance to be redeemed, even after being born anew? The Apostle Peter, in his letter, writes about people who „have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pt 2:20-21). If such a situation was impossible, Peter wouldn’t have mentioned it, but instead, he warns of such possibility. In what way the state which we’ve achieved after accepting the Holy Spirit can be maintained? We must praise God, in the words of Jesus, “in spirit and in truth.” Pilate, during the interrogation, said to Jesus „What is truth?” (Jn 18:38). He did not know that the right question to ask was „who”, not „what,” because the Truth was standing before him right then. Jesus spoke of himself „I am the way, the truth, and the life” (J 14:6), we also know that „In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (J 1:1), and that „the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14). Therefore faith must be based on the Truth, which is the Word of God, and it must be consistent with it. It cannot be otherwise, for the Holy Spirit is also “the Spirit of Truth,” who according to Jesus’ promise, given to the Apostles, „He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (Jn 14:26). Praying to God in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus spoke of the Apostles „I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” (Jn 17:15-19).  The importance of basing ourselves on truth is explained in the Letter to the Colossians. Apostle Paul wrote in it „We give thanks to the God ... since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints, because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before ... you heard and knew the grace of God in truth ... For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:3-10). Both curious and informative is the way Paul writes about the Colossians. First, he states that they have faith in God and love for their kin, and that they know God’s grace, but later he adds that they should seek the full knowledge of God’s will „ in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”, because only then will they act as God expects them to act and increase in the knowledge of God. „Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” (Ps 105:4). Discovering newer and newer strengthens our faith and allows to explore the depth of God’s love towards us. The closer we are to the Truth, the easier it is for us to detect lies about God, which the Devil tries to sneak into our lives, „ Seek the Lord and live” (Am 5:6).

                The Bible gives us the plan of our salvation. It’s simple: accept the sacrifice of Christ through humbling before God and expressing remorse; turn away from past life and change priorities to “spiritual”; convert and accept the Holy Spirit, along with the “raiment of justice,” which cover earlier sins; and at last confirm that state for, as apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, „your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil 1:9-11). The simplicity of that plan is distorted by the Devil in every possible way, and the closer we are to the end times, the more intense are his actions. The Bible warns us about it multiple times, for examples in the words of apostle Paul, who wrote to the Thessalonians: „we ask you [brethren], not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come ... for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God ... The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thes 2:1-10). How topical are the words of Jesus, spoken to Jews: „If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:31-32).

(translated by Jakub Kujawa)