It is truth that sets us free.
Many believe that truth of God’s Word is meant to confine, and will hold them back from living the life that they want, the life that will make them happy. But living life yielded to the truth of God’s Word is the only place where we are really free. The boundaries created by truth are simply the natural result of the separation, and distinction between what is true, and what is not.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
The boundaries of truth are not in place to limit our lives, but to protect them. Within the boundaries of truth we are absolutely free to live, and work, and love, and play, and dream without fear of harm or punishment. If you look at the commands of God in the light of God’s essential nature and character, you will see the boundaries as life-giving.
Do not murder because the God who gave us life, is a life-giving God. Living within the boundaries of that truth, we become life-givers, not life-takers.
Do not steal because God is a generous God who gives good gifts to his children. The boundaries of that truth keep us content with what we have, thankful for a God who supplies our every need, and generous with all that he has given us.
Do not lie because God cannot lie. Living within the boundaries of truth keep us free from lies, hiding, and shame.
Do not commit adultery because God is a faithful God. The boundaries of truth teach us to be faithful to our spouses in thought and action.
The boundaries of truth are generous and spacious.
The boundaries provided by truth keep us safe from what lies beyond: darkness and deception that lead to death. When we walk in the light of the revelation of the God who set those boundaries for us to walk in, we do not desire to step outside of the truth. We love the truth, and love the life it brings. Within the safety of truth we can flourish, and become truly free to live the life God made us to live.
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light… John 3:21
Living in truth protects us from the death that sin brings. So what do we do? In the Bible the idea of obedience to the truth goes hand in hand with the idea of faith, or trust in the truth-giver.
obey (from the Oxford American Dictionary): verb [ trans. ]
- comply with the command, direction, or request of (a person or a law); submit to the authority of : I always obey my father.
- carry out (a command or instruction) : the officer was convicted for refusing to obey orders | [ intrans. ] when the order was repeated, he refused to obey.
- behave in accordance with (a general principle, natural law, etc.) : the universe was complex but it obeyed certain rules.
According to this definition of obey, obedience is simply submitting to the authority of something or someone; in this case, to Biblical authority. You and I were designed to function within the ‘rules’ God set in place for life, relationships, finances, and worship. Those ‘rules’ are not arbitrary, just some fun things God thought up to see if we could do them. Truth is the overflow of who God is, poured out of his nature and character into you and I, who are created in his image. If we want to have intimacy with him, we must be the people he created us to be, living within the spacious boundaries of truth that he created us to thrive in.
Buy the truth and do not sell it— wisdom, instruction and insight as well. Proverbs 23:23
