Reconciling Fact vs Truth

Anyone who's read anything I've written in this little selection of observations knows there are certain things I believe with my whole heart.

One of the biggest is that Jesus's sacrifice bought four key elements for us: Salvation, Eternal Life, Physical Health & Healing and Prosperity.

Reconciling the understanding and where we are in our lives can, however, be a daunting task. Often circumstances look impossible and the facts of the situation become voices screaming at us. They are the tempestuous sea raging as Peter stepped out of the boat. They are the earthquake, wind and fire Elijah saw. We need to learn to hear Jesus through it all.

And it's not easy.

Right now my factual circumstances are scfreaming at me. The facts tell me the Western Cape Fire Department has closed my business for non-compliance on the part of our landlord in making the building safe - if a fire broke out in the restaurant next door we wouldn't have time to evacuate before our shop was destroyed. I'm actually glad they told us. The fact says "you're broke and you have no income". The fact screams it in fact.

The fact says "you're diabetic" or "you're hypertensive" or "you've got asthma" or whatever fact is whispering to you. (In my case it's type 2 diabetes).

Facts mess with your head. They creep into us because we give authority to people and the little thoughts that drop in to change our heart. John Eldredge in "Wild at Heart" points out that the great minds of the past all considered the Enemy in their contemplations. Even people like Da Vinci and Michaelangelo - and no, NOT the turtles - considered the Enemy to be real and a constant presence whispering to them.

But we've disregarded the concept. We assume every thought in our head comes from us. We live in an age of "reason" where such superstitious claptrap has no place.

But if that were true, why would Paul tell us to take our thoughts captive and submit them to Christ? It would be superfluous effort. If we are, as "modern" dogma and philosophy would have us accept, incapable of changing our patterns and nature, then the entire Gospel is a lie.

CS Lewis said Jesus had to be a madman, a demon or God Himself to make the claims He made. His statements are clearly not those of a madman, which leaves only the other two options. His actions were clearly not those of a malevolent and evil being, which leaves only one possibility. God in Flesh.

Assuming this, and that the Bible is accurate when it says He is the Perfect representation of God, we can see the Truth.

Healing. Financial provision. Salvation. Eternal Life.

The Truth is we are healed as prophesied by Isaiah and witnessed by Peter. In context they can only be referring to physical health.

The Truth is we are prosperous as shown in the life of Joseph. And God told the Israelites He had given them Power to create Wealth. In context, financial wealth. And that was the Old Covenant - we have access to all that in the New Covenant and more!

The Truth is we are Saved. Hell has no hold on us, and while our physical form may perish if we die before Christ returns our Spirit goes on, united with Christ and entering into the very presence of God Himself.

The Truth is we have Eternal Life. Not Everlasting, but Eternal. And Eternal starts right now. Jesus says (John 16:3) that Eternal Life is knowing God and Jesus Christ who He sent. It means ongoing. And it started the second we accepted Jesus as our Lord.

But our brains get in the way.

My whole heart believes I am healed, but I wear glasses or contact lenses. I take medication for a variety of ailments including diabetes and ADD. Does that nullify Jesus's sacrifice for me?

No.

It simply means I have yet to fully take the thought patterns that prevent me receiving my healing in full and submit them to Christ completely. What I can say is I've begun the transition. I've not needed a new prescription for my eyes in ten years. Diabetes is supposed to be a "progressive" illness, but for me it's stopped in it's tracks for 8 years now. Yes, my medication has been adjusted, but not increased. The medication I take differs now as it requires less frequent ingestion, but it's simply a slow release version of what I took before, and in fact is a lower dose creating the same result.

So no, I've not completely arrived at my full health, but I've begun the trip and I fully expect to complete it in this life. Because that's what the Truth says.

Similarly with prosperity. Despite our current state, I believe we are Prospered by God and anointed by Him to Prosper to bring Him Glory. My wife has been offered, the very day our business was closed, an opportunity to move to specialise in her field (ironically medicine!) and we have the chance to start over handed to us in spite of the facts.

Truth always triumphs over fact. We simply have to let it.

Hebrews 11 tells us that. Faith overcomes the World. It overcomes the doubt and fear we experience on a daily basis if we allow it to. It is the substance of what we haven't yet seen physically, and it is the vehicle that allows it to manifest into our lives.

Facts are temporal, and change, but Truth is Eternal and fixed. It's good to know "Reason" may actually be catching up though:

So trust Truth. The facts will catch up eventually!