For this author bio I focus on my perspective, and the truth I prize and value highly. For more about my life and journey, from my parents Christian home, to atheism, and my return to God, see My Personal Testimony available free using the Look Inside feature on Amazon.
I am an engineer, engineering is the application of natural laws to real world problems. The first step in solving problems is figuring out which natural laws are relevant and how to work within them to solve the problem. Engineers solve problems by applying known natural laws. During my career I have helped solve many complex problems. To solve complex problems one must discern relevant truth and apply it correctly. Misunderstanding natural laws and misinterpreting data makes solving complex problems impossible. The problem may actually be fairly simple when the natural laws are understood and the data is interpreted correctly.
Like most engineers, I hate things that don’t work or things that are dysfunctional, because people hire engineers to make things work. People don’t joke about engineers’ failures, like people joke about weather forecasters’ failures, for they aren’t a laughing matter. Our failures are expensive and often include injury and death.
Similarly, when we understand that God’s moral laws are also natural laws, we can use these principles to better understand sin and moral victory. Let’s look at a couple of significant passages from scripture seeking to understand what they tell us about the interactions between truth and sin’s slavery. This scripture is a record of Jesus teaching in the temple where people brought their offerings. On this occasion Jesus is sharing insights about the relationship between His teachings, discipleship, truth, and sin’s slavery.
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples, [students or followers]. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?'
Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'" (John 8:31-36 NIV comment supplied)
Jesus told them that His disciples, students or followers hold to His teachings. Jesus told and promised them His teachings contained powerful truth that would free them from sin’s slavery. Jesus didn’t teach or promise them powerless teachings or traditions that would leave them enslaved to sin.
In 2 Timothy 3:1-7 the apostle Paul tells us about people in the last days, or our day. He says they will have a form of godliness or engage in religious activities, but deny the power of godliness or the powerful truth Jesus promised us. The power of godliness is the power to change or transform you and me and free us from sin’s slavery.
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:1-7 NIV)
The apostle Paul is talking about sinful people who engage in religious activities, that don’t transform them. This is because some religious activities are powerless or dysfunctional. Faith in these religious activities blind us to the truth that sets us free and subsequently leave us enslaved.
We believe the religious activities we often engage in, constitute a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. However, when their failure to free us from sin’s slavery is so obvious, that we teach we cannot be Christlike or sin free, we know it isn’t working.
Jesus Promised Victory points to the truth Jesus promised, the truth with the power to set us free or escape sin’s slavery. It is the knowledge of this truth, that continually learning people may never come to know, for Satan hid this truth by mixing it with error making a deadly potion or wine. This deadly potion or wine strips the truth Jesus promised of its power leaving us enslaved, for the truth Jesus promised is the only way to escape Satan’s slavery of sin and selfishness.
It is hard for us to grasp or understand this powerful truth, because of our preconceived ideas and prejudices. This truth is counter to our human or selfish nature, which makes it hard for us to recognize, let alone grasp and accept. Satan’s mixture of truth and error is designed to obscure this simple truth. In addition to pointing to this truth, Jesus Promised Victory helps us understand the relevant natural laws and information or data in the scriptures, so we can rightly apply them to our lives, setting us free from sin’s slavery.
It is my hope Jesus Promised Victory helps you come to a knowledge of this liberating and life changing truth. Which delivers the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, self-control . . . making life a blessing.
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