Grow in your Commitment to Truth

Introduction

As we talked about last week something that has been lost in our culture is commitment. We spoke last Sunday about our commitment to Christ and this morning I am going to address another form of commitment and that is the commitment to truth.

Truth has become very fluid to many people. We have been told to follow the science and the people telling us that are also people who say that evolution is fact, that abortion is a right, and that changing your gender is genuine biology. People often embrace their form of truth without having a commitment to the actual truth.

It is time that we grow in our commitment to truth. Let’s look at an exchange between Jesus and a group of Jews. At first it seems that they were accepting of his message, but let’s see what happens when he delivers truth to them like they had never heard before.

Let’s review Jesus’s claims from verses 12-30.

I am the light of the world

I am from above

I am not of this world

These are claims that he made. He points out that Jewish law affirms claims based upon 2-3 witnesses.

In verse 14-22 Jesus claims that he is a witness and that his Father is his second witness and that his claims are true based upon these eyewitness accounts.

In verse 30 it seems like he was getting somewhere. The Bible says:

John 8:30 KJV 1900

As he spake these words, many believed on him.

This would be a blessing to many preachers to hear that people had believed on Jesus. Jesus was still skeptical of this belief. It turns out that their belief was short lived. You see some of the things he was saying resonated with them. They believed his sayings, but they stopped short of believing in him as the Messiah. How do we know this? Let’s examine the rest of the conversation.

Truth Sets You Free

John 8:31–32 KJV 1900

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus gives them a powerful truth. He sees their hearts. He sees that while some of them believe some of his sayings most of them do not believe in him as the Messiah. They have yet to accept his claims.

He tells them that continuing in his word is a sign to others that you are his disciples indeed. You see, even today there are those who claim to be the disciple of Jesus and the truth is that they do not even know him. While claiming to believe on him there is still doubt in their minds, their hearts, and their speech.

Jesus continues and tells them that continuing in his word signals they are his disciples and to be his disciple is know the truth and that truth makes them free.

We don’t need to be set free

This group of Jews had a problem with Christ’s characterization of them being set free. They responded:

John 8:33 KJV 1900

They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

They said, “Hold up. We don’t have to be made free. We are the children of Israel, we are of Abraham’s seed and there is no reason for us to be set free because we have never been in bondage.”

Before we get to Jesus’s response one that knows the history of the Jews has to stop and call it out. What they said was not true. Israel’s history is filled with bondage; most of which was caused by their failures to follow Jehovah.

Bondage in Egypt

Moses led them out of bondage

Bondage in Canaan

When they made their way to the promised land and defeated many of the peoples there they still left those they could not drive out due to lack of faith. The time of the Judges would be filled with many years of bondage to various Palestinian governments that they had failed to expel.

Bondage in Assyria

The northern kingdom would be defeated by the Assyrians and be put to servitude.

Bondage in Babylon

The Southern kingdom would be taken captive by the Babylonian Empire and King Nebudchadnezzar.

Bondage to Persia

The Bondage of Babylon would extend to Persia when it defeated Babylon under the leadership of Belteshazzar. It was under the Persian king they were allowed to return to Israel, restore the walls, and rebuild the Temple.

Bondage to Rome

Even as they spoke to Jesus in this conversation they were under the authority of the Roman Empire.

The idea that the Jews were free and had never been in bondage was laughable. It simply was not even close to the truth.

You need me to set you free

Christ’s response to this laughable and untruthful statement about the Jews never being in bondage was ignored by Jesus and he chose to go straight to the truth they were denying; the reason for their bondage to all of those powers.

John 8:34–37 KJV 1900

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

Christ pointed to their bondage to sin and told them that only the Son can make them free. In other words, Jesus said you need me to set you free.

Knowing their hearts and intentions Jesus calls them out for wanting to kill him for telling them the truth and their refusal to believe the truth. He tells them he is doing the works of his father while they are following in the footsteps of their fathers.

Abraham is our Father

There only defense to the truth Jesus had hit them with was, “well Abraham is our Father.” They felt they had privilege because Abraham was their father. They also were inferring that their actions were pure because they followed Abraham’s example.

Jesus, once again, gave them the truth about this claim.

John 8:39–41 KJV 1900

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

He does not deny that they are Hebrews, but that on spiritual matters they did not follow after him. He makes the truth plain by telling them that they are not acting like Abraham would act. He again tells them the intentions of their heart to kill him. He says, “Ye do the deeds of your father.” Their fathers killed the prophets.

They argued, “We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”

They were claiming Jeremiah 31:9 as their cover.

Jeremiah 31:9 KJV 1900

They shall come with weeping, And with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters In a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is my firstborn.

Truth Reveals Who We Are

John 8:42–47 KJV 1900

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

You don’t love God because you don’t love me.

You won’t listen because your Father is the Devil.

You are doing the lusts of your father.

You are refusing the truth.

You do not hear God’s words.

Challenge: What proof of sin do you have against me?

John 8:46 KJV 1900

Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

When have I sinned? What proof do you have that I have sinned? What witnesses do you have of any sin that I have committed? I have presented my witnesses of who I am, you present yours that I have sinned. If I have not sinned why don’t you believe me?

Accusation: You are a Samaritan and hast a Devil.

John 8:48 KJV 1900

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Their only answer to his challenge is that he is a Samaritan. They knew that this was not true, but because he spent time in Samaria they leveled this charge against him. Many Jews would consider speaking to or spending time with a Samaritan as a sin. They added on that he has a devil. They were trying to get Jesus to respond in anger and accuse him further. It did not work.

John 8:49–51 KJV 1900

Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

He simply restated the truth to them and the truth had revealed who they were; children of the devil, doing the works of the devil, and lying like the devil.

They continue their accusation by saying that because Jesus claimed that those that keep his sayings shall never see death. They didn’t understand the claim nor the teaching because they did not believe the truth and so they could not understand the truth.

Jesus continues to spar with them with his claims of being honored by God, having known him. Then he says something that confuses them, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

They questioned him about this because he was not even 50 years old. Then Jesus dropped the ultimate truth bomb on them and they did indeed explode.

John 8:58 KJV 1900

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

The Jews immediately understood the claim. God had told Moses to tell the children of Israel that “I AM” sent him. Every Jew understood that “I AM” was God. For Jesus to say, “Before Abraham was, I am” was to claim that he was God.

When they were confronted with this truth; they took up stones to kill him. This proved Jesus’s point as they sought to murder like their father the Devil was a murderer.

The truth of who Jesus was revealed that they were definitely not true believers for their response was to stone him.

Application

Growing in Truth begins by accepting the Truth about Christ

The crowd that Jesus spoke to did not accept the truth about who Christ was and is. Without this acceptance no person can grow in truth because they have yet to accept the very foundation of truth.

Growing in Truth involves accepting the Truth about ourselves

The crowd of Jews that Jesus spoke to did not accept who they were without faith in Christ; the children of the devil. Being Jews they believed that made them children of the Father and partakers is eternal life. They refused to believe the truth about their human condition; which is lost and in need of a Savior.

Growing in Truth happens when we spend time learning the Scripture

If this crowd had learned the Scriptures that were available to them they would have been able to readily accept Christ as the Messiah. They were more concerned with the traditions of their fathers than the truth of God’s Word. Anytime someone refuses opportunities to hear and learn from the Scripture they stunt their growth in truth. We ought to embrace and value the learning of God’s holy Word in our lives.

Conclusion

Truth is important. The most important Truth is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to this world to sacrifice himself for your sin. For us to accept him as our Savior it is necessary for us to understand the truth that we are sinners in need of a Savior so that we can have forgiveness of sin and eternal life in him. Continuing our growth in truth is needed and to do that we must continue to immerse ourselves in the Word of God.

Will you commit to growing in Truth in your life?

If you are not saved will you respond like the crowd in our text or will you humble your heart to accept Christ as Lord of your life?

Will you acknowledge the truth about yourself and identify areas in your life that need to be improved through confession of sin or a commitment to change some things?

Will you grow in truth by immersing yourself in truth?

Will you commit to growing in Truth?