The Truth Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun)

This is the first article that a former Nun wrote.  It has since been taken off the internet and I have these articles here (some of them).  I am sorry that I didn't get more.  The link that I got them from no longer exists or they have moved or renamed it, but doing a search I was unable to find it again.

The Truth

Mary Ann Collins
(A Former Catholic Nun)

February 2004

The truth can stand on its own. That is because Jesus Christ is Truth Incarnate. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". (John 14:6) And Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. (John 16:13)

I started out as a secular humanist. (You can read about it in my biography.) My first prayer was, "God, if You're out there, show me." And He did. It was a gradual process that took many years.  Because of that, I am confident that God will also reveal Himself, and His truth, to readers who ask Him to. Therefore, as you read my book and articles, I encourage you to pray and ask God to show you the truth. Also, pray when you read the writings of other people. The Apostle Paul said,

"...your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:5)

I am asking God to use His power to show you and me what is true and what is not true. We all need that -- all the time.  God is powerful enough to open our eyes when they need to be opened. And He is loving enough to want to do it. The crucial question is, what is more important to us -- the truth, or staying in our comfort zone? If we really want the truth, then God will show it to us. In my book and articles, I ask you to check out my sources for yourself and come to your own conclusions. That is because you and I are responsible for our own lives. We need to base our decisions on our own personal convictions, and not on what somebody else tells us. Some day, you and I will stand before God, and our works will be tested by fire. The Bible says,

"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

When you and I stand before God, we will not be able to give excuses based on what somebody else told us. God expects us to test everything. The Bible says,

"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

According to "Strong's Concordance," the word "prove" means "to test." We have to test everything ourselves. We cannot depend on "experts" to do it for us. And we cannot hide behind "experts" when we stand before God.  The Bible promises that if we really want wisdom, and we ask God for it, then He will give it to us. The Apostle James says,

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

So as you read, please ask God to give you wisdom, and to reveal His truth to you. And ask Him to reveal Himself to you, to help you understand His nature and His character.  May the Lord lead us all into a greater understanding of His truth.

USE OF THIS ARTICLE

I encourage you to link to this article. You have permission to quote from this article, as long as you do it fairly and accurately. You have permission to make copies of this article for friends and for use in classes.

Copyright 2004 by Mary Ann Collins. All rights reserved.