Kingdom's Keys Fellowship
Where God's Kingdom Meets Man's Heart.
Strongholds 8 Barriers Against the Truth of God
“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity (2Cor.10:5-6 The Message).”
Last time we dealt with warped philosophies. Now we want to look at the next part that talks about tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God. The important fact here is the truth of God. Truth is what barriers are set up against. When Jesus says He is truth (Jn.14:6) we are going beyond what the world’s philosophers, academics and casual concepts offer. As we mentioned in the topic about warped philosophies secular thinking limits the understanding of truth to the intellect. In Jesus we see far more than the intellect at work. There is a totality, wholeness and an integration of mind, heart, emotion and spirit at work.
Three facts about Jesus challenge the world’s approach. First, truth is alive because Jesus is risen, alive and present in the world through the Holy Spirit. That means that truth is a living reality not just a concept for which we search. Second, truth can be experienced not just mentally speculated upon. Truth is a relational experience of one person sharing His mind with another. Jesus shares Himself through His words with those who are open to that sharing. And we in turn can share our mind with Him. Third, truth is spiritual. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and delivers the thoughts of God into the heart through faith. Faith is the conduit, the channel, the delivery system carrying truth to His people.
The basic truth about God is that He is the Creator of all that is visible and invisible. How He thinks is what opens us to the truth of who He is and who we are. So what are the barriers against the truth of God?
First, it is sin. It is the self-elevating denial that sin exists and is the basic human problem. Sin promotes self-centered thinking. It seeks the level of an individual’s dominant weaknesses and builds strongholds to cover it and them up. It builds concepts based on fear of inner exposure.
Second, there is the barrier of denial. Behind it is the denial that God exists or if He does exist He is remote, distant and not personally involved.
Third, barriers are the human dynamics of pride, fear and the need to be in control which, by the way, are all spiritually driven by their like spirits.
Fourth, there is a personal source of barrier building, the devil. He is the one who engineers conflict, division and conspiracy in the heart. Truth begins when we start thinking spiritually beginning with the Word. The devil initiates the opposite idea, his tempting barrier, that we can define truth apart from God, that each of us can have his own truth and that truth can be contained by man’s mind.
One of the dangers in the Body of Christ takes place in the area of theology where the studied theologian depends solely on the intellect to sort out man’s concepts about God. This can develop an attitude of superiority that rubs off in turn on the clergy who lead and instruct them. The clergy then tend to come at their congregations with an agendized mind as opposed to a servant’s heart. Many times seminary education spends more time developing a theological intellect that omits the heart and spirit or at the best gives them lesser status.
If we see how Jesus related to those around Him it is obvious He treated everyone as a whole person as He appealed to their minds, heart and spirits. He knew that thought was influenced by any number of other factors like attitudes, emotions, beliefs, fear, despair, depression, broken hearts and physical condition. He knew people are plagued by the tempter and his spirits. He knew people seek to rationalize their lives and justify their behavior, barriers that reject the Spirit.
These are only a few of the barriers that line up against the truth of God. But when Jesus established His Body in the hearts of believers He promised that none of them could withstand the advance of His Kingdom. History has proved Him right and all those who have chosen to follow Him know that to be the truth alive and active and eternal.
Next, loose thoughts, impulses and emotions.
Last time we dealt with warped philosophies. Now we want to look at the next part that talks about tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God. The important fact here is the truth of God. Truth is what barriers are set up against. When Jesus says He is truth (Jn.14:6) we are going beyond what the world’s philosophers, academics and casual concepts offer. As we mentioned in the topic about warped philosophies secular thinking limits the understanding of truth to the intellect. In Jesus we see far more than the intellect at work. There is a totality, wholeness and an integration of mind, heart, emotion and spirit at work.
Three facts about Jesus challenge the world’s approach. First, truth is alive because Jesus is risen, alive and present in the world through the Holy Spirit. That means that truth is a living reality not just a concept for which we search. Second, truth can be experienced not just mentally speculated upon. Truth is a relational experience of one person sharing His mind with another. Jesus shares Himself through His words with those who are open to that sharing. And we in turn can share our mind with Him. Third, truth is spiritual. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and delivers the thoughts of God into the heart through faith. Faith is the conduit, the channel, the delivery system carrying truth to His people.
The basic truth about God is that He is the Creator of all that is visible and invisible. How He thinks is what opens us to the truth of who He is and who we are. So what are the barriers against the truth of God?
First, it is sin. It is the self-elevating denial that sin exists and is the basic human problem. Sin promotes self-centered thinking. It seeks the level of an individual’s dominant weaknesses and builds strongholds to cover it and them up. It builds concepts based on fear of inner exposure.
Second, there is the barrier of denial. Behind it is the denial that God exists or if He does exist He is remote, distant and not personally involved.
Third, barriers are the human dynamics of pride, fear and the need to be in control which, by the way, are all spiritually driven by their like spirits.
Fourth, there is a personal source of barrier building, the devil. He is the one who engineers conflict, division and conspiracy in the heart. Truth begins when we start thinking spiritually beginning with the Word. The devil initiates the opposite idea, his tempting barrier, that we can define truth apart from God, that each of us can have his own truth and that truth can be contained by man’s mind.
One of the dangers in the Body of Christ takes place in the area of theology where the studied theologian depends solely on the intellect to sort out man’s concepts about God. This can develop an attitude of superiority that rubs off in turn on the clergy who lead and instruct them. The clergy then tend to come at their congregations with an agendized mind as opposed to a servant’s heart. Many times seminary education spends more time developing a theological intellect that omits the heart and spirit or at the best gives them lesser status.
If we see how Jesus related to those around Him it is obvious He treated everyone as a whole person as He appealed to their minds, heart and spirits. He knew that thought was influenced by any number of other factors like attitudes, emotions, beliefs, fear, despair, depression, broken hearts and physical condition. He knew people are plagued by the tempter and his spirits. He knew people seek to rationalize their lives and justify their behavior, barriers that reject the Spirit.
These are only a few of the barriers that line up against the truth of God. But when Jesus established His Body in the hearts of believers He promised that none of them could withstand the advance of His Kingdom. History has proved Him right and all those who have chosen to follow Him know that to be the truth alive and active and eternal.
Next, loose thoughts, impulses and emotions.
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