The Truth Will Set You Free
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September 24, 2007 |
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 "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32).
From the Bible we find that God gave the Israelites freedom through the Exodus. Establishing Moses as their leader, God set free the people of Israel from bondage. God also promised them political independence and economic prosperity as long as they feared Him and obeyed all His commandments (Deuteronomy 28). God's Word and promise also apply to His children today.
What is the true freedom we are to enjoy? Our true freedom is found in serving and living together with God and it is also the shortcut to leading a life of blessing.
Jesus tells us in John 8:32 that "the truth will make you free." This is so because we were destined to eternal death on account of our sins but, by accepting Jesus Christ, we have since been set free from sin and death, received eternal life, and arrived at salvation. Without knowing this kind of truth, it may appear as though we have redemption in the truth. However, the more we know the truth, the greater freedom, joy, and peace we will experience.
Let us delve into "knowing the truth" and how we can enjoy freedom in the truth.
1.The truth is...
Truth is genuine and steadfast throughout eternity. Truth must also be life. Just as light and darkness cannot coexist, truths and lies cannot exist together.
Before we knew the truth, we were taught that the "truth" was found in teachings of such men as Confucius, Mencius, Aristotle, and the like. However, as such teachings are in line only with the time in which they lived and do not provide true life, they can never be "truth."
What, then, can be universally acknowledged as the unchanging, time-and-space-transcending "truth"?
All things in the universe change with the passing of time. Yet, God the Creator alone remains unchanging and as He leads us onto the path to eternal life, only His Word is "the truth."
2.Significance of Knowing the Truth
What does mean for one to say, "I know the truth"? Most people say they "know" something as they learn and store the knowledge or information in their head. However, the Bible's definition of "knowing" the truth does not refer to our storing up the truth as knowledge in our brain cells; that will only be another piece of knowledge. Only when we store the truth in our heart and put it into practice can we say we "know the truth."
On his first day at school, a child is filled with curiosity, dreams, and hopes for the new environment and learning. As the studies become increasingly difficult, however, some children seem to enjoy studying more while others seem to dislike studying altogether.
By the same token, during the course of people's life in Christ, some gladly rid themselves of untruths and live by the truth while others do not. If one finds it difficult to live by the truth, it means that there is still much untruth left in his heart.
When we did not know the truth, our hearts were filled with untruths and we lived in accordance with the law of the flesh, the law of death. When we come to know the truth and realize that living by the law of the Holy Spirit is the way to life and salvation, the law of the flesh and the law of the Holy Spirit within us begin waging war against each other (Romans 7:23).
This is the war to gain freedom in the truth, and this war will continue until the heart is solidified and stands on an unshakable foundation. As we approach closer to obtaining faith that is like a foundation, the fighting becomes easier. Furthermore, when we are victorious in this war, we will be able to enjoy true freedom.
During the war against ourselves, however, a sense of emptiness and affliction may find our way. In order to defeat this and be victorious in joy and thanksgiving, we must diligently put the truth into practice. On top of that, in order to receive the strength to live by the truth, we must pray without ceasing.
The fight is difficult when the strengths of the law of the flesh and the law of the Holy Spirit are on a level. If you keep arming yourself with the truth, however, the law of the Holy Spirit will eventually overtake and rule over the law of the flesh, at which point you will no longer feel weary or the emptiness and affliction in the heart.
The fact that you feel afflicted in the heart until the law of the Holy Spirit rules over the law of the flesh itself is a blessing; you must feel the affliction and the sense of emptiness in order to find out why you feel that way, continue the fight, and be victorious.
As they do not know the truth or give heed to God's Word, there are those who do not even feel afflicted or empty. Therefore, when we continue the fight in faith, we will feel empty and afflicted. When we are victorious, all untruths and darkness will be driven away and we will thus no longer feel empty and afflicted.
3.Gaining Freedom in the Truth
As each country has its own set of laws, each company its own policies, and each church its own laws, wherever we find ourselves, we must abide by the law, rules, and regulations enforced in each organization or society. Abiding by the law without being coerced or commanded to do so comes naturally to those whose lives are marked by this sort of behavior, and their behavior will warrant them freedom and protection from the law.
For instance, people who always obey the traffic laws will have freedom in the law and never be concerned or alarmed at the sight of a police cruiser on the road. Those who are willing to break the law depending on the circumstances or who have already disobeyed the law will enjoy no freedom since the law will be a snare for them.
Likewise, those who abide by God's Word and put it into practice will not find it at all difficult to carry out their whole duties before God. Arming up with the truth and living in the truth will warrant the individual freedom in the truth. When you are not living in the truth, winning the war is a difficult process; when you are living in the truth, the freedom you enjoy in the truth will make the war progress swimmingly in your favor.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:30, "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." God's law is designed and intended not to restrict our lives or make them difficult, but to set us free from sin and death and place on the path to eternal life.
James 1:25 reminds us, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
As the truth is the perfect law that gives freedom, we must always abide by the law of the truth so that we will never allow ourselves to submit to the law of any other creature or untruth.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, by making bread of and putting into practice God's Word – the truth itself – may each of you not only give great glory to God but also lead a blessed life in which you enjoy the freedom in the truth, in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
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