Dr Freddy Boey started by stating that Grace and Truth came through Jesus (John 1:14, 17). In John 4:24 it says that we worship God “in Spirit and in Truth”. The Bible also calls the Holy Spirit as the Advocate of Truth (John 15:26) and Truth came to us as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How do we know about grace and the Holy Spirit? These truths are revealed to us in the “Logos” which is the written word of God, the scriptures.
We need to see grace and truth in an integrated way. Each of them is inclusive of the other. Take for example, one cannot be cheating and at the same time, be praising God for the wealth gained through such means. Becoming rich through lottery or a sinister way is not God’s way to prosperity. God’s ways do not contradict His written word.
Dr Freddy highlighted that “Rhema” (which is the personalized word of God for the believer) cannot be without “Logos”. It is insufficient to have only the “Rhema” word and not understand the “Logos” (which is the written word of God). Prophecies and convictions from God need to be checked with the “Logos”. Our spiritual walk requires both the Spirit and the Truth to be fruitful in the long run.
He shared briefly on how he has encountered God through the Holy Spirit during one of the Sunday Services in Riverlife Church and through the “Logos” by devoting himself to the study of God’s Word. He mentioned that one who is filled with the Spirit should also be aligned with the word of God. It is imperative to let the word of God guide us through the Holy Spirit.
Dr Freddy further shared about two areas which believers face:
1) Mammon
Matthew 8:20 says “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Mammon refers to money, possessions which include the insatiable greed or desire to engage in activities for the purpose to gain wealth. If you want to follow Christ do not expect to become a millionaire. Serving God is not about money. It is a sacrificial service.
2) Integrity
Integrity is generally regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. We judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold. When there is integrity, it builds trust and respect.
Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” And in Psalms 15:1-2, it says “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.” From here, we learn that integrity and truth are related. Truth, the “Logos” can shape our views which influence how we react to the situations we face every day. That is why we let what we say and do be consistent with what we believe which should be aligned with Truth, the “Logos” word of God. We must not neglect the word of God.
Let us examine if we need to re-calibrate ourselves with both the Spirit and the Truth so that our faith can sustain us in our spiritual journey without falling into the lure of mammon or compromise on integrity.
Discussion Questions
1a. Why is it important to know the “Logos” or Truth? [5 min]
1b. How is knowing the Truth related to our relationship with God? [5 min]
2a. What could have led Christians to neglect and know the Word of God (“Logos”)? [10 min]
2b. What does this tell us on how to prepare a new believer to get into the Word of God? [5 min]
3. In our Christian walk, how will our faith be affected if we seek after the manifestation of God’s power and presence only? [10 min]
4. What would others say of your integrity quotient (IQ)? How much of the bible is evident in your daily life? [10 min]
