Love to be Wrong

Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31,32). Make no mistake, that freedom is from sin and from the confusions of the devil, who would have us to be under sin. And continuing in his word does NOT justmean continuing to read the Bible, because the Bible is NOT the word of God. The Bible is an inspired written record of how the word of God CAME TOthe writers thereof. The word of God is “what the Spirit is SAYING" to God’s people (Rev. 2:7). So then it is our ability to continue HEARINGwhat the holy Ghost is saying to us that determines whether we are truly the disciples of Jesus, and are truly made free from the spirit and mind of this world. And to that the apostle Paul agreed, saying, “For as many as are LED by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). We cannot be led by the Spirit unless we are continuing to hear what the Spirit is saying to us. And it’s certain that we all come from destitue spiritual origins, and have been conditioned to hearing the wrong voice all our lives before being born again by God’s Spirit. The great apostle to the Gentiles put it in this order: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Eph. 2:2,3).

The point is that anyone and everyone who really wants to grow in Christ is in much need of correction and reproof, both by the Spirit directly, and by other believers who have grown in Christ before them. How a person responds to true godly reproof is going to determine much about whether they grow in Christ or whither away. Proverbs 15:32 tells us, “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” Another proverb says, “A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool” (Prov. 17:10). A person who really loves truth and seeks it diligently, does not mind finding out that they have been wrong about something. In fact, as one truly continues in learning what actually is the word of God, they learn to love being wrong. Why? Because for someone who loves the word of God, to find out that they have been wrong about a thing means that they have the opportunity to receive what is RIGHT, and the right thing is what they love. The condition of having a problem with being wrong is just plain old ugly pride, and pride is the biggest stumblingblock to learning how to be led by the Spirit of God. Yet another proverb gives a very sobering warning in regard to pride stopping a person from receiving correction and reproof: “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Prov. 29:1). Without a genuine appreciation for reproof, no one can learn to be led by the Spirit of God. And without having due regard for righteous rebuke, we cannot continue in the word of God and be kept free from sin and from the spirits that want us to be under sin. And that is not a good recipe for salvation, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Amen.