The Truth Will Set You Free

YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. John 8.32.

Once in our church, we were running a course on ‘Personal holiness and temptation’. I was preparing the lessons from the text book when I came across the story of this young man who kept saying to his teacher, “But you don’t know how great MY temptation is!” He was living in sexual sin with women, always excusing himself thinking that he alone was born a super stud!

The teacher gently said, “I appreciate that!” Then he asked the young man, “But would you look with me at the Word of God?” He took a verse and showed him, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor 10.13).

The teacher told him “See! God says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man’. But you say your temptation is stronger than others! Someone must be terribly wrong – you or God!” For the first time, confronted by the truth of God’s Word, the young man conceded, “All along, I fooled myself into believing that my temptation was far greater than that of others. Hence, I kept on giving in to my temptation and sinning! Today, I quit!”

I remember once a young believer told me that his tobacco addiction was so great that he could not overcome. But you have the help of the Holy Spirit who by His mighty power raised Jesus Christ from the dead! What lie the devil has put in your mind to prevent you from knowing the truth! You say, ‘Your anger and outburst are ‘inborn’ and you cannot help it; the bad mouthing and sarcasm you rail at your brothers and sisters are beyond your control; the sexual sin and the extra-marital sex you live in, you cannot get out of!

Let the truth from God’s Word sink in you so that it will set you free: “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5.19-21).

Dear believer, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal 6.7,8).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, please impress Your Word on my soul that I will be set free by its truth. Let me not give in to Satan’s lies that keep me sinning against You and Your Word! Amen.