Years ago while in my mid-thirties and just beginning my Christian journey, a good friend sent me this scripture from John’s gospel. It was simple, yet profound; life-changing, and powerful when Jesus said: “ Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). These words had incredible meaning to his original hearers and to those of us who live them out in our lives today.
When Jesus first spoke these words to his fellow Jews, who were new to his teachings and ways, they brought about conflict and the struggles that come with the change that conflict brings to our understanding. They would need to challenge their current religious ideologies and understandings to experience the fullness of these truths that would set them free. They were unique in that they desired to experience him as a man who was empowered by God with miracles and wisdom. In other words, he was bringing them truths in a new and powerful way, and yet they struggled with how much of what he was teaching them should they accept as truth. These new teachings were radical and required radical acceptance. Something that many people today struggle with.
How much of what Jesus tells us through his Word and Spirit should we accept as truth in our lives? Many I work with today believe that through the work of the cross Jesus has paid the penalty for their sins and that by believing in this we enter into a new life as a child of God. They believe that in doing this that they one day will pass from this world into a new world, heaven and that there all things will be made new. These are powerful truths, that the Jews of his day struggled with yet for us we accept them and our lives begin to change. My friend who shared the words with me however knew that there was so much more to them in that they would bring change and healing into my life as I began to accept their truth on a deeper level.
I soon began to learn that the truths that brought freedom applied to all areas of my life and that as I trusted them as truth my life would become much fuller and more rewarding. I was a man who was stuck in multiple addictions before God began to challenge my thinking with his truths about the life I was living. Truths about the true source of my addictions. The brokenness of my life had come to dominate my thoughts and way. He showed me his truths about the brokenness and sins of people and myself. Truths began to set me free from a life of low self-value and thoughts that had crippled me all my life. Ways that had driven me to a substance abuse and performance-based life. Truths that are radical and hard to accept for many. Truths spoke of a part of me that was destined for rebellion until I surrendered that part of me to God so that he could give me the power to stand against it. Truths about an enemy that is as real as the air we breathe yet because we can not see him we question his true existence.
Our God offers us the truth that brings new life and healing. The question is will we accept His truths? All of them or will we cherry-pick the ones that we can be comfortable with? One brings freedom, the other keeps us in darkness.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Paul Watkins is pastor of Church of the Nazarene, Monroe.
