There is a great lesson to be learned by all believers about honesty. Many temptations arise out of fear, having corrupted many a good person into falling into a trap of deceit. No one wants to be wrong, yet, we are all human, and, though we may strive to achieve a righteous heart in the eyes of God, our human nature makes it impossible to have a righteous heart before God without the grace of Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Like many Christians in today’s world, I have wasted so many hours of life on nothingness, having spent most of my life having only memories of Bible stories heard in school, with here and there afterward, not knowing much actual Scripture. Less than two years ago that began to change with me hearing the truth in the Bible from many blessed teachers who have dedicated many hours of study to ensure those who long for the truth are able to hear the truth.
Having spent most of the last two years with God, growing more and more in faith and reading and studying the Bible more, there are still many things unknown to me and many things I have yet to learn, which, I imagine, this will never cease to increase as more is known because there will still be even more unknown. Life is but a vapor and there is more in the Bible that any one person can learn over a lifetime. How deep must education go before a person is ready to tell the truth? I suspect no one is ever really ready to do what God has planned for the person to do in life. I stepped out on faith last year and just said, “I will never be ready to do this, so, I am just going to do it.”
The things Jesus shows me through the Holy Spirit are increasing my faith everyday, even, and especially, when I am wrong. Jesus teaches me lessons no college could ever teach me, so, that is what these teachings are, they are not me teaching anyone anything, but, they are Jesus teaching me as I study and as I walk in the Spirit. I do not expect to carry a 100% average, but I do hope what I learn will inspire others to dig deeper also, both within the Bible and within their self, and embrace the truth about Jesus. When I do find errors in my thoughts which I write, I do not count them as errors, but as a divine lesson I get to share with others. Most of the errors I make come from a lack of education, yet, Jesus 100% of the time will guide a believer to the truth. If a believer desires the truth yet makes an error, the persistent student will find the truth in the lesson with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Take the teaching, His Way part 1, for example. Jesus taught me a lot through study, guiding me to many truths, yet, through a lack of education, a lack of thorough research and a too rapid speed at times, in Acts 7, I truly believed Stephen was preaching to his fellow Jews and the Pharisees were watching and took him to be stoned to death after he preached, then, less than a day after I published the teaching, I began researching Stephen for another teaching, and, to my horror, I learned Stephen was not preaching to his fellow Jews, but was instead on trial in front of the Sanhedrin! Tempting thoughts began racing through my mind. I found myself thinking of ways to cover up my mistake. I thought to write a teaching about how Christians being persecuted could still preach to others who were watching. I had decided to try writing a deceptive teaching, so, I began reading at Acts 1:1, and, what I found while reading convicted me to the core.
Acts 2:21, And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved, (NKJV) OK, I thought, let’s start with the basics, all believers are saved, which means they have faith in Jesus. This could be a great foundation. Acts 2:38, Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (NKJV) I still was not thinking of repentance. I was thinking of the horror that I made a mistake and published it. I was still carrying on, pressing further in the sin I was committing in my heart, not even realizing it was a sin. I was more concerned that I had made a mistake and my pride was beginning to control me more and more. I was willingly creating a lie that could have been perceived as truth, or been exposed later, had I went through with my plan of deception. No one may have even known what I did if I had covered up my mistake with a extravagant lie. I may have gotten away with it.
As I kept reading on in Acts, I got to Acts 4, where I found some great examples of Christians being persecuted for preaching the truth about Jesus. I was still pressing on, continuing my plan of deception, even after I had written, less than a day before, about how fear causes transgressions. All my knowledge about the truth and repentance were failing me through my fear and the need to cover my mistake, even though I know, and just wrote it yesterday, that we cannot hide from God, then, I got to Acts 5 and the conviction of the Holy Spirit hit me very hard, and, finally, the truth broke through my fear and I realized the lesson I was being taught by the Holy Spirit.
So, I now repent, and, in humility, I say I am sorry Jesus for my arrogance in thinking my mistake was worth trying to cover up. The need to cover up my mistake was a product of my pride, something that is easily the cause of many transgressions. I am nothing, less than nothing, and You are the great I AM who created me in love, blessing me with all You have given me and all You will give me. You show me the way and you are the Way. I know all You show me is truth and all You let me learn shows me I know nothing. All I am and all I will ever be is a gift from You. I have seen what happens, time and time again, when I try to do this on my own. No matter how many times I am wrong, I must always strive to admit the error of my ways. Though I may fail many times because I am human, I pray You will show me truth as Your will decides and keep me safe from evil, my God. In repentance, I will do my best to turn from my ways to Your Way, now and forever, Amen.
Lying to the Holy Spirit
5 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
She said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. -Acts 5:1-11 NKJV
