The truth shall set you free!

I remember watching a movie some time ago called a Few Good Men. The only part that I really remember is Jack Nicklaus was a Marine facing a court Marshall and Tom Cruise was a JAG. A JAG is a Judge Advocate General or a military attorney. Cruise is grilling Jack. Jack says “what do you want? Cruise responds “I just want the truth!”

Nicklaus shouts back. “You can’t handle the truth.!”

This world is in a shambles, it is a sad state of affairs of which it has sunken into. It is searching for answers, it wants to figure things out, it certainly searching for these answers in all the wrong places.

Sometimes people who are searching for love, for peace, for direction in this life will turn to religion. So they could turn to Hinduism or Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, New Age you name it. People may say, now I have found love, peace and direction, but what they have been given is a false sense of these things.

I respect other religions and their right to exist, but I do not believe they are in any way, shape or form correct.

People are in bondage and do not even realize it. Perhaps in all reality what they have been looking for all along was the truth?

As a Christian there is not one shred of doubt in my mind that Christ came to die for a relationship and not a religion. Any other religion is not about one’s personal relationship with their god, it is about religion simply put.

So when a person comes to us and they are looking for love, peace and direction we can offer them that as the truth and not an alluring illusion.

But what if they say they want the truth, but they want to make the Truth to be as they believe or desire it to be. Or as someone else has indoctrinated them for it to be?

Could that put us into a Few Good Scenario? But with a whisker of a twist. “What are looking for?” Them: “I want love, peace and direction and I want the truth of how do find the them!” Us: “Can you handle the truth?”

Some can and some can’t? What would be the reasons for those who can’t?

Those that can’t may not

1. Want to make the commitment.

2. They may not truly understand.

3. The cost may be to much.

4. They’ve been indoctrinated by other religions.

5. The freedom of momentary sin is stronger to them than the eternal freedom of the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ve seen all of these occur over the span and course of time. They each have their challenges for us.

Of these 5 possibilities it comes down to the person’s Choice. Except for the second because they may not truly understand.

Yet understand or not, the eternal truth through Jesus Christ is what it is. What is it? It and its acceptance is the only true thing that can break the chains of those bound by sin, it is the only thing that can set the spiritual prisoner free.

When Jesus told his disciples in John 14:6 that he was the Way, The Truth and the Life he was absolutely correct. To finish that thought Jesus continued by telling them that he was these things for a specific reason, so that those who accepted him as such they would gain access to eternity with his Father in heaven.

So, here then is where the spiritual 3rd law of Newton applies. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In layman’s terms. If the way, the truth and the life of Jesus is the only way to heaven and eternal life then the opposite must apply. If the choice is not made to

1. Make the commitment

2. Not to understand which will not be an excusable act before God.

3. Pay whatever price.

4. Reject false indoctrination

5. And to denounce sin and Come to the One and Only true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the real live Triune God, our God of our faith who our personal relation is inhabited with.

Then that person has not come to the truth of real love, real peace, real life. Jesus said those that believe in me hath eternal life and those who do not are already condemned.

We must try yet those searching for truth must listen, react, and accept. Jesus had a challenge on his hands with the Pharisees. They were religious, they were rich, they were oblivious to their spiritual plight and thus had no conception that they were bond and imprisoned by the Devil.

Jesus came directly out of the gate in our text.

And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free! Smack right to the mouth of the religious Pharisees.

They responded in kind.

What are you talking about? What do you mean we need to be set free? We’ve never been in bondage to anyone?

At that point it not written but I can see Jesus smiling at their response, because at that very moment the Jews and their beloved Jerusalem were being occupied by a Roman Garrison.

Yes, this was physical bondage, but they were still living under the spiritual bondage of the Law and Christ was offering spiritual and eternal freedom through his truth of grace.

Jesus answered that the sinner becomes enslaved to those sins and there was only one way to find the fresh breath and air of freedom and that only he the Son could set them free.

They classically rejected him.

1. They wouldn’t make the commitment.

2. They intently refused to understand.

3. They were not willing to pay any price.

4. They refused to let their religion upbringing of Judaism be examined.

5. They were drunk with power, prestige, wealth and those three things meant to much. Today we have been commanded to evangelize the loss of every kindred, tongue and nation, faith and creed. Our responsibility is to proclaim the truth and it is the world’s choice to be bound or be set free.