Truth Personified: John 8:31-47

Simply put, we have no sure, (even reliable) way of knowing whether or not we have the truth. The history of ideas has taught us, with a vengeance, that no idea is immune to revision, no theory secure from attack. Consequently, no matter how certain I am that I have the truth I am always forced to accept the possibility that I am wrong.

So the next question is, how can I use a concept when I cannot know that the requirements for its application are present? My answer is, I cannot.

Jesus makes one of his most famous statements from the Gospel of John, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set free.” Our modern world wants to interact with the idea of relative truth, absolute truth, post truth and alternative facts and we can pull out this statement as a “proof.” What Jesus pointed to though was more than just about relative vs absolute truth, he pointed to how all of reality centered on abiding with him.

TRUTH (אֱמֶת, emeth; ἀλήθεια, alētheia). Factuality, faithfulness, firmness, reality, reliability.

The most common term for “truth” in the Old Testament is אֱמֶת (emeth). The semantic range of אֱמֶת (emeth) includes factuality and validity as well as faithfulness, firmness and reliability. In the Septuagint, it is most often translated using ἀλήθεια (alētheia). πίστις (pistis) or δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) are also occasionally used. Truth can be predicated of people as well as propositions.

Jesus Transforms us from Slaves to Sons (31-38)

English Standard Version Chapter 8

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

When we abide in Jesus’ word we are actually abiding with Jesus. He shares his relationship with the Father with his people. Yet at this point in time, even though it looked like this crowd believed (John 8:30) they did not really have God as their spiritual Father. Their belief was in something other than Jesus as the truth from God. We know that one of John’s arguments from chapter one is that people only become real children of God through receiving Jesus and the spiritual leaders of Israel continue to reject Jesus and not accept his word.

a. The Gospel of Jesus = Truth

English Standard Version Chapter 14

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

b. Truth Impacts our Reality

Listen, one reason to study the Bible is that the truth is there. The truth about God; the truth about man; the truth about life; the truth about death; the truth about you and me; the truth about men, women, children, husbands, wives, dads, and mothers; the truth about friends and enemies; the truth about how you ought to be at work and how you ought to be at home; even the truth about how you ought to eat, drink, how you ought to live, how you ought to think—the truth is all there. What a resource we have. Cherish it.

John F. MacArthur

Galatians 4:4

English Standard Version Chapter 4

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Being a slave to sin makes us unable to love God, love our neighbor and obey God’s word.

A Son of Truth or a Son of Sin (39-46)

English Standard Version Chapter 8

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

a. True descendants of Abraham are not physical but spiritual

Genesis 17:1-6

English Standard Version Chapter 17

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you

English Standard Version Chapter 11

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

John–Acts 8:37–47. Satan Kills and Lies

Jesus takes up their claim to be seed of Abraham, saying, “I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you” (v. 37). Having acknowledged that they descend physically from Abraham, Jesus begins to argue that they are spiritually unrelated to Abraham by pointing out their desire to kill him. The reason they want to kill him is that his word has no place in them. They do not understand what Jesus has said and done; they are swept up in public opinion.

To be a physical descendant of Abraham is not enough; one must be chosen by God (cf. “chosen” in Rom. 8:33) and must believe in Him (4:3, 22–24)

John A. Witmer

b. What keeps us from abiding in Jesus?

Sin: Actions that violatethe law or moral standards of God

Morally Nuetral Actions: motivation, attitudes or actions that distract, deter or defect our attention from find our wholeness in Jesus

Jesus Christ never asks anyone to define his position or to understand a creed, but “Who am I to you?” Jesus Christ makes the whole of human destiny depend on a man’s relationship to himself.

Oswald Chambers

Truth = Freedom (47)

English Standard Version Chapter 6

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth

The belt of truth refers not to the facts of the gospel but to subjective truth, a believer’s integrity and faithfulness. As a soldier’s belt or sash gave ease and freedom of movement, so truth gives freedom with self, others, and God.

Harold W. Hoehner

Just as his followers and the people around Him. Jesus as truth can be felt viserally in you life. He sends his spirit of truth into your hearts. We can not only know trruth by expereince truth and live by it daily.

To be filled with the Spirit is the same as to be controlled by the Word. The Spirit of Truth uses the Word of truth to guide us into the will and the work of God.

Warren W. Wiersbe