“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father’" (John 8:31-38, NIV).
Do you know the truth?
How would you know if it is the truth? Is it important to know it?
Before Christ was crucified, He had faced Pilate and told him, “’You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked...” (John 18:37-38, NIV.)
Is it an innate desire in every man to hunger for the truth? Or, could we go on in this life without bothering ourselves with it?
Should we concern ourselves if we are living in the truth or not?
Anyway, according to Christ, it is possible for us to know the truth. He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH…”
It is encouraging to note that our educational attainment, financial status, physical skill or ability is not a requisite to know the truth.
But, is it really necessary for us to know the truth? Why?
He said that “the truth will set you free”! That’s how important the truth is. If you want to experience and enjoy freedom, you have to know the truth.
You can do whatever you like, be wherever you desire, have whatever you want, even plan whatever you dream – but in the absence of truth, you are NOT free!
Perhaps, we can argue in the same tune with the Jews – “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.” – we may say, “We are living in a democratic country…” “We are not under the rule of any country…” or we can even say, “We have the so-called Free Moral Agency – we have our freedom of the will, or free choice – “How can you say that we shall be set free?”
Jesus answered, “…everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”
Paul wrote: “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin” (Rom. 7:14, NIV).
Speaking of false teachers, Peter also wrote: “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity -- for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2 Peter 2:18-19, NIV).
Because of sin, we are confined in the spiritual darkness and we failed to enjoy the heavenly light. Because of sin, we are just contented to “eat” the “spiritual refuse” and declined to savor the Bread of Life. Because of sin, we are hindered to approach the Most Delightful Being and, thus, unable to rejoice in His joyful Presence.
Sin darkened our reasoning, our human will, or choice that we prefer to be satisfied with the temporal and even deceiving pleasure of this world.
And how can we have freedom from sin? Said Jesus: “the truth will set you free."
But Pilate asked, “What is truth?”
Jesus clarifies what or who the “truth” is. According to Him, “…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
He is the Truth!
Jesus said, “I am the way and THE TRUTH and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” ( John 14:6, NIV).
Because He is the Truth, His Words are also the truth. “…your word is truth” (John 17:17, NIV). He told Pilate, “…I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” We also read in Ps. 119:160, “All your words are true” (NIV). He also said in John 8:45, “I tell the truth” (NIV). And because He is the Truth, His Spirit is also the truth. “…And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth” (1 John 5:6, NIV).
We cannot have spiritual freedom by own selves. No one else can set us free. Only Jesus Christ can set us free from the slavery of sin.
But does everyone hunger for the truth? Does everyone want to be free – especially from sin?
According to Christ, there are those who “have no room” for His word. They “are unable to hear what I say” ( John 8:43, NIV).
There are those who "have no room" -- who "are unable to hear" -- the turth! He also told Pilate, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Then, those who are not “on the side of truth” do not listen to Him. Who are those who are not on the side of the truth?
He identified them in John 8:47, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God" (NIV). They are those who “do not belong to God.” And according to Christ in John 10:26-27, they “are not my sheep.”
We find also these words of the Truth in John 3:18-21:
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God" (NIV).
If ever we would come to the Truth – who is Christ – it is necessary first for Him to make Himself known to us.
Notice what He said in Matt 11:27-28, “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (NIV).
Also, Paul wrote: “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to REVEAL HIS SON IN ME so that I might preach him among the Gentiles…” (Gal. 1:15-16, NIV.)
So great is the need for us to become more familiar with Christ , Who is the Truth. The more we are familiar with Him, the more we’ll realize He’s really worth loving – our love and admiration for Him will grow – and we will surely be attracted to come and remain in Him. And once in His Presence, we’ll be “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8, NIV).
Nothing is more worth knowing than to know the Truth!
Paul wrote, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ… I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST…” ( Phil. 3:8-10, NIV).
Peter added, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18, NIV).
Know Christ, for He alone can set us free. Through Him, we have the freedom to behold the dazzling light of the Glorious God. Through Him, we have the freedom to partake of and be satisfied with the Bread that came down from heaven. Through Him, we have freedom to approach God’s Presence, wherein David declared: “Complete joy is in your presence. Pleasures are by your side forever” (Psalm 16:11, God’s Word). And through Him, we have the freedom to choose to come and remain in Him.
PRAYER: Our Merciful Father – the God of Truth -- who had drawn us to Your Word of Truth, in order that we may appreciate and enjoy the Divine freedom of becoming more acquainted with Your Glory, we do exalt Your Name with great joy of deliverance and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
