Are we a rock or a sponge? If
you were to put both into a large bowl of water, it would be true that they are
both “in” the water. But if you take the rock out, how much water does it hold?
A couple drops at best, and nothing that was actually inside the rock. On the
other hand, the sponge is not only “in” the water, but the water is “in” the
sponge.
Similarly, we often speak of
being “in” the truth. However, for some this merely means that they are part of
the congregation. When these are tested by trials, they demonstrate that the
truth really was not “in” them. However, those that absorb the truth and make
it a living part of their lives can truly say not only that they are “in” the
truth, but that the truth is “in” them.
(Originally, this was a
object lesson performed from the podium in front of a congregation meeting.
Besides the bowl of water, rock and sponge, I had a small cup and held it under
the rock and then the sponge. I indicated that the cup represented what God
asked from us—not overwhelmingly a lot, just that we love him with
every fiber of our being and that we have compassionate love for our fellow man.
The rock
indicates the hardened disposition of those that refuse to be molded by godly
principles. The sponge
indicates those who truly apply what they learn. Finally, the water in bowl
represents all the counsel of God through the Bible.)
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