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John 8.32 (NIV)
“Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.”
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| Knowing the truth . . . is crucial to freedom from deception.* |
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Jesus
always chose his words carefully. He knew his audience and he knew how to push
their buttons. In this instance, he got
the attention of “the Jews who believed him” (verse 31) by mentioning
freedom. They became indignant at the
implication that they were slaves. “We have never been slaves to anyone,” they
claimed. Really? What about Egypt? What
about Babylon? What about Rome?
Slaves
are not always downtrodden and miserable, and so they might not feel a need to be
liberated. Some who are in forced
bondage are able to rise above their condition and function almost as if they
were free. If it were true that “ignorance is bliss,” then why would Jesus
bother to shake us loose from our complacency? If we aren’t aware of the bars,
are we really a prisoner?
As
someone has observed, “Nobody can be truly better off from believing and
advocating a lie.”* While truth and freedom are inseparable,* perhaps
we can’t fully appreciate the value of the concept until we realize that we have
been in bondage to a lie. Have you ever lived with guilt, believing that God
could never forgive you? Have you ever thought that you would finally be happy
if only . . . ? Have you ever been involved in a twisted, obsessive
relationship and thought it was love? When we believe something that isn’t
true, it holds us captive, separating us from our joy. But when we learn the
truth, we are set free. When Jesus boldly proclaimed that he is the Truth, he redefined freedom.*
Knowing about the truth is not
the same as knowing him. Get to know him and get a taste of freedom.
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| Satan uses lies to bring us into bondage and that bondage leads to destruction; but God uses truth to bring us into freedom and that freedom leads to fulfillment.* |
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