Light vs. Darkness

Light vs. Darkness
"What is truth..?" --Pontius Pilate

(People ask me:)
"How can I know who is speaking the truth to me (and what is Truth and what is Falsehood and Deception)--in my everyday conversations, and in the written, radio, TV, film, (media) news, polemics, politics, and propaganda..?" "And how can I know that what I am thinking and believing is the Truth--and not a Lie, not some 'doctrine (teaching) of devils' and evil deception--that, even though it might sound convincing, reasonable, and logical at first, will lead me, nevertheless, into the'broad way that leads to destruction'...the 'road to hell' that is paved with the proverbial 'good intentions'...?

I reply: "First of all (lay aside your past political brainwashing, your 're-education camps', the propaganda and secular philosophies of your past) is your mind redeemed? Are you transformed in Christ by the renewing of you mind according toRomans 12:1-2..? "Are you liberated by the Holy Spirit of God from the unsaved, perishing, sin-enslaved paradigms, world-views, and near-sightedness of sin-sick humanity--and the sin-virused soul...?"

I always remind folks that they must have more than some solipsistic emotional experience or cerebral 'aha' to become a regenerate born-again Christian--(Study John) because the Bible states that "The carnal mind cannot perceive the things of God." One must be sure that his unregenerate-non-born-again-sinful nature and the god of this world (Satan) has not cognitively and spiritually blinded his (spiritual) eyes.

A man or woman must be wooed, coaxed, drawn, convicted by the Holy Spirit. And s/he must respond in faith, trust, wholehearted and sincere belief in Jusus Christ--the Anointed One of God. There must be an authentic I-Thou Encounterwrought by the supernatural empowerment and 'connection' of God, the Holy Spirit--this is not some rhetorical--some philosophical-some psychological change of attitude, some baptist signing of a membership card, some political shift, some genuflecting, religious mumbling of a Christianized four-spiritual-laws formula--or result of a 'heaven-chilp implant.

Salvation of the soul is a divinely-wrought supernatural miracle. It cannot be culterized, tribalized, philosophized--or psychologized. (Sadly, this is why mega-churches and the so-called Emergent Churches are bursting in attendance. (You preach the truth of "Narrow is the way and strait is the gate, and the reality of persecution that comes to any true believer in Christ--and you'll not get a big crowd of twenty-something boppers...in fact they'll run away from you...as even the disciples did at first from Jesus when they realized, 'Hey, this guy's gonna get himself crucified...!')

And I also ask, "In your psycho-social support system--who are your cronies--who do you hang around with and feel comfortable with..? Do you try to get your fellowship with sinners...? i.e.: Are you (Psalm 1) "Sitting in the seat of the scornful..?...Standing in the way of sinners..?...Listening to the counsel of the ungodly..? Remember, the Bible states that"There is no fellowship (participation in the Holy Spirit) between (spiritual) light and (spiritual) darkness." And the Biblealso states, "Evil cronies have a corrupting influence."

1. Affirm and confirm your belief in Jesus Christ and trust in His Sacrifice on the Cross for the remission and cleansing of your sin, and confirm your sincere hope in Christ's Resurrection from the grave and defeat of Satan, Death, and Hell.

2. Pray: Seek the Heavenly Father God for the gift of the Holy Spirit (John). The Father will bestow the authentic gift of the Spirit--not a 'scorpion' or 'stone'--but a 'nourishing fish'--the 'true Bread' of the Holy Spirit.

3. Ask God for wisdom according to the Book of James: "If a man lack wisdom, let him ask of God."

4. Pray--seeking God that Jesus Christ will baptize you in the Holy Spirit--so that you may have the mind of the Holy Spirit--with which the Bible says is life and peace (Romans). (The Father is the Giver of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is theBaptizer in the Holy Spirit.)

5. Study Jesus' instructions about the Holy Spirit in the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of John. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit will lead the sincere seeker of Jesus Christ into all truth. The Spirit will convict and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Falsehood and lies and deception will not stand in the light of the truth of the Holy Spirit.

6. Study the principles Jesus laid down in Matthew: e.g.: "A bad tree cannot produce good fruit." Apply these principles when you hear any street-corner philosopher gab, any social engineer speak, any politician, any 'conspiracy theorist'present his views, any media pundit or talk show host, or even TV preacher--pontificate.

7. Listen carefully--sometimes (especially with a politician on TV) turn off the sound--look at his non-verbals, his facial expressions, his eyes... But seek always for 'the mind of Christ...for the 'mind of the Holy Spirit'...for the Spirit of Truth--to discern between truth and error, deception, falsehood, and lies. We live in a world of psychopathy (cf. the writings ofMeloy and Hare).

8. And don't forget, God is on His Throne. Jesus Christ is Lord. All things are Christ's. 'Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord'. All things are ours in Christ. Yet, until Christ returns for the community of the redeemed, we still live in a fallen, sinful world dominated by evil control freaks and of 'people of the lie'.

(excerpt: unpublished work-in-progress):
What Is Truth?
The Question of Pontius Pilate
Copyright 2009 by Philip C. Brewer
All Rights Reserved