“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”—John 17:17
I stopped one day to meditate on a familiar verse. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
Why? Why would the truth make us free? Knowing the truth is hard. Sometimes the truth feels like a burden.
Truth has been a topic of discussion and philosophy for thousands of years, and the quest for truth is considered one of the noblest causes.
A line spoken by actor Jack Nicholson in the movie A Few Good Men says a lot about how we sometimes feel: “You can’t handle the truth!”
We can’t handle the truth when the only “truth” we experience is bound up in sin, guilt, heartache, or strangling legalism.
The Bible does not say, “You shall know all the rules and regulations and they will dictate your life.” Jesus wants us to know truth as it is defined in the kingdom of God.
“Seek first the kingdom of God,” He said (Matthew 6:33). “Your kingdom come. Your will be done,”He prayed (Matthew 6: 10). Get your priorities in order. The kingdom is reality. That’s truth. When we live in God’s kingdom, we experience His love and blessings and live under His grace.
Every day, we need to learn from God’s Word and choose to live in the truth.
The truth of who we are in God’s eyes is crucial to defining our lives. When we recognize the truth and choose to follow, it’s not always the easy way—but it will always be the most fulfilling way.
When Jesus promised “the truth shall make you free,” He didn’t say the truth would be easy—but He did make it the criteria for freedom.
Again and again, people of faith are brought to moments of truth when we discover that three issues are at stake:
Our identities (God’s children)
Our priorities (the kingdom first)
How we handle the challenges we face (with faith and trust)
In all three areas, living in truth will set us free to live the life God wants for us (abundant!).
“Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself.”
—Augustine
