No Twilight Zone

"He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" John 3:36)

Some teachers have tried to enshroud Jesus in a pink fog of sentimentality. But there is really no excuse for misunderstanding Him. He drew the line as taut as a violin string. He said, "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matthew 12:30).

At that great day when He judges mankind, Jesus says He "shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." The one group "shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (25:32, 46). Those statements leave no twilight zone, no in-between.

Consider the benefits promised to the true disciples. Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). No one can know truth except the one who obeys truth. Truth is in the text, but it takes the text plus the Holy Spirit to bring truth to a human soul.

God has solemnly told us in His Word that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Only Jesus can save.

~A. W. Tozer~

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"Real" Truth

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32)

Truth must be understood by inward illumination. Then we know the truth. Until that time, we do not know it.

I heard through missionaries of a boy overseas who had memorized Jesus' entire Sermon on the Mount. He did it in such record time and with such apparently little effort that someone called him in to find out how he had done it.

"Well," said the boy, "I would memorize a verse and then trust God to help me put it into practice. Then I would memorize the next verse and say, "Lord, help me to live this one, too".
That boy had truth on his side. He did not consider truth to be something objective, simply to be filed in the mind as knowledge. Rather, truth to him was also subjective - to be acted on.

Truth becomes real to us within our beings by obedience and faith.

Before we can truly obey Him, we must fully receive Him and be so united with Him that His interests are ours and His will is jut the expression of our inmost being.

~A. W. Tozer~