“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32
Mankind cannot see the forest for the trees. We tend to wear rose-colored glasses, only seeing what we want to see. We can easily overlook glaring problems so we can concentrate on more pleasurable matters. We often see what we want to see rather than seeing everything objectively.
Such was the case with the Jews. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” In response, the Jews replied, “We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man.” Really? Never in bondage to any man? Didn't they remember their ancestral history? At one time the Israelites served the Egyptians in great bondage. Furthermore, at the time of Jesus, the Jews were under Roman rule. They were not experiencing freedom.
Yet Jesus was talking to them about something more than political freedom. Jesus went on to explain, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Sin deceives. Sin dominates. Sin destroys. Many are in bondage to sin. Jesus was referring to freedom from sin when He said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The spiritual warfare that has engulfed our society is being fought in the area of truth. Our enemy, the devil, is a liar. He hates the truth. He is fighting against the truth. He is deceiving many souls into thinking that truth does not exist. People are rejecting the very truth that could save them from destruction.
In the last year or so, we have seen the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). AI has existed for some time, but technology has improved drastically, making AI a major breakthrough in our lifetime. Like other forms of technology, it may serve a positive purpose at times, but also has a dark, destructive side.
Artificial intelligence is creating havoc on social media. Many of the images, videos and postings on Facebook and other social media platforms are the result of AI. They are deceiving. They appear very real. They tend to get a large following and produce a great deal of response. Most people see these images, videos and articles and believe every bit of it. But they are false.
We are bombarded by falsehood everywhere. Our society is being molded by false rhetoric. The problem is that this generation is believing the rhetoric they hear. Most Americans are easy candidates for deception because they never practice discernment.
When the serpent tempted Eve, he did so by questioning God's Word. He had Eve questioning the truth. When Adam & Eve fell for the devil's lies, it brought sin and death upon mankind. Truth matters.
Why is substance abuse so common today? Why is immorality celebrated by our society? Why are marriages struggling so much? The answer is simple. Many are falling into the enemy's trap. Just like Eve, people are believing his lies.
Satan wants us to believe the lie that we are not accountable for our actions. He wants people to believe that there is no God to judge us. Satan lies to us, appealing to our desires. He offers much but only delivers heartache and tragedy. Many fall for the devil's promises, but never recover from the devastation that comes when they fall for his lies.
How can we recover from such an ordeal? How addicts find freedom? How can immoral people find purity? How can shackles of sin and shame be broken? Lies can only be defeated by the truth.
Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth...” Jesus did not say, “And ye shall know about the truth.” Many people know about the truth. For those who believe the truth, they experience real change. It is not superficial knowledge of the truth that sets people free. It is the truth itself that sets them free.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus is the truth. The only way a person can experience personal, profound and permanent change is to have a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ. He sets captives free.
There are two popular lies that the people believe today. The first lie is that they are too good to be saved. The second lie is that they are too bad to be saved. Both are lies of the devil.
Do you know Him? Have you had a personal encounter with Jesus? Don't be deceived. Don't let the devil lie to you any longer. Come to Jesus right now. Trust in Him. Believe the promises of His Word. Receive Him by faith. When you come to know Him, you will never be the same.
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
No comments:
Post a Comment