Free Indeed

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32, ESV)

Truth is the combination to the lock that keeps us confined, or bound, or trapped.

But as Jesus pressed into this truth with the Pharisees in the 8^th chapter of John, the conversation intensified, and the defensiveness of the religious elite boiled over.

“Freedom from what?”

They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

What Jesus makes abundantly and painfully clear is that the pathway to freedom starts with a confession of guilt. If truth unlocks, than a self-righteous and false narrative about myself keeps the key to freedom out of reach.

Arrogance is a prison that has no visiting hours for truth.

It listens only to the echo of its own voice.

And Jesus had no room for it. He called it what it was… lies. And worse yet, lies birthed from the Father of Lies (John 8:44).

Truth torches the dry timber of my self-sufficient and comfortable views, perspectives, and biases. Simply put, if I don’t want to disrupt this safety, I better stay far away from the flames… from truth.

Truth is more like a cheese grater, than a flannel sheet. It confronts the lies and lifestyle issues in me that contradict the character of God. The planets of God’s attributes revolve around the sun of truth.

Justice. Holiness. Omnipotence. Omniscience. Righteousness. Infinite. Love…

These attributes exist in the orbit of truth. They matter because they are true.

And the tendency of the human heart, as Paul reminds us in Romans 1 is to…

exchange the truth about God for a lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

We worship ourselves. Our views. Our perspectives. Our reality. Our comfort. Our position.

Jesus made liars uncomfortable with the truth. He didn’t pick fights, He let the truth do that. And frankly, the truth still picks fights. And not just in the public square, but in the deepest recesses of my heart.

This is why King David invites scrutiny.

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
                             Try me and know my thoughts!
              And see if there be any grievous way in me,
                             and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)

Before we judge others… we invite self-examination.
Before we impute motive… we test our own thoughts.
Before we assign blame… we examine our own posture and position.

Before the truth can set us free… it requires that we admit that we’re prisoners.

Confession precedes liberation.

Independence Day… but only for those who embrace the truth.