Exploding truth
John 8:31-32
In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
John 3:3
Christianity must maintain its objective intellectual foundation. The day we depart from orthodox Christian truth, we will find the seeds of death already in our midst to sterilize us spiritually. We must have some basic common beliefs in order to win people to Christ.
But there is more than an intellectual component in the Christian faith; there is also a subjective element in receiving the gospel. Some people think intellectual assent is all that is necessary to be a Christian, but this is not true. Christian belief must become authenticated in one’s life.
Truth comes first, and then personal experience. John Wesley preached the gospel a long time before his heart was transformed. In fact, one of Wesley’s most powerful sermons, “The Almost Christian,” he wrote before he was even born again.
Wesley’s beliefs did not change after his conversion; those beliefs exploded into his life, becoming a burning passion within him instead of intellectual baggage. The result of his conversion could be seen in his preaching. He preached the same sermons, but they bore fruit and people found Christ.
It is not enough only to have intellectual truth. The truth must break into our lives in a deeply penetrating and intimately personal way. Then we can say, “He is not only the Savior; he is my Savior.”
Then the gospel message becomes authenticated by our witness. Has the truth you are proclaiming exploded into your heart? Is the truth you are proclaiming authenticated by your life?
This is an excerpt from a book This Day with the Master by Dennis F. Kinlaw. If you would like to buy this book please click here.