What if I only used Cliff Notes, if I just studied what could be considered the highlights of the Scriptures, as well as employed myself to human nature, the foundational attributes of all human beings. And then simply added my knowledge to these two areas, expounding mainly on personal accountability and life applications. Could you tell if I was truly born-again?
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20)
The Almighty plants, as it were, a seed within us, waters it with living water, nurtures it with both love and chastisement, and expects to see fruit, righteousness.
You who read these letters know nothing about me, save for what is written in them, only my lovely wife knows me, so beyond these words then, how do you know they come from the Holy Spirit? Because they make you feel better about yourself sometimes? Because they compel you to seek the face of God, to study and contemplate His words?
His words, when they are offered verbatim, do they convict you?
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)
How do you know that what you read in these letters you can trust to be the truth, that they come from a man who claims to be called by the Most High to write what is written in them?
Shall I tell you of who I was and who I am now? Will my testimony cause you to believe me in what has been penned in these thousands of letters, or would you just consider me a man with a good imagination, who has read the Bible, studied human nature, and looks up words in a Thesaurus occasionally in an attempt to sound smart, sound wise, sound religious?
“But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:47)
I put a test before you then, prove that the Holy Bible is the Word of God without using any external verification, just the Bible itself. Not proofs of where the ark of Noah is, not the location of Sodom and Gomorrah, not pointing to the place of the skull and saying, “There is where they crucified my Lord.” No historical documentation, just the Scriptures.
You cannot do it, no one can.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
That long opening statement you just read about me, I do not need an answer from you for, I do not need replies in the comment section, in fact, on the Borrowed Truths website I removed the ability to comment years ago.
I know for a fact, without a doubt that I have been called to sit here with my pen and notepad ten times a week or more, I am not called to employ great methods to make people believe what I write, not to find numerous ways to get people to read these letters, nor do I check constantly to see how many of them are being read.
In fact, my friends, I hardly ever even pray about what I am to place in these letters.
I walk down those steps and write what I am told to write and read it as I write it.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13)
I cannot convict anyone, only the Holy Spirit can do that, I do not know truth, His truths are revealed to me, and my responsibility is to write them down.
If the Living God has called you to Himself, you understand this letter, and you can no more prove that to anyone you meet any more than you can prove to them that the Most High God wrote down for us through men He chose His words. I do the same, like thousands before me have.
Do what He is leading you to do, do not look behind you to see who is following you, look to Him who is leading you.
