The Path of Truth Forum

In the "Miserable" topic, under "Miscellaneous" of the TPOT Forum, Ronnie brought up that it is always time to "look to Him". Jason asked what did it REALLY mean to "look to Him". I'd like to share my thoughts on this and I think it would be great if all others did too.

Look to Him. This is a command of all creation. As we have come to learn, there is a spiritual reality as real and apart of the physical. To "look" to the Lord is a spiritual command. We can't see our invisible Father with our physical eyes because He is Spirit.

Lyrics from the song:
"Look to Him
When the times are looking grim
Look to Him
Look to Jesus when the light is burning dim
Whenever trouble comes around
And from Heaven there's no sound
Look to Him."

These are spiritual things we go through. I believe to "look to Him" means to trust Him.

"Trust and obey, trust and obey.. to be happy in Jesus, you must trust and obey."

I think Jason's question has to do with the fact that even in organized churches they tell people to "look to Him," and no one or very few seem to know what that is about in reality. Like William puts it, the invisible God cannot be seen with our physical eyes, and therefore it must be a spiritual commandment appealiing to faith.

We know this is not about phylosophy or a psycho-analysis of the Lord's ways, but if one ignores what a commandment is about, how will they obey it? One of our Honduran friends (Reyna) has asked me several times, "What is 'to look to the Lord'? If I knew exactly how that works, I would do it..."

I don't mean to judge her by her words here, but when we need to ask what it is, we really are not intent in doing it. We read in Colossians 3:1-2 " If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth." There's no call to look at a shape or an idealistic physical form of the Lord, but it talks about "the things which are above," instead of those on the earth, the ones Satan and "normal" men savor.

I sin when I savor or lust after the things on the earth, but turning from those things and my appetites to a clean mind are surely things that are above, and it would be one example of "look to Him." Feeling miserable for our sins may be a thing from above, but not if we cannot appreciate He is our cleanser, the One Who makes us Holy and is in the process of perfecting us. So either we focus on our miserable natures or we focus on His mercy and holiness and refrain from all kind of evil, trustin He gives us the strength to do so.

Of course, it's easier said than done, and I know it by experience, but here it is - my contribution to this thread, which is a good opportunity to share and/or be corrected when needful.

Amen, William and Edwin. Here's an excerpt that has application to the discussion:

"Those you call “seekers” seek because they do not want the truth. They would rather continue seeking than find. In their seeking they manifest insincere sincerity.

Is that the way you are? Are you more interested in the search than the discovery? Are you afraid of what you may discover if you find?

The carnal man would sooner continue to search than to find God, because he or she knows what it means to find. Instinctively he or she knows that to find means death, and he or she would rather live. So that person will continue to “sincerely seek after the truth,” keeping his or her life. He or she will make a big show of his or her seeking, as if seeking is valuable in and of itself. “See, I am seeking after the truth. How sincere I am! How pious! Surely God will see me and honor my sincere seeking.”

Instead, He says:

“Away with you, you hypocrite, I do not know you” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Of such it is written:

“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7 KJV).

That which you call sincere seeking is a lie. Either that, or God is a liar. He says:

“And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 MKJV).

But your seekers do not find Him. They are “sidetracked.” Here is what the Lord Jesus said about such that He “sidetracks”:

“So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see, because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to Me, says God, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:14-15 GNB).

The truth is that they really do not want to find. Otherwise, they would see, they would hear, they would turn to Him, and He would heal them. Instead, He has shut them up in their sin."

There's more in the paper, "Insincere sincerity".

It would be good, I think, to give the link to the writings we reference.

Yes, sadly enough, like those who like to remain ill or incapacitated for the attention it brings them, so there are those who study the Bible and go to church for psychological and social benefit.

There are also those who think it is piously humble to declare that they haven't arrived but are only learning or searching.

Of course, there's truth mixed with that. There IS a time of searching, but searching in itself is not the goal or destination. And one ought not to presume they know much if they have yet to learn and progress, but there is a place of arrival to begin, is there not? And being true, is there a problem with declaring so?

Hi

Sorry about not posting the link, here it is:

http://www.thepathoftruth.com/teachings ... incere.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Victor Hafichuk wrote:It would be good, I think, to give the link to the writings we reference.

Yes, sadly enough, like those who like to remain ill or incapacitated for the attention it brings them, so there are those who study the Bible and go to church for psychological and social benefit.

There are also those who think it is piously humble to declare that they haven't arrived but are only learning or searching.

Of course, there's truth mixed with that. There IS a time of searching, but searching in itself is not the goal or destination. And one ought not to presume they know much if they have yet to learn and progress, but there is a place of arrival to begin, is there not? And being true, is there a problem with declaring so?

A mile marker...?

Victor Hafichuk wrote: Of course, there's truth mixed with that. There IS a time of searching, but searching in itself is not the goal or destination. And one ought not to presume they know much if they have yet to learn and progress, but there is a place of arrival to begin, is there not? And being true, is there a problem with declaring so?

Wouldn't it depend on the motive? If someone is truly searching and says so, it's one thing but for someone who is justifying themselves and where they are at by saying so, it's another.