Freed by Truth

Many of us enjoy the blessing of freedoms. Our prosperous economy provides easy access to all kinds of food choices, while our military eases any security concerns. We can worship as we please, speak our minds, and even pursue our desires.

Can it get any better?

Yes. As we know the truth of Christ, these freedoms pale in comparison to the spiritual freedom we receive in Him. Not only that, they are also secured by our unconquerable King and enacted through the power of the Spirit.

In the truth of Christ, we are finally free. As Christ explained to His followers, His truth would set them free from sin (John 8:31–32). They would no longer be bound to sin’s power—no longer forced to sin and bear sin’s consequences.

Before accepting Christ, we were blind to anything but sin and judgment. We would do wrong, then suffer the guilt and punishment that followed. We might try to be better, but after failing over and over again, we’d give up.

But by discovering God’s work in us, we know that we have another option. There’s Someone who can make us be and do better.

God’s grace gives us liberty. God gives us the choice to know Him, to love Him, and then reflect Him to others. We can now please God, not because we’ve done anything special, but because Christ has transformed us. By His strength—not ours—we can do anything God wants us to do (Gal. 5:13; Phil. 4:13).

As Christ explained to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, He would usher in a new age for the relationship between God and humanity (John 4:21–24).

In the Old Testament, people saw God from a distance—in a dark cloud, in a bright pillar of fire, or through a veil in the Temple. Yet Christ came to Earth in the flesh.

• He touched people, embraced people, healed people, taught people.
• He walked and talked and ate food with them.
• He spoke about what He liked and didn’t like.
• He expressed joy, anger, sorrow, and hope.
• He shared His disappointments and His prayer requests to the Father.

And then He died for us and He rose again to tell His followers what He had done. He let Thomas touch the scars on His hands, where nails hung Him on the cross. He let His disciples watch Him ascend into heaven, proving to them that He had the power to raise us all up one day to be with God.

The holy, loving God revealed Himself to humanity in the flesh—despite the suffering that would bring (Heb. 2:10, 16–18; 4:14–16). Even though God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He chose to become human and know us on a personal, face-to-face level. He ministered through relationships—and that’s exactly how He wants us to interact with Him today.

As believers today, we can commune with God as He is. God is a spirit, and those that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We must know Him and interact with Him on a personal, spiritual level. Head knowledge is great, but personal knowledge is better.

As God’s children, we can talk directly to Him, confident that He will hear and understand us. He sees us as His children, so He speaks to us directly through His Word. He gives us all the wisdom we could need, if we simply ask for it (James 1:5). We couldn’t ask for a better parent.

Christ prayed that God would use truth to sanctify—to set apart, to cleanse—His children (John 17:17–21). This wasn’t an empty wish. Christ knew what had to happen to make this come true. We appreciate it when someone makes an effort to reach out to us and encourage us, but compared to Christ, no one else has endured so much to give us so much.

What did Christ say is truth (v. 17)? God’s Word—revealed in the Person, the teaching, and the work of Jesus Himself.

This truth will set us apart. As we become more like Christ, as we embody His truth, people will notice that we reflect something higher than ourselves. They’ll notice that we no longer wear the shackles of sin, of shame, of hatred, of ignorance—of our former, hopeless selves. They won’t understand what has happened unless we tell them—that Christ has redeemed us, and that He’s molding us into a better image, one that reflects Him.

This is true freedom.

This post taken from Love & Truth: Navigating Relationships with God's Grace.