I wanna be right

I grew up in the 70’s and there are some great songs from that decade, but not always reliable as moral guides. One of those misguided songs was If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right. Not a song we’re going to sing in church, but it does force us to ask ourselves some questions:

What is going to drive our behavior?

What is going to form our outlook on life?

Last week you committed to truth – John 17:17. Truth is pretty important but is there spiritual truth? I’m no philosopher, but I think that’s a question everyone ought to ask. Is there a right way to live my life to increase the probability of success? Is there a right way to view this world to increase the probability of success, joy, hope, and purpose?

Jesus seems to affirm the existence of spiritual truth, a truth that will always lead to flourishing!

And that’s what Jesus was praying for you in John 17.

Here’s what truth can do:

The truth will sanctify you

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

Sanctify is not a common word. Synonyms are “made holy” or “set apart for a special purpose” much like the furnishings and utensils were consecrated for ruse on the tabernacle.

Numbers 7:1 (NIV) — 1 When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils.

Know this: Being holy, consecrated, sanctified is a good thing. It brings flourishing. It brings joy, purpose, hope

Peter reminds us:

1 Peter 2:9–10 (NIV) — 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

John 17 is not the only time Jesus talks about truth. Earlier in John he talks about truth in chapter 8.

John 8:31–32 (ESV) — 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.”

Here’s another thing truth can do:

The truth will set you free

Biblical freedom is not as we might think of it – we can do whatever we want. When the NT talks about freedom it means free from sin and free from all the pain and distress that comes along with sin. Later in chapter 8 Jesus says this:

John 8:34 (ESV) — 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

In a sense sin is a denial of truth. Sin is ignoring truth and allowing the flesh to determine our behavior and mind set. Paul talks about this freedom in Romans:

Romans 6:15–18 (NIV) — 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

And later in the chapter we find this well-known verse:

Romans 6:23 (NIV) — 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You choose. You can live for comfort or consecration; happiness or holiness; pleasure or purpose. One leads to death, the other to life.

Not preaching salvation by works – Paul condemns that. But he also condemns this notion that salvation does not change our behavior. Part of salvation is seeing the ugliness and destructiveness of sin and avoiding it.

Truth calls us to choose consecration, holiness, and purpose because truth will lead to flourishing. Truth will lead to eternal life!

A third thing truth does:

The truth will bless you

Psalm 119 is dedicated to celebrating the goodness of the Law. David uses the word “law” 25 times in this chapter. He also uses several synonyms – statutes, commandments, decrees, precepts, word. He doesn’t use truth, but it seems synonymous to it. Whatever comes from the mouth of God is true and truth leads to blessing.

Here is the opening stanza of this Psalm:

Psalm 119:1–8 (NIV) — 1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. 2Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— 3 they do no wrong but follow his ways. 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! 6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. 8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

I believe there is spiritual /moral/ethical truth - freedom bringing, life giving, blessing flowing truth – and how important it is for us to pursue it.

The baseball legend Yogi Berra once said: “If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up someplace else.”

God wants you to know where you are going. And truth will lead you there. Truth, God’s truth/the word, will get you to the place you want to be.

I love that music of the 70’s but I don’t think it should serve as my moral compass. I do want to be right. I want to know the truth. I want to submit to the truth. I want to be holy, consecrated, sanctified. I want to be God’s special possession and to live the abundant life full of joy, hope, and purpose.