Dear Partner,

John 1:17   For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

There is tons of revelation knowledge in this single verse of scripture. It is making a comparison between the ministry of Moses and that of Jesus Christ. We know that the law was given by Moses. Before the time of Moses, nobody on planet earth knew what the law of God was. There was no university or seminary anywhere on the planet where a person could go to find out what the law of God was. God knew what it was the whole time. But no man on earth had that knowledge before God gave it through Moses.

Rom 7:7   What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

While writing the letter to the Christians at Rome, Paul said that an unregenerate man would have no way of knowing it was wrong to covet until he found it out from hearing the law of God. By giving the law through Moses, God was letting unregenerate man know what sin truly was.

In the same way that no man knew the law before it was given through Moses, no man on earth knew the truth that Jesus brought until it came through Him. Think about that statement: "Truth came by Jesus Christ." I am an engineer by training and my mind likes all of the aspects of scientific facts as revealed in the laws of physics, chemistry, and so forth. Science believes it has all the facts concerning truth. We know that the physical laws of the universe did not change when Jesus came to earth. The speed of light did not change. The laws of gravity did not change. But by comparison that verse is saying that in the same way nobody knew the law of God until it came through Moses, nobody knew the truth of God until it came through Jesus Christ. So now the same question arises that Pilate asked Jesus at the conclusion of His trial, "What is truth?"

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Jesus gives us the definition of truth: Ultimate truth is the word of God! Notice Jesus also said in the same chapter,

John 17:8   For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

"I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me." This is one of the ways that ultimate truth came through Jesus Christ. He brought words from God that had never been heard on planet earth before. As one example, think of what He told Nicodemus,

John 3:3-7   Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Who had ever heard of a man being "born" the second time? Like all natural men, Nicodemus was thinking along scientific lines (that which is possible in the material realm) when he asked how could a man be born of his mother's womb a second time? But Jesus is revealing truth from a realm that cannot be fathomed by natural, scientific methods. Jesus is revealing truth to us that exists beyond the realm of what man can understand with the natural mind. It is truth that is greater than mere facts. It is truth from the realm of the spirit. We must always remember, everything that we call "real" and "material" was created from the realm of the spirit first. Everything that exists came from God. God is a Spirit. By definition, the Creator is greater than that which is created. That means the realm of the spirit is greater than the realm of the material. That means … God's TRUTH is greater than man's FACT.

Jesus revealed TRUTH to man that can never be discovered by scientific, natural means. That is why the just shall live by faith, not by sight. Everything was created by the Word of God. That's why everything will respond to the Word of God when it is spoken by the lips of faith. TRUTH CHANGES FACT! Abraham spoke the promise of God in the face of impossible "facts" in order that the promised child Isaac could be born. Let us be bold in our confession of God's Word like Abraham did so God's promises can be made manifest in our lives. His Word will change the facts currently present in your life.

Sue and I love you and appreciate you.   We thank God for your generous and giving heart.   God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

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