Truth Shall Set You Free

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick


INTRODUCTION:

    A number of years ago my family purchased a small, vandalized cabin in the woods of northern Massachusetts. At the time of the purchase, everything had been stripped from this cabin - everything that is except the large orange antique refrigerator. The furniture was gone, the light fixtures had been torn out, and even the toilet had been removed. For several months, whenever we visited that cabin, we burned kerosene lamps and candles to get a little light during the evening hours. Finally, when it looked like we had enough money to begin doing repairs, I sorted out the wires which were protruding from ceiling and wall boxes. Then, for no particular reason, I went over to the corner and flipped on the main breaker switch at the panel, and was startled to hear a noise coming from the antique orange refrigerator. All along, we had electrical power in that cabin, and didn't know it. For months we had been in the dark until we discovered the truth about the power. This gave us much freedom to move about and do things we could not do in the evening before.

    The Bible says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

    In that little Massachusetts cabin, when we found out the truth about the electricity already being turned on, it gave us new found freedom - freedom to read and write, use the hot water heater, toaster, and if need be, the hair dryer.

    This concept of the truth bringing freedom applies to the truth about ourselves.

    For example: If we really know what we want, then we are free to work toward that goal. On the other hand, if we don't know what we want, we may keep going around in circles. Someone has aptly said, "if you plan to go no where you probably will get there."

    Let's say you're preparing for High School Graduation, and you're interested in a particular career, but afraid to pursue it. So what do you do? You make the effort to learn all about that particular kind of work. You do this through reading, perhaps attending a job fair, or talking with someone who currently serves in that career. The truth will set you free to confidently make that decision.

    The extreme opposite of "knowing the truth about yourself", is what we call "self deception". To be "self deceived" often results in the persuasion that everything is "O.K."; there's no need for change, and no desire for progress. This could be called the deadliest of all sins. The refusal to acknowledge one's own problems and/or needs will doom that person to the bondage of no progress.

    Let's say you heard a loud sounding knock in the engine of your car. Think what would happen if your attitude was, "no problem", and you just stepped on the gas harder, thinking you can make it go away! That would be very foolish. The statement, "What you don't know won't hurt you" simply is not true.

    Let me give you another example. Not long ago there was a constant dripping from the faucet in my second floor bath tub. What I didn't know definately hurt me. Somehow, instead of flowing down the drainage pipe, that little drip found its way under the floor, and for several weeks, collected into a growing reservoir of water held back by a plastic sheet attached under the plumbing just above the ceiling of our dining room area. Finally the weight and volume of water was too much, and it started pouring down onto the carpet below. When my wife called me, I rushed home, hoping to find the source of the leak, and ended up cutting away a 4 foot square section of the ceiling. In the process, I also cut a large gash in my little finger, requiring 6 stitches to close it up. Just think how much trouble would have been avoided if I had only known the truth about that water collecting in my ceiling!

    But also think about this, often, the fear of the unknown is one of the greatest roadblocks to our personal progress.

    A friend once told me, "For many people, it seems that the uncomfortableness of misery is to be preferred to the misery of change." "The uncomfortableness of misery is to be preferred to the misery of change."

    This also applies to discovering the truth about others. The statement "perception is reality" is a very mistaken idea. Most of the time it's important to check out our perceptions, and make every effort to overcome erroneous ideas or information we have received about other people.

    Let me give you an example: I once had a boss who was described by a co-worker as someone who was very hard to get along with, and very hard to approach. However this perception of the boss turned out to be wrong. Once I became acquainted with him, I found him to be the nicest boss I could have asked for.

    But Let's go back to our Scripture - "the truth shall make you free." There's something here that is far more important than self knowledge, or knowing the truth about others, or knowing the truth about material things. The truth Jesus is talking about is related to eternal life, and therefore becomes far more important to us.

    Please think about these four applications:

    1. Knowing the truth overcomes self deception. When we overcome false ideas we have about ourselves, we also can overcome the unwillingness to recognize our wrong doing, and then receive forgiveness and help from God.

    2. Knowing the truth frees us from guilt and shame. Along with becoming aware that there are problems which need correcting, there often comes crippling guilt. We feel so badly about what we have done, we can hardly face ourselves.

    This guilt can only be overcome by the knowledge of the truth about God's forgiveness.

    Knowing the truth frees us from guilt and shame - through the knowledge of God's forgiveness

    3. Knowing the truth sets us free to have hope in the most difficult situations.

    So many people have said this to me, "I don't know how I could have made it through this difficult time without the Lord." These are people who have survived the tragic death of a much loved family member, or a severe illness.

    Remember the 23rd Psalm? "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me."

    Hope is available to those who have the confidence of knowing that God is always right there with them in their most difficult times.

    Please understand, this is not a denial of the difficulty of the moment. Nor is it a pretense that everything is all right when it really isn't. No, we clearly say, "This is so hard."

    But as soon as we've said that, as soon as we've acknowledge just how difficult the situation is, then we're ready to follow up with these words, "But I believe God is with me, and He will bring me safely home."

    Our knowledge of the truth about God frees us to keep on going, even in the face of extreme difficulty.

    4. Knowing the truth, that we are sons and daughters of God, sets us free to accept ourselves as being worthy.

    Too many people despise God's beautiful creation. Don't you remember that at the beginning, when God finished His initial creation the Bible says, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good"? (Genesis 1:31) When we understand that God has not only created us, but He also sent His only Son to die for us, it is then that we begin to be free to accept ourselves as having value in God's sight.

    Remember also that the Bible teaches us about Spiritual Gifts, and we believe they are available to Christians of today the same has they have been ever since the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost Sunday 2,000 years ago. God has miraculously gifted each of us so that we may be fruitful.

    If we deny this truth about Spiritual Gifts, it would be as though the gifts were hidden in a napkin and buried in the earth.

    CONCLUSION:

    1. Let's not stay in the dark any longer. Knowing the truth about ourselves and others, and especially about God, can free us, bring us into the light, and make it possible for us to grow up into the people He has called us to be.

    2. Make up your mind right now to faithfully engage in a life-long search for truth. Jesus said it, "The Truth will make you free." Don't you want to be free? It may require some effort, this search for truth. Just never forget it, true happiness cannot be found through "things" or "happenings". True joy only comes to those who have discovered the truth, and live according to that truth.

    3. Today we can confidently say that knowing the truth concerning Jesus will provide eternal salvation. For those who believe in Him, there is a place in heaven being prepared, and you can know that heaven is your destiny. But not only does this have value for the new day that dawns the moment you leave this life. In the meantime, knowing the truth causes us to be confident that we will never be alone in this world.

OVERCOMING BLIND SPOTS

Remember the first time you heard your own voice on tape? You probably said, "Do I really sound like that?"

Or when someone showed you pictures of yourself. You probably said, "Do I really look like that?

In the same way, there could be flaws in your manner of behaviour, or relating with others which are not apparent to you. They are blind spots. This is a concern because perhaps as a result of your unwitting behaviour someone will be damaged, or even turned away from the Lord on your account.

How can this be dealt with?

On the one hand we want to avoid getting into "self flagellation", or beating up on ourselves. But on the other hand, we also want to avoid apathy - "if anyone can't just accept me the way I am, then it's their problem."

Here are three aids to overcoming the blind spots:

    A. Revelation and Prayer

      1. Like with Saul on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9), sometimes it just comes in a flash of inspiration. (Like the man with drinking problem, who while shaving, suddenly realized what he was doing. He asked himself the question, "Do I want to go on living like this?" "No!" he answered back, and immediately joined AA, met a Christian, and became a transformed man.)

      2. The prayer we need to pray is "Search me O God" (Psalm 139:23, 24, also note vs. 1ff) Here is intentional asking, and being careful to take time to listen. We can fool some people, we can even fool ourselves, but we can't fool God. And this is good news.

    B. The Bible, the Word of God - James 1:22-27

    Our own reading, balanced with teaching from a Godly teacher can provide a "mirror" so that we see where it is that we have missed doing that which is pleasing to the Lord.

    C. A Friend's Displeasure

      1. Matthew 5:23, 24. It doesn't say, "if you have something against your friend". The question is, why do you think your friend has something against you? Perhaps there's a "blind spot", and by your leaving your gift at the altar and going to them, perhaps you will discover what that may be, and seek full reconciliation.

      2. Proverbs 27:5,6,17 points out the importance of the cultivation of faithful friendships.

Conclusion:

    1. Believe that revelation can come, but evidence your faith by praying daily, listening for His kind words of guidance.

    2. Carefully meditate on God's Word.

    3. Learn to respond to relationship signals.

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