The Holy Spirit and Love

I've got just a few words today about some real nuts & bolts spiritual stuff that hopefully will enlighten one and all. Is there an actual barometer of what earmarks a true child of God? Yes there are two of them actually, and they are inseparable. One is obvious, and it is that someone who is truly walking in the Spirit of God is going to have a spirit of love about them that is unmistakable. It is something that can be felt, seen, and heard on every level of what they do. But it is the other trait of a child of God that I want to talk about today. That trait is honesty of heart, and I mean absolute honesty. This is the really intriguing characteristic of someone who is of God because it can be seen in them regardless of what their present spiritual condition may be. Some of the finest souls I've ever met were either backslidden saints or people who were sinners that were yet to be born again. Now don't misunderstand me, if someone is in sin and stays that way until death, they will be lost, and will not be counted as a child of God (Heb. 12:14; I Pet. 4:18). But the people I'm talking about will NOT stay in sin or die that way. Reason being they know where they're at and they don't pretend to be somewhere that they aren't. I've seen this up close and personal for thirty five years now, and I know what I'm looking at when I'm looking at an honest heart, regardless of what someone is doing at the time. Someone who truly has an honest heart will naturally take to someone who is actually walking in the love and holiness of God, even if 'taking to them' means that they are ashamed to be around them. Look at who took to Jesus. Peter's reaction to a miracle of fishes that Jesus wrought on his boat manifested his honest heart clearly: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying , Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Lk. 5:8). I think we know the rest of Peter's story. The famous 'woman at the well' at Samaria, upon being asked by Jesus to go get her husband, showed an honest heart with her answer; which answer Jesus commended: "The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly" (Jn. 4:17,18). Next thing in that story is that the woman believed on Jesus and brought the entire town out to see him. When Jesus invited himself to the house of Zacchaeus, the despised publican, Zacchaeus quickly revealed the honesty of his heart to Jesus: "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold" (Lk. 19:8).

On the other hand, the Pharisees and Saducees, who were the religious elite of that day, stuck with the guns of their own righteousness and wouldn't admit fault for anything; preferring rather to lie and lie some more until their lies led to the unjust murder of the only begotten Son of God. When Jesus let them know that he was coming to provide true freedom for them, they hardened themselves against the truth, and reviled: "They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" (Jn. 8:33). After refusing to be in agreement with Jesus a little further, he made the only assessment that could be made of the matter, and it wasn't that they were children of God like they claimed: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him" (Jn. 8:44). So in these cases the people who taught and supposedly kept God's law to the letter, proved to NOT be the true children of God; whereas some who were 'down on thier luck' actually were the true children of God. It happens that way all the time, and that is why Jesus gave the following warning to the religious leaders: "Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him" (Mat. 21:31,32). The difference between these two groups of folks was simply that one was honest of heart and the others were not. The truth is that no one can go anywhere with God without a totally honest heart. Anything that is not opened up to God and men with total honesty is an insult to God's integrity, his holiness, and his intelligence. He knows all things, he is absolutely holy, and his integrity is off the charts otherworldly; so when deceit is exercised in his presence, it is a direct affront to his entire being. To be open, honest, and humble has the exact opposite effect on him, and that is the substance of the following saying: "Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" (I Pet. 5:5). If an honest heart before God is kept honest, it will take one all the way to eternal salvation, and I'm referring to the TRUE salvation of the Lord which is the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6; Eph. 4:4; I Thess. 5:8).

I do not want to be misunderstood as saying in effect that we can't be right with God unless we continue to confess that we are sinners. This is a common 'Christian' error that is widely embraced as being good when in fact it is evil. If we have turned our sins over to Jesus and been redeemed from them, then we should no longer be sinners: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (II Cor. 5:17). And again: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:2). But the real clincher is this: "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid" (Gal. 2:17). I would be dishonest to tell you that I have sin in my life right now, simply because I do not. The scripture commands us to "purify [ourselves], even as he is pure," and I have done that today and am walking in a renewed spirit that is without sin, because he is without sin (I Jn. 3:3; Eph. 4:23,24). Let me that say that having an honest heart goes beyond just not telling overt 'lies.' An honest heart will always admit that wrong is wrong, including when the wrong is on their own part or on the part of someone who is closest to their heart. A deceitful heart on the other hand will always try to find an excuse for themselves or for those closest to them when they are found to be at fault. The fact of the matter is that everyone is going to eventually be ashamed for the wrong that they have done, but some will lie to themselves and others till the bitter end and wait until it's too late to repent. What a shame that is, seeing that complete forgiveness, redemption, and untold joy, rest, and peace is available to one and all as long as we are in this life. The price that Jesus paid on the cross of Calvary was so immensely great that it covered every sin that has ever or will ever be committed by whoever. All one need do is fully believe on him for that and all will be well. Remain honest and all will remain well unto eternal life and glory with Jesus. All it takes is being honest, which in the end is the easiest thing on earth to do, seeing honesty is merely being in agreement with the conscience that God has placed in each and every one of us. I can't speak for everyone, but personally I love the simple way, the easy way, and the way that gives joy to the soul and meaning to my life. Amen and God bless.