The Liberating Truth Is Christ

“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).