Your Foundation in Christ (Victory Series Book #3): Live By the Power of the Spirit (2 page)

John 8:31–36

Key Point

Jesus is the Truth that sets us free from the law of sin and death.

Key Verse

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36

W
e’ll get lost if we set out on a journey with no known destination and no clear direction. Additionally, what we seek to build will eventually collapse if it doesn’t have the right foundation. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Jesus is the cornerstone of “God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).
This statement puzzled the Jews, as they perceived themselves to be free already, having “never been slaves of anyone” (verse 33). But Jesus wasn’t talking about being subject to another person. He was talking about the freedom that comes from being His disciple. Jesus is “the
way
and the
truth
and the life” (14:6, emphasis added). Knowing Jesus and His Word liberates us from the law of sin and death and sets us free from our past so we can be the people God created us to be.

Cognitive truth is something we can intellectually know to be true by reason and observation. Biblical truth is moral truth, because it reflects the nature of God. Moral truth is far more than intellectual awareness or the ability to reason logically, because truth is inextricably bound up with the One who is the Truth. A book doesn’t set you free; Jesus sets you free. When believed, God’s eternal truth transforms the heart and affects the whole inner character of a true disciple. Paul refers to this as “knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness” (Titus 1:1). Contrast this with the devil, who did not hold “to the truth, for there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). Wicked men suppress the truth by means of their wickedness (see Romans 1:18), and those who don’t believe in God have exchanged the truth of God for a lie (see 1:25).

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). However, there is a way to be free of sin. In Luke 4:16–21, Jesus makes it clear that He came in fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1–2, which refers to the Messiah coming to deliver us from sin. “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set [us] free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). As liberated children of God, we are no longer subject to the law of sin and death. We are free in Christ to live righteous lives.

The only thing we as Christians ever have to admit to is the truth. Truth is not something we fear. It is the liberating agent by which we are set free from the law of sin and death. We are instructed to speak the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15, 25) and to walk in the light (see 1 John 1:7) in order to experience the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross. The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). He will lead us into “all truth” (John 16:13), and that truth will set us free.

Why is truth an attribute of God?

When Jesus spoke about truth in John 8:31–32, to what was He referring?

What is the difference between cognitive truth and moral truth?

What direction do you have for your life if you don’t know the truth?

How sure is your foundation if you don’t have an intimate knowledge of God?

The foundation is already in place, and no one can change it. Let us therefore build on it and cling to it in the way that branches cling to the vine so that there is no gap between us and Christ. For the minute a gap opens up between the vine and its branches, the branches wither and perish. Similarily, if a building is not cemented to its foundation, it will collapse. Therefore, let us not merely cling to Christ, but let us be cemented to him, for if we stand apart we shall perish.

John Chrysostom (AD 347–407)

Proverbs 3:1–7

Key Point

Truth is absolute because it is rooted in the omniscient and immutable nature of God.

Key Verse

Trust in the L
ORD
with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

G
od is the ultimate reality, and that which He creates cannot exist apart from Him. Truth is how things really are as seen from God’s perspective. Christianity has always affirmed the concept of absolute truth because truth is rooted in the absolute nature of God. In other words, truth is absolute in that it has always been true and always will be true, regardless of whether we accept or reject it. Absolute truth is true whether or not we believe it. Truth is not conditional—it does not derive its validity from our perception. We cannot create truth, nor can we destroy
it. We can only
choose
to believe it—and we
must
believe it if we want to remain mentally healthy people in touch with reality (God).

Various philosophies have tests to determine whether something is true or false. According to the coherence theory, something is true if it is logically self-consistent with its own philosophical base. A natural person with a scientific worldview will not likely believe the Bible to be true, because it does not fit his or her theory of evolution. Under this theory, a string of lies could be logically consistent with each other, but they would not be truthful. They would lack an eternal standard that is consistent with God’s nature. According to the pragmatic theory, something is true if it works. Demonic activities work, but they are rooted in the father of lies.

Many popular philosophies argue against the idea of absolute truth. Postmodernism is a movement that claims truth is relative; therefore, it can be whatever you choose it to be. What is true for you may not be true for another. At the heart of postmodernism is the rejection of absolute
moral
truth as revealed by the nature of God and divine revelation. It is a philosophical rebellion against God. Postmodernists have depersonalized God because an impersonal God doesn’t have to be served. They prefer to decide for themselves what is true and what is false, thereby becoming their own moral standard.

The New Age movement twists reality in a different direction. The heart of New Age teaching is that we are gods. We don’t need a Savior to die for our sins; we just need to realize that we are divinity. Because each of us is our own god, we can create reality with our minds. Truth then becomes what we believe it to be, and if we believe hard enough, it will become true. Recall that Satan deceived Adam and Eve with the same lie in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:4–5).

Christians have chosen to follow the wisdom of Solomon, who wrote, “Trust in the L
ORD
with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). We reject the notion that we are gods and instead humbly choose to submit to the One who is the Truth. We accept the fact that we have a personal relationship with the “author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2
NASB
), and we choose to acknowledge Him in all our ways (see Proverbs 3:6). “For the word of the L
ORD
is right, and all His work is
done in truth. . . . For the L
ORD
is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations” (Psalms 33:4; 100:5
NKJV
).

Why is Truth eternal and absolute?

According to the coherence theory, how is something considered to be true or false? How is something true under the pragmatic view?

In what ways do postmodernists reject absolute truth? How does the New Age movement twist absolute truth?

How have you understood truth in the past?

Do you personally believe that truth is rooted in the nature of God? Why or why not?

This saying of Jesus persuades those who believe to leave behind worship that is according to the law. It teaches us that the shadow [the law] is our guide to the knowledge of Him and that, leaving the types and figures behind, we should go resolutely forward to the truth itself, which is Christ the giver of true freedom, who is also our redeemer. . . . For it is only through this truth, that is, Christ, that they shall be entirely free.

Cyril of Alexandria (AD 376–444)

Psalm 51:1–19

Key Point

God desires truth in the inner person and teaches wisdom in the inmost places.

Key Verse

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Psalm 51:6

W
e can be sorry that we have sinned, but that doesn’t constitute confession. We can ask God or others to forgive us, but our request accomplishes little if we aren’t specific about what we need to be pardoned from. We will not enjoy our relationship with God and others unless we own up to the truth and live accordingly. We will never come to Christ unless we admit that we have sinned and are sinful by nature. Without such an admission, we fail to acknowledge that we need
a Savior. Therefore, the first step in establishing a righteous relationship is to embrace the truth.

We can learn a lot from King David when it comes to facing our own sinfulness. David had a whole heart for God, but he committed a hideous sin. He lusted after Bathsheba while her husband, Uriah, was away at war. When she became pregnant, David tried to cover his sin by calling Uriah home so he could have relations with his wife, but he refused to have special privileges while the other men were away at war. So David arranged for Uriah to be on the frontline, where he would surely be killed (see 2 Samuel 11). David came under heavy conviction (see Psalm 32), but he still didn’t acknowledge his sin. So God sent Nathan to confront him (see 2 Samuel 12). David finally threw himself on the mercy of God and confessed his sins (see Psalm 51:1–5).

The first step in any recovery program is for the person to stop living in denial and face the truth—to admit he or she has a problem. Many of us are like David. If we think we can get away with it, we will likely try. However, the heavy hand of God will be on His children when they sin, as it was for David (see Psalm 32:3–4).

Some will not acknowledge their sins even under heavy conviction. In such cases, divinely sent human intervention may be necessary, as it was for David. That was the role of a prophet in the Old Testament—to bring sinners to repentance. The purpose of the gift of prophecy in the New Testament is to lay bare the secrets of the heart so the unrepentant turn to God (see 1 Corinthians 14:25). Many recovery ministries practice a process called “intervention” for those who are living in denial of their sinful behavior. A special meeting is arranged at which family and friends speak the truth in love to the one living in denial. The purpose is to get the loved one to acknowledge the truth and offer the person the kind of help that will set him or her free from his or her sinful ways.

Interventions fail if the person will not admit he or she has a problem and needs help. They also fail if the confronted person only gives mental assent to what others are saying and goes along with their suggestions in order to appease them. Intervention by others or by God’s conviction will only be effective if we acknowledge the truth in the inner person (the heart). Troubled individuals have to own the truth as David did and
desire the only remedy for their sin: repentance and faith in God (see Psalm 51:7–13).

Why doesn’t sorrow for sin constitute confession? What is required for us to truly confess our sins to God?

What is the first step for any person who desires to resolve his or her personal and spiritual conflicts?

What role did prophets play in the Old Testament? What role does the gift of prophecy play in the New Testament?

How has God used people in your life to bring about necessary change?

How is intellectual knowledge of the truth different for you than knowing truth in the inner person?

We do not teach concerning the unrighteous man that it is sufficient for him to humble himself on account of his wickedness. Rather, God will accept him only if—after passing condemnation upon himself for his past conduct—he walks humbly on account of it and in a righteous manner for his remaining days.

Origen (AD 184–253)