Truth, Freedom

John 8:31-32, 36

Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.  And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be indeed be free."

Two important words here..."truth" and "free".  In order to fully understand this passage of Scripture, we mus first attempt to understand both terms.

TRUTH

We'll start with "truth".  What is "truth"?  What a question.  Mankind has been asking that question for centuries if not millennia.  Some have tried to make it relative, situational. Others have gotten no further than to ask the question, "What is it?"  Greater people, philosophers and theologians, smarter people than I have asked the question so I'm not sure I will be able to answer the question in the few paragraphs of this blog entry.  As a matter of fact, I will say positively that I will not be able to satisfactorily answer the question in the minds of everyone.  I can say assuredly, however, that if we truly seek Him for truth, we will find it. 

Looking at Scripture, in his response to Thomas's question in John 14, Jesus responded, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  In 1 Chronicles 26:9, instruction was given that, "...if you seek Him, He will be found (by you)."  Yet another example in Isaiah 55 comes with the instructions to, "seek the Lord while He may be found."  Pulling the Scripture together, this tells me that if we seek Him (Truth) we will find Him (Truth).  We find Him, not because we are such excellent "seekers" but rather because He wants to be found.  It's kind of like playing hide and seek with a 2 year old child.  We don't find the darkest corner of the room, hide ourselves in the most discreet, super-secret location,do we?  No.  We sit right in front of the child, cover our eyes or his with our hands and ask, "Where's baby?  Where are you?"  We then drop our hands and excitedly proclaim, "Peek-a-boo!  Here I am!  you found me!"  The child finds us, not because of they are excellent hide and seeker's, but because we place ourselves in a position to be found.  He is the same way.  He does not conceal Himself from us in such a way to keep us from finding Him. He is not avoiding us.  He wants us to find Him.  He places Himself in a position to be found.  That's why he says that if we seek Him, we will find him!  How awesome is that?!

It may sound somewhat confusing, but I do not believe "truth" is something that can be quantified with words. I do not believe "truth" is relative.  I believe in only ONE "truth".  But I also do not believe it is a concept that can be given a definition with which everyone will agree.  Someone will always disagree with the definition or context.  I do believe, however, that it can be sensed, felt, known; not in a person's mind, brain or with some type of physical understanding.  It is known in the heart, in the spirit.  When a person finds "truth" it is confirmed in a man's spirit.  It is known in the heart.  It's just "right".  Whatever the physical definition of "truth," Jesus said in His own words in John 8 that He is the "Truth" and that finding, knowing and living the "Truth" would make us free.

FREE

What does it mean to be "free"?

Again, different people will have differing opinions of the definition of "free(dom)".  Although there are many definitions of the term "free,"  for the purpose of this discussion, we'll discuss freedom as it pertains to the practice of slavery.  At one time in our nation's history, as in the histories of many other societies, people were allowed to own other people.  Despite our Declaration of Independence which states that "all men are created equal," for some reason, men thought it was acceptable to purchase and treat other human beings as chattel, treating them as no more than, and in some cases, even lower that cattle and other livestock.  Then, on January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, using his war powers, issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  In effect, this executive order proclaimed freedom for over 3 million slaves.  Human beings who had to ask permission of another human being to do anything and who were required to do anything they were told no longer had to do so.  No man could legally own another man.  It would be many, many years until the full extent of their freedom was realized and many died having never experienced true freedom.  But this was the beginning...President Lincoln's proclamation of freedom.

One of my favorite dissertations on freedom is found in the writings of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians chapter 5 verse 1.  It reads, "So Christ has really set us free.  Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law."  Christ's proclamation of our freedom came on the cross when he spoke those famous 3 words, "It is finished."  His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins; past, present and future.  His blood reached back in time and redeemed the Old Testament prophets and believers who had looked forward in faith for a Savior as well as reaching forward in time to cover the sins of people who were as yet unborn.

Hebrews 9:12 says, "Once for all time He took blood to that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves.  He took His own blood, and with it He secured our salvation forever."  WOW!  Jesus Christ is the fulcrum of time.  Everything hinges on Him.  The saints of old...Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Daniel, David, Solomon, and the others depended on the blood of Jesus being taken to that Most Holy Place to secure their salvation just like all of those who, like you and I, came after His death.  We are not "free" from sin because of anything we do or can do.  We are "free" because of the shedding of His blood and that alone.  Paul's letter to the Romans declares that Abraham did not earn righteousness, rather it was "imputed" or "declared" to him because of his faith in the Savior, Jesus who had not yet come. 

This is the reaching that Paul had been imparting to the Galatians; that salvation (freedom) comes only through faith in Christ and not through any human effort or works of the Law.  However, after they had received Paul's revelation and he had then left them to go spread the Good News to other churches, false teachers had come in to teach that in addition to the blood of Jesus, they must also keep certain elements of the Law of Moses, particularly the rite of circumcision.  Paul's response to this teaching is very clear.  Galatians 5:2-4 says, "Listen!  I, Paul, tell you this:  If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you.  I'll say it again.  If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses.  For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ!  You have fallen away from God's grace."  One cannot find salvation, or freedom, from sin by adhering to the Law!  Paul even went so far as to say in verse 1 of this same chapter that people who are chasing the Law are in slavery!  Can freedom exist in slavery?  Slavery is bondage.  Slavery represents punishment, oppression and death!  While addressing this topic in Galatians 3:1, 3 Paul wrote, "Oh foolish Galatians!  What magician has cast an evil spell on you?  For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I has shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross...Have you lost your senses?  After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?"  Sound pretty plain to me what Paul is saying.  True freedom cannot be earned or bought!  

Only once we know Christ can we know "truth."  And then only when we accept what Christ did for us as the only payment needed for sin and apply it to our lives as He intended can we know what it is to be "free."  Not free from one thing (sin) only to be died again into bondage to another (the Law or works), or, on the other hand, also no free to sin and do whatever the flesh desires.  Paul admonished that line of thinking, too, when he asked the rhetorical question in his letter to the Romans 1:1, "What shall we say then?  Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?"  and then by answering it with a resounding "GOD FORBID" in the very next verse.  Instead, we are free to live lives full of HIS righteousness.  Freebe forgiven.  Free to serve Him without fear of retribution.  Free to do good works because it is an extension of who we are and not as a result of trying to earn salvation and His favor.  Free to live in His presence. Free to follow Him.  Free to live in His blessings.  Free to be His and free to grow in Him.

Question:  Do you now Him?  Really know him?  Are you free?  Truly free"  Are you struggling to do the right things?  Are you trying hard to please Him by keeping a set of rules and regulations by finding yourself failing more than succeeding?  Are your efforts making you feel like a failure because you can't seem to live up to the standards the the Laws set?  This may sound controversial, but let me urge you to try something different.  STOP TRYING.  Take human effort out of hte equation.  Christ fulfilled the sacrifice the Law required as payment for sin.  Place all of your trust, all of your confidence in Him.  Depend on His efforts alone.  Relax.  Let his blood cover your sins.  let His forgiveness cover you.  Take "you" out of the equation and make it all about Him.  Trust me.  Once you find yourself fully depending on Him and not yourself for righteousness, only then can you know the Truth and only then can you be free indeed.