What is Truth?

A question for the ages.

What is truth? This question has withstood the test of time. Pilate asked this at Jesus trial, Johnny Cash sang about it in front President Nixon, people are still asking that question today. What is truth? John 8:32 “And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

In our passage today Jesus is talking to a group of people who believed in him, but cheered him on from the sidelines. Jesus invites them into a deeper relationship with him, the way, the truth and the life, and that truth will set them free. The truth Jesus shared with them didn’t fit the narrative this group of believers wanted to believe, so they rejected it and made no room in their hearts for the very truth that would set them free.

People are the same today the truth we pursue is the one that supports our argument, or what we want to believe about ourselves. While the truth that Jesus is and we come to know through him challenges our arguments, and continually transforms who we are.

The truth is simple. Jesus is the truth that sets us free from slavery to sin, and brings us into life in his name. This truth sets us free to live as Christ. To grow in a deeper relationship with Christ reflecting more and more of his love and grace and less and less of the sin that once enslaved us. Is there room in your heart for this truth? Christ through this scripture is calling casual Christians to fully take up their cross and follow him. He’s calling those asking the question what is truth to come know the truth and the truth will set you free.

The Truth Will Set You Free!

Sin-Anything that violates God’s law of love also known as the greatest commandment. To love the LORD your God will all your heart, mind, soul and strength. And to love your neighbor as you love yourself.

In John 8 Jesus is addressing a group of people who believed in him but they kept that belief at arms length. They weren’t ready to leave their fishing nets behind, and fully take up their cross and follow Christ. These were sideline fans who cheered Jesus along on Palm Sunday, but very quickly turned to shouts of crucify him by Good Friday.

Jesus along the way to resurrection via Calvary, invites this fringe group of believers into a deeper relationship with the truth. Jesus invitation was an if then statement. If you do this then this will happen.

In verse 31 Jesus tells them, “If you hold to my teaching....” A more literal translation would say if you remain in my word (LOGOS). With this if statement Jesus is extending the invitation for them enter into the same kind of relationship he has with the Father and the Holy Spirit. This relationship is made available through Christ love and the disciples obedience in love. It is only in relationship with Christ and with the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can live God’s law of love.

If we live the way Christ has called us to live, then we are truly his disciples. How will people know you are a follower of Christ? By your love.

John 13:34–35 NLT

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

-1 Then-Christ disciples are defined by love

The second then that flows from a relationship with Christ the living truth, is knowing the truth. What is that truth? Through the fall of humanity in Genesis chapter 3 sin evil and death entered into God’s good creation. As a result we humanity are incapable of living God’s law of love. We are in fact slaves to doing the opposite. Without the saving grace of Christ in our lives we cannot live to level of love Christ calls us into. To know the truth is to also know the truth about ourselves and recognize our own sinful state.

-2 Then- you will know the truth about yourself, and fallen humanity

The third then statement is where Jesus lost the group of believers, the truth will set you free. Why did he lose them? We can tell from their argument that one being descendants of Abraham they may have felt entitled and that just the mention of being set free from something to them painted them as slaves. Which they rejected that truth that they were slaves both their ancestors in Egypt and now they reject that they are slaves to sin. This truth doesn’t fit the narrative they want to believe about themselves, so they reject the truth Christ tries to teach them and eventually this conversation ends with them accusing Jesus of being possessed by a demon.

The truth that sets us free, requires a change in us. It requires us to be open and have room for the truth Christ is trying to share with us whether it supports our argument, or fits the narrative we want to believe about ourselves. The truth that truly sets us free enables us through the sanctifying grace of the indwelling Holy Spirit helps us to recognize the truths, about when we fail to live up to God’s law of love and empowers us to change how we are living. Through trying to keep the law came sin and death, to live a life set free by the truth brings love and life. Romans 6:20-23

Jesus Christ is Truth

What is Truth? The truth is this, Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. To see the proof that sin still dominates our world all we need to do is turn on the news, pick up a news paper, scroll through Facebook, you will see that our world is full of evil (sin) that does not live up to God’s law of love.

Through today’s text Jesus invites believers to fully embrace the truth, to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice of truth calling us to live like Christ. To love like Christ. Jesus through his death and resurrection made a way for us to live like him, and through the work of the Holy Spirit within us we are being made more like Christ.

The call of Christ today is the same as it was to those believers who accused him of being possessed by a demon, to fully commit to following Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. This truth challenges us to change, to understand the truth about ourselves and to make room to allow the truth Christ has to set us free from the law of sin and death.

Won’t you join me in denying the truth you so desperately want to cling to, and allow the truth that God desperately wants to share with transform your life? You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.