Surprised by the truth.
Do you “come upon truth” as you read God’s words or are you always after some truth, proving a point, winning an argument, preparing a Bible lesson?
Okay, so you aren’t argumentative but you pursue fanciful interpretations or you manufacture your encouragement from the Scriptures. You wouldn’t say it out loud but you think you need to help God by putting a good spin on his words. You randomly open the Bible close your eyes and point to a verse and hope God says something.
I believe for many Christians that their study is way too self-directed. We find what we were looking for, or so it seems, but never more. The greatness and majesty of God never pop out at you as you round a corner in life. You don’t have “wow” moments. God doesn’t take your breath away.
You are trapped by what you already believe instead of being freed by the truth.
(John 8:31-32 NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The truth of God will free us even from ourselves. Note the progression Jesus directed the believing Jews toward: abide/are disciples/shall know truth/truth shall make you free.
The Jews who opposed Christ as described in 8.33ff were imprisoned by their religious knowledge. They wanted a savior but Jesus was beyond their framework of belief. They couldn’t accept what they didn’t have figured out already.
This text is one of my “come upon the truth” texts as a result of regularly reading the Bible and listening to God. The statement “the truth shall make you free” is certainly powerful, but seeing Christ’s words in context captured me.
What is my approach?
Do I study the Bible to find freeing truth or do I abide in, live in, his words and then walk as a disciple and then know the truth and then be freed by the truth.
I think I heard it expressed like this before: “You don’t even know what you don’t know.”
And this is what happens when we are puffed up with our knowledge of God’s word but are not letting the words transform us by renewing our minds.
Can you be filled to brim with Bible knowledge and not have truth? Yes.
Because your self-directed, self-contained approach to the words of God imprisons instead of frees you.
What might help?
An intentional plan or discipline to continually read through the Bible and live what God brings to your heart. That is really what I started out to say. Read God’s word and let God speak to you. Let him teach you. There is a time for study and searching, but I believe many pass on God’s gracious invitation to sit before him and hear his voice in this way.
Life-changing. Yes-siree!
Just ask me. I’ll tell you. Seriously. My life and theology has been changed more through my continuous reading through the Bible than anything else. I can’t say it enough.
