What is the truth and how does it set you free?

According to John 18:36-38, Jesus was accused of being a king before he was put to death. Jesus tells Pilate that, while he is a king, he is not of this world and has not come to build a physical kingdom, but to proclaim the Truth. Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” but did not wait for Jesus to response as he, like most people nowadays, did not believe in truth. Now, let’s look at: What is the truth, and how does it set you free?

God’s word is truth. 

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17 NIV). 

The dictionary defines “truth” as “something that is true or in line with facts or reality.” God’s word is truth, and anything that agrees with it is true. My old history teacher believes the Bible is a made-up storybook, but as a Christian, you shouldn’t doubt it. You can put your trust in it and feel confident that it is true.

Are you living by God’s word ? 

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (John 8:31).  

True discipleship involves more than just believing that God’s word is true. The devil believes the word of God to be true, but this does not make him a Christian. You can believe, but if you are a genuine follower of Christ, you must “hold” to the teaching of the truth.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (James 1:22).

My personal experience. 

I was talking with a friend who called me as I was going to a young adults’ meeting one day, and when I mentioned that I was going to church, he replied, Oh, I didn’t realize you did the whole Jesus thing. This statement shocked me, and I wondered, “Does the way I live my life not reflect that I know Jesus?” I started to live differently because I wanted my life to reflect the truth.

How does knowing the truth set you free?

1. Knowing the truth gives you freedom to choose. 

When you know the truth, you have a choice about whether to obey it or not. When you choose to live in sin, you do so freely while knowing what is right and wrong. Joshua said, “Choose for yourself this day who you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).  Will you serve God or the Devil? Your flesh or the spirit? The choice is yours.

2. Knowing the truth sets you free from the devils lies. 

When you know the truth, you know what your father expects of you, and when the devil comes at you with his lies, you may confront him and choose to obey God’s word instead. The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, providing us with an example of how to deal with temptation.

But he (Jesus) answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

3. Knowing the truth sets you free from the burdens of your sins. 

Before I understood what God’s word says, I tried to be the perfect Christian. I attempted not to sin; Felt guilty and shame every time I did sin. Beating myself up and crying till I was exhausted. It was unhealthy. I thought to myself, “I can’t do this; the Christian life is hard, so I stopped trying.” Quit reading the Bible, stopped praying, and stopped going to church. I felt overwhelmed, but the truth is, I didn’t have to carry all that burden on my own. All I had to do is place it on Jesus.

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

If you are like the old me, remember that God does not want you to be perfect. He simply expects you to ask him for forgiveness when you sin, because he is the one who forgives all sins. Confess your sins and he will give you rest.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9).

4. Knowing the truth sets you free from relying on our your own strengths to trusting in Jesus instead. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 While God does not want you to be perfect, he does expect you to trust in his power to forgive your sins and strengthen you when you are weak. God’s grace is stronger than your sin. Instead of crying and feeling terrible about your faults, go to Jesus and say, “I’ve messed up, I’m weak, and I need you to keep me strong during this time of weakness.

I can testify that my sins and weaknesses have brought me closer to Jesus. I made it my mission not to cry or feel ashamed when I sin, but instead to take the opportunity to, draw near to God, so he will draw near to me (James 4:8). The truth liberated me from striving to be perfect to the point of exhaustion. I am a good person, but I sin, and my sins overpower my goodness. But, thank God, his grace triumphs over my sins. 

I hope this post, “What is the truth, and how does it set you free?,” was helpful. Read my previous posts: Faith Archives – I am sheena wodala