The choice of truth is freedom to live, or to live a lie and be in slavery. Truth really does free us, while lies are always about covering for one self.
In the contrast of truth, sin can bring destruction to us. People go through life seeing only the pictures invoked by our desires, and those desires override what is truth. Our push to satisfy our desires only bring about harmful consequences. It is a form of spiritual suicide. If you do not allow truth to exist in your life, you will miss out on the person that God created you to be. As God created each of us to have a plan for our lives, we will miss out on His plan for us if we insist in living our lives outside of truth.
The Bible proclaims that there is no one just in this world. Unless one is trained in righteousness through Jesus Christ, we are unable to live in obedience to God. You cannot assume that people who are older or more experienced in life are operating in truth.
Truth is having faith in God’s Word through Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
7 But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness, 8 for
the training of the body has a limited benefit,
but godliness is beneficial in every way,
since it holds promise for the present life
and also for the life to come.
Remember the discussions in your life about broken mirrors, black cats and myths? Many people accept these things as truth. You need to look at life and train yourself of the difference between truth and error. The study and practice of truth has a dramatic effect on everything that you do.
The Holy Spirit is the trainer, teacher and mentor that helps to guide each of us, and this is why it is always important to yield to the Spirit in all things for the truth, and not according to how we see things.
People have to differentiate between the way things out to be and the way things really are (what is true versus what is false).
John 8:31-41
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus responded, “I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. 36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. 37 I know you are descendants[c] of Abraham, but you are trying to kill Me because My word is not welcome among you. 38 I speak what I have seen in the presence of the Father; therefore, you do what you have heard from your father.”
39 “Our father is Abraham!” they replied.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. 40 But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 41 You’re doing what your father does.”
“We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.”
Living in a lie forces one to live outside of truth. The first lie told in the passage above was the claim that the Jews were never slaves to anyone. At that very moment, they were slaves to the Roman government along with a history of slavery to the Canaanites, Philistines, Syrians, Chaldeans and Greeks. The second lie was the one that claimed that the only Father they had was God Himself. They, in fact, were not serving God at all…they were serving Satan–that was the voice that the people were listening to.
We are always learning and observing something. The question is whether or not it is good for us or helpful to us.
2 Timothy 3:7
…always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
Everything that we do should stand the test of Scripture. The Holy Spirit is the true teacher. There are all kinds of things in the world that will teach its own truth, but we need to listen to what God is saying to us. You cannot make good decisions without the truth.
If you are really my disciple, you will know the truth (John 8:31).
Matthew 11:29
All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.
John 16:13
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
Psalm 25:5
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are the God of my salvation;
I wait for You all day long.
God is willing to give instruction to sinners.
Psalm 25:8
The Lord is good and upright;
therefore He shows sinners the way.
We have to be willing to listen to truth.
Proverbs 1:29
If you respond to my warning,
then I will pour out my spirit on you
and teach you my words.
God’s commitment is to teach us truth. We must stand at the crossroads and make a decision to follow Jesus. The Spirit will guide us onto the right paths.
Jeremiah 6:16
This is what the Lord says:
Stand by the roadways and look.
Ask about the ancient paths:
Which is the way to what is good?
Then take it
and find rest for yourselves.
But they protested, “We won’t!”
Isaiah 35:8
A road will be there and a way;
it will be called the Holy Way.
The unclean will not travel on it,
but it will be for the one who walks the path.
Even the fool will not go astray.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 think about Him in all your ways,
and He will guide you on the right paths.
Truth sets us free, and it sets us free from sin. We need to remember that sin is pleasurable to the flesh, but it is only for a season.
Psalm 119:45
I will walk freely in an open place
because I seek Your precepts.
Galatians 5:13
For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
We are called to be free. Do not abuse the freedom.
1 Peter 2:16
As God’s slaves, live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.
Your pursuit of truth will lead to ongoing blessings in all that you do.
James 1:25
But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.
James 2:12
Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom.
Truth sets us apart from the world.
John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth;
Your word is truth.
1 Corinthians 15:2
You are also saved by it (the Gospel), if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose.
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