Hebrews 10:39 We do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.
When the trailer of a movie illustrates the back-story as a “true-story” of a sinking ship, our expectancy of the film changes. The characters become real and an automatic emotional connection to the ethos is initiated. While watching “The Titanic”, the unsinkable British Luxury cruise ship, our hearts sink to witness the pompous glorious giant plummet into the freezing ocean. Even though there are fictional elements to the historic event, the demographics, dialogues and disaster in the movie takes us back to the disastrous Titanic tragedy. A true-story leaves deep lasting memories in the hearts of those who watch the movie.
The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Every episode, chapter, narrative and book highlights the nature of Jesus. The truth in the pages of the scripture will transform our thinking and renew our mind only if we believe the essence of the truth, with our hearts. Romans 10:10a for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness. Faith is not an intellectual or a mind issue; it is the condition of our heart. It is a spiritual gift. Faith sprouts from the heart. Sceptics and agnostics struggle to believe the Word of God as they assess the truth with their mind/intellect. Faith is strengthened as we meditate on the Word of God and our emotions are fastened to the truth that we believe in.
The truth about the back-story changes our life-story:
1. Emotions: Emotions are a result of the truth that our hearts believe. Ephesians 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Callous heart results in a darkened mind. Both during Biblical times and now, it is the highly educated and intelligent scholars who struggle to accept the truth as they try to understand the unlimited love of the Saviour with their limited brains/intellect. Truth does not need intelligent investigation or clever analysis. Emotions mirror the truth that is embedded in our heart.
2. Ethos: The truth of the back-story captivates our hearts and changes the ethos. Our environment is controlled by the truth that our heart is anchored to. Before the power of God flows into our atmosphere, it must first invade our hearts and renew our minds. The scriptures that conduct our lives will cascade into our ethos. Truth changes our environment and ethos.
3. Empower:Movies based on real life events average about 65%. The psychology behind it is simple; the audience prefer to watch truth in action rather than be bluffed with fictions. While fictions entertain; true-stories transform. Similarly, the truth of God’s word saves, delivers, restores and empowers. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. Truth empowers.
The Bible is a compilation of the truth proven historically, chronologically and contextually. The back-story of the Bible is a true love-story of our Divine Saviour who gave His life to redeem His children from sin.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to anchor my trust in You and Your Word rather than to put my confidence in my intellect, emotions or reasoning. Amen.
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