The Truth Will Make You Free

One's freedom is based on one's acceptance of truth.  The more one embraces truth, the freer one will be.

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). It is knowledge of the truth and applying it to one's life that makes one free.  The converse is also true: the lie shall make one a prisoner.

Suppose you had an uncle who died and left you a huge sum of money.  Suppose, however, that you did not know what your uncle had done for you.  You would not know to lay claim to your inheritance. You would remain a prisoner of your poverty.

Jesus Christ died and left us an amazing inheritance of eternal life in the hereafter and countless blessings to enjoy on this earth. But if we are unaware of this truth, we will remain in bondage to sickness, poverty, and moral and political ideologies that imprison us intellectually, morally, and, sometimes, physically.

The amazing thing about Jesus is not only that He offers us truth; He IS Truth. He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). 

One of the greatest lies of this age is that there are many roads to salvation. This is a lie that keeps people in bondage and will take them straight to hell.  There is only one way to be saved, and that way is through Jesus Christ.  He Himself said so.  Believing this truth will set you free.

If you don't believe me, or if you still have doubts, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you.  He will. :)
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Copyright 2014 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio.  All Rights Reserved.

Are You a Prisoner of These Lies?

Many lies are being perpetrated today in the name of tolerance.  Here are a few:

1) All belief systems lead to God.
2) A good God would not allow people to go to Hell.
3) As long as I am a good person, I will go to Heaven.

Please allow me to address each of these lies since believing one or all of them will result in your eternal damnation.

1) First, the lie that all belief systems lead to God.  All belief systems are not equal in the sense that all do not teach the truth.  What is the truth?  The truth is a Person named Jesus Christ.  He said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).

To believe anything that contradicts that Christ is the Truth is to believe a lie.

Jesus taught that there is only one way for man to be saved, and that way is to accept Him as the Savior.  In the Gospel of John, chapter one, verse 12, the Word tells us that ". . . to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."  One cannot enter God's family without accepting Jesus Christ, the Door to the family.

2) Second, the lie that a good God would not allow people to go to Hell.  The truth is that God does not send anyone to hell.  A person sends himself to hell.  Hell is the tormenting absence of God. When one moves away from God, one moves toward Hell.  The less of God one has in one's life, the more of Hell one has in one's life.  There will come a point at which the decision to remain estranged from God will be a permanent one. That point is called death. Thereafter, Hell will be a permanent state for the person who has chosen not to follow Christ while on this earth.

3) Third, the lie that as long as I am a good person, I will go to Heaven.  Getting to Heaven has nothing to do with what we do, but it has everything to do with what Jesus Christ has done. No matter how many good works we do, they will not get us into Heaven.  Why?  Because our good works mean nothing in relation to our sin.  Our good works can never erase the sin nature from our hearts. Only God can do that, and He did it through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ took our place and paid the price for our sin.  He became our scapegoat because of His infinite love for us.  He knew we could never earn salvation on our own, so He earned it for us.  All we have to do is believe and receive that salvation.

The time is short before the return of Jesus Christ to judge the earth.  Please take to heart what I have written.  Please research it for yourself.  Most of all, please ask God to reveal His truth to you so that you may have eyes to see and ears to hear.

If you have any questions, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com.  My prayer is that you will know the truth that will set you free (John 8:32).

You Can Spot a Counterfeit

Have you ever considered that for every counterfeit, there has to be a real?  For example, the fact that counterfeit money exists means that real money has to exist. Otherwise, there could be no counterfeit money. 

The same is true in the philosophical realm. The fact that lies exist means that truth has to exist. Otherwise, there would be no lies.

The critical question for us becomes, then, how do we tell the difference between the truth and the lie? And why is knowing the difference so important?

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing the difference between truth and falsehood has everything to do with our freedom. If the truth makes us free, then the lie makes us slaves. 

But how do we know what is true and what is false?  Again, Jesus tells us how.  "Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17).  Jesus is saying that the Word of God, the Holy Bible, is Truth.  So, if we want to learn how to recognize what is true, we can go to the Holy Bible.  Everything written therein is Truth. 

As we go about our daily lives, we will face situations where we need to know if what we are hearing is a lie or the truth. All we have to do is measure what we hear by the standard of the Word of God. If what we hear agrees with the Word of God, then it is true. If what we hear contradicts the Word of God, then it is false.

I like to tell a little story to illustrate this concept.  When my husband hangs a picture for me, he asks me if the picture is straight.  I may tell him that the picture is tilted to the right.  My husband may think the picture is tilted to the left. 

Since we are not sure who is right, we go get the level.  The level is an instrument that measures whether something is straight or not. The level does not lie. It tells us the truth about the position of the picture.

The Bible is the level for determining whether a philosophy or a concept is true or false. The next time you are not sure whether what you are hearing or reading is true or false, get out your Bible and measure what you have heard or read by the level of the Word of God.  His level will always keep you from deception and, in so doing, keep you free.

Re-Programming Your Mind for Emotional Health

Jesus tells us in John 8:32 that the truth will set us free. What is the truth? First of all, the truth is a Person: Jesus Christ. He said, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life" (John 14:6, emphasis mine). So, to know Jesus Christ is to know Truth personified.

Finding truth, therefore, begins with finding Christ. And finding Christ simply means to accept Him as the Son of God who alone can save us from sin and all of its consequences. One of the consequences of sin is a hurting heart. So when we accept Jesus Christ as the only One Who can save us, we are accepting the Truth that alone can set us free not only from sin but also from all of the consequences of sin.  One such major consequence is a hurting heart.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us a new spirit, and His Holy Spirit begins to live in our new spirit. Our spirit is the core of our being, the essence of who we really are.  When we accept Christ and He gives us a new spirit (called being "born again"), our new spirit is perfect and holds all that we need to overcome in life.  But our souls (mind, will, and emotions) must be renewed in order to experience the benefits that now dwell inside our spirits.  This renewal process involves reprogramming our thinking to align with God's thinking. God's thinking is found in the Holy Bible, also called His Word or the Word of God.

As we renew our minds by studying and applying God's Word to our lives, we will experience greater emotional health and physical well-being.

How Free Do You Want to Be?

How free do you want to be? Interesting question, isn't it? You may even think it's a ridiculous question. Of course, you want to be as free as you can be.  Who doesn't?

But did you know that the degree to which you are free from emotional pain is entirely up to you?

Now, if my statement offended you, give yourself a chance to reconsider. Our emotional freedom depends on our choices.  Yes, you read that right.  Our emotional freedom depends on our choices.

Choice is a function of the will. God created each of us with a free will. While we may not be able to control what happens to us, we can always control how we respond to what happens to us.  And therein lies the potential for emotional freedom.

What does it mean to be emotionally free? It means to be free of the turmoil, the pain, the anguish, the conflicts, the fear, and the struggles of a troubled soul.  To be emotionally free means to experience peace, joy, satisfaction, fulfillment, hope, and the expectation of good things.

But how do we get to the point of emotional freedom? We get there by first recognizing that we cannot heal ourselves.  We need a Healer.  The good news is that we have a Healer, and His Name is Jesus Christ.

After we recognize that Jesus Christ alone is our Healer, we need to embrace Him and surrender to His will for our lives.  His will for us is that we be totally healed in spirit, soul, and body.  He wants you totally well. But not only does He want you totally well; He has also provided all that you need to be well in His Holy Word, the Bible.

The Bible gives clear instructions on how to be free of emotional baggage. It gives clear direction on how to be healed. The more you study the Bible and apply it to your life, the freer you will be.  In fact, you will be free to the degree that you believe and act on the Word of God.

So ask yourself this question: How free do I really want to be? Then when you've asked yourself that question, ask yourself this one: Am I willing to allow Jesus Christ into my life, to follow Him, and to obey Him?  If you answered yes, then you are on your way to total freedom.

What Is Controlling Your Life?

Your life is controlled by your thinking, not by your circumstances. Most of us have made the mistake of believing that our circumstances control us and that we are helpless victims of fate. But this is a lie. If we continue to believe this lie, we will never be free of emotional pain.

The truth is that your life is controlled by the space between your ears. In other words, your life is controlled by how you think and what you believe.

The mind is the control center of our lives.  Scripture says, "As a man thinks, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 TLB). 

What are you thinking on a regular basis?

A friend of mine once told me this powerful story about her little son.  When he was three years old, she found him staring out the window.  She said, "Matt, what are you thinking about?"  In the wisdom of children, he replied, "I'm thinking about what I'm thinking about."

Profound advice that we should all take to heart.  How often do we think about what we are thinking about?  How often do we analyze what we are thinking to determine if it aligns with God's Word or not?  If it does not align with God's Word, then it is a lie.  And if it is a lie, we must renounce it and replace it with the truth.

We will remain in bondage spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically to the degree that we believe a lie.  By the same token, we will be free spiritually, emotionally, psychologically,  and physically to the degree that we know and believe the truth. 

The Truth is found in the Holy Bible.  The Truth is Jesus Christ.  He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).  He who finds and follows Jesus finds and follows Life.

If you are hurting today in any way--spiritually, emotionally, psychologically, or physically--turn to Jesus Christ and accept Him into your life.  When you do, you will be accepting freedom in all of its aspects.

Jesus considered you valuable enough  to die for you in order to set you free. But that freedom will never be yours unless you willingly accept His free gift of salvation.  Do so now. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

If you have questions or would like more information, please write to me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com. 

Are You Thinking Straight?

Emotional problems result from believing lies. Since we were designed to function according to truth, any deviation from truth will cause us to malfunction, whether emotionally, physically, or spiritually.

So, the big question becomes What is truth? Truth is defined as "the actual state of a matter" (Dictionary.com).  But herein lies the problem: Who determines what the actual state of a matter is?

For me, the actual state of a matter may be one thing; for you, it may be another.

What this means is that my truth may not be your truth, and vice versa. This way of thinking is called relativism and is a lie.

In our culture, man has taken it upon himself to determine the actual state of a matter. For example, it is common for people to say things like, "Abortion is not an option for me, but it may be an option for you".  Many have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that it is a viable option for terminating a pregnancy. Some have determined that the actual state of the matter about abortion is that abortion at any stage is murder.

The nature of Truth is that it applies to everyone everywhere, equally and indiscriminately.  This means that Truth is absolute, just as gravity is absolute. No matter who you are, if you jump off a roof, you will go down.

Most people don't like the truth that Truth is absolute. In fact, they rebel against it.  But what they don't understand is that by rebelling against absolute Truth, they are hurting themselves. That hurt may not show up right away, but it will always show up eventually.

Man was designed by God to function according to the laws of Truth.  When man deviates from those laws and goes his own way, he will always suffer. There's no escaping this truth.

We need to understand that emotional problems result from rebelling against Truth and insisting upon creating our own truth. Any thinking pattern that deviates from God's thinking pattern will end up hurting us.

God's thinking pattern is found in His Word, the Holy Bible.  If we want to learn how God thinks, then we must read His Word. As we change our thinking to align with God's thinking, we will be moving closer to the Truth and closer to emotional health.

How to Identify the Lies You Are Believing

In this week's post, I am assuming that you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and that you are a believer.  If you have not yet accepted Christ, I urge you to read last week's post entitled "Lies and How They Hinder You".

Today we're going to discuss how to identify the lies that you are believing and that are keeping you in bondage.  Here is a basic rule of thumb in identifying lies:  Any thought you have that contradicts what God says about you is a lie.

So how can you know what thoughts contradict what God says about you?  Great question! A question to which there is an easy answer. But first let me tell you a story.

When a person trains to become a bank teller, she has to learn to recognize counterfeit money.  But, amazingly, she never handles counterfeit money to learn what it feels like. She handles only real money.  And she handles real money so often and so well that if a counterfeit bill should pass through her fingers, she would instantly recognize it as counterfeit. Why?  Because she knows what real money feels like, and she can immediately recognize when false money is in her hands. 

The same is true with us. If we handle God's Word (the Truth) often enough and well enough, we will instantly  recognize the counterfeit (the Lie) that Satan sends our way. 

So the first step in identifying the lies you are believing is to study the Bible.  Read it. Memorize verses. Meditate on the Word. Saturate yourself with it as much as you can so that when Satan throws a lie at you, you will instantly recognize it as a counterfeit.

If you have not formed the habit of reading the Bible every day, start today.  Begin with the Gospel of John in the New Testament.  Read slowly and apply what you read to your personal life.  As you do, you will be handling the Truth and you will be getting to know it well.

Next week, we'll explore what it means to want to get well. 

Lies and How They Hinder Us

If you're like a lot of people, you are walking around with deep emotional pain but you are keeping it to yourself.  You may feel as though you're the only one going through what you're going through.  Sometimes, you may even feel as though you're losing your mind.  If this describes you, take heart. There is a reason for your dilemma, and there is a way out of it.

Please bear with me as I build a foundation for you. This foundation is important to your understanding of what follows and to getting free of your emotional pain.

You are a three-part being. You have a spirit, a soul, and a body. How do I know this? This information is found in the Holy Bible in the First Book of Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 23. I believe that the Bible is God's manual for man and explains who we are, how we function, and how we should live to create a successful life for ourselves.  

When you were born into this world, your spirit was dead. In other words, it was separated from God by what is called original sin.  Original sin is the state of separation from God that resulted when Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying Him. Their disobedience separated them from God and severed their relationship with Him. Because Adam and Eve could pass on to their children only what they were, we inherited their sin nature and are also born into this world separated from God.

But God the Father loved you so much that He sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to give you a new spirit so that you could be reconnected to God.  That is the message of the Gospel, also called the Good News! 

Now before you decide that all of this is nonsense, please hear me out.  

Adam and Eve sinned because they believed a lie that Satan told them, the lie that God was holding out on them by commanding them not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. In reality, God was protecting them. In disobeying God's command, Adam and Eve essentially called God a liar.  The truth was that Satan was the liar.

And he still is. Satan is still whispering lies into people's minds, including yours. But you may not recognize them as Satan's lies. You probably think they are your own thoughts, and sometimes those thoughts drive you nuts. 

If you are in bondage in any way to harassing thoughts, bad habits, or tormenting emotions,  you can be sure that Satan has whispered lies into your mind and that you are believing those lies. The only way to get rid of the harassing thoughts, bad habits, or tormenting emotions is to identify the lies you are believing, renounce those lies, and replace them with the truth.

The first step in doing this is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. If you have never done this, I urge you to do so now.  None of what I will be talking about will make sense nor will it work unless you have accepted Christ.  The reason is that Jesus Christ alone is the Truth.  You will never be free without Jesus Christ because He is the Truth Who sets you free. He Himself said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).  So pray this simple prayer with me now:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You died on a Cross for me, and that You rose from the dead. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Set me free by Your power, by Your Spirit, and by Your Love. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, please let me know so that I can send you some follow-up information. You may reach me at drmaryann@healingthehurtingheart.com.

In future blog posts, we will talk about some of the most common lies that keep people bound. And we will talk about how to identify those lies, renounce them, and replace them with the truth of God's Word.

If this post has helped you, please let me know. And please tell others about Healing the Hurting Heart.