The Truth Sets Us Free!
After years of going snow skiing as a family, we have all decided we are mountain people. The mountains draw us in and speak to us more than any other part of the world. In the winter, the mountains seem so busy with all the skiers on every slope, but at the same time it is busy, it is so quiet. All you hear are the swishing of your skis as they glide through the powder snow. In the summer, the mountains are majestic as the wind wisps through the trees and makes the flowers lean as they bow to their Creator. You can look out and see the vastness of the world. From one angle you may see the bustling town lit up and the other angle you do not see any sign of human life for miles. This quietness makes me feel alive. I breathe easier as I sit in solitude. I am free.
What makes you feel free?
In John 8, Jesus tells us that His truth will set us free. He also says in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life. In a world full of lies, how do we know what is true and what is not so that we can live in freedom from the bondage of all the lies?
The Greek word for “truth” is aletheia, which refers to “divine revelation." It is related to a word that literally means “what can’t be hidden.” This definition brings us to the conclusion that truth is always there. The truth is available and open to all and is never hidden or obscured. The Hebrew word for “truth” is emeth, which means “firmness,” “constancy” and “duration.” The truth never changes and we can rely on the everlasting stability that it gives us. With that being said, the truth is opposite of the world. The world is constantly changing and evolving. What is acceptable today may not be acceptable tomorrow and what was acceptable yesterday is not acceptable today.
“In order for something to be declared true, it must be discoverable, transcultural, unchanging, unaffected by attitude, absolute, and knowable. For example, 2+2=4 is a truth that can be discovered (not created by one person), transcends all cultures, never changes, cannot be affected by feelings, is absolute in its factualness, and is knowable by all of humanity.” (www.gotquestions.org, Is all truth God’s truth?”, first paragraph) This goes for God as well. Each of God’s attributes are true and always will be. When Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He is saying that He will never be hidden, He is constant and will endure the test of time.
In John 18:38, Pontius Pilate asks the famous question, “What is truth?” The truth was standing right in front of him. Jesus is the truth. He was speaking the truth, actively portraying the truth, and all people could find freedom in truth through Him. In verse 37, Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king. Jesus answers, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Then Pilate wants to know what the “truth” actually is. We find the truth in Jesus and through Him we become free from the bondage of the lies.
It is only through believing in Jesus that we can see the difference in lies and truth. This has a lot to do with sanctification. As we grow closer to God, the truth is revealed to us. We see with clearer understanding. We are able to spot the difference in a worldly lie and godly truth. I recently heard a podcast where a man referenced to the thoughts in his head as Fred, he calls his thoughts “Fred in my head.” He went on to say that Fred is a liar. It took him many years to realize that Fred was telling him all lies and he was believing them. I don’t have a name for the thoughts in my head but I definitely could because they never leave me. The lies are constantly echoing in the background of my thoughts. We have to be prepared to fight the lies and lean more on the Truth, Jesus.
Jesus was tempted just as we are. In Luke 4, we see Satan trying to manipulate Jesus and tempt Him with three lies. Jesus responded by quoting scripture out of the book of Deuteronomy, He was prepared. He knew the Word because they were His words; all scripture is God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). When the enemy places these lies in our heads we have to be prepared. Don’t let the lies come as a surprise to you. Even Jesus, God in the flesh, was tempted by Satan, why do we think we could be exempt from this? We will all be tempted at some point in our lives and we need to be prepared to face the reality that they are all lies, the “Fred in our head” is a liar.
Since beginning this devotional series on “lies,” I have heard multiple podcasts and sermons that focus on the topic of lies. This is something people are dealing with globally. You are never alone in this. The enemy is out to get all of us and does not favor those who fall into his trap. He hates all of us equally, Christians and non-Christians, and he is the father of lies (John 8:44). The quicker we remember this when the lies come into our heads, the quicker we remember to turn to the truth. Then we will be set free from the lies that bounce from one side of our head to the other. That freedom you pictured in the beginning of the devotional, it can be yours constantly when you place every thought at the feet of Jesus.
“Very truly I tell you, 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.”
John 8:34-36
Digging Deeper:
What lie have you been a slave to?
How often to you place it at Jesus’ feet and then pick it up again?
How can you prepare yourself to change the thoughts in your head from lies to truth? What verses can you memorize that will fight the lies every time?
Click below to listen a podcast from Family Life Today that focuses on the lies we all hear and in our heads. This is a great tool to use as we navigate the journey of changing the thoughts in our heads, the “Fred in our head,” to the truth that we were made in the image of God. I heard this podcast after I had written most of this devotional. I thought this was something we all needed to hear.