Jump Start # 1628

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”

It is a common complaint about the Bible. It is stated so often, that it has become the default statement that people turn to when there is a disagreement about Biblical teachings or the application of God’s truth. “No one can understand the Bible.” Or, “No one can agree on the Bible.” Then what is said, “Everyone has their own interpretation, mine is just different than yours.” These things are said to avoid an uncomfortable conversation and more than that to avoid having to admit you might be wrong and need to change. Your interpretation is different than mine, implies that we are both right and it really doesn’t matter. This thinking has allowed division to exist and it has justified doing things that are not taught in the Bible. “I see it differently than you do,” can be nothing more than a cover for, “I’m going to do it whether the Bible teaches it or not.”

Our verse is important in this discussion.

1. Truth is recognizable and distinguishable from error. Continuing in Jesus’ words leads to knowing truth. Jesus said concerning false teachers, “you will know them by their fruits.” They are recognizable. This idea that truth is evolving and ambiguous and what is truth to you is not truth to me, is liberal theology spewed by the devil. You can recognize truth.

2. Jesus said that you can know the truth. Not only can you recognize the difference between truth and error, you can attach yourself to what is truth. You can believe what is right. You can be right by following what is right.

3. Truth has positive results. It makes you free. Free from what? Free from the darkness of error. Free from having someone else tell you what is right. Free from the clutches of Satan. Free from sin. Free from death. Free from displeasing God. Freedom.

4. Implied in all of this is the thought that God is capable of writing a book that we can understand. This is the heart of the discussion. When people say, “No one can understand the Bible,” they are implying that God is a lousy author. We can read Shakespeare and understand that. We can read medical journals and understand them. We can read college textbooks and understand them. We can read diaries and understand them. We know what everyone else wrote, but the greatest mind of all time, the greatest power of all time, God, can not write a book so we can understand. In the little community I live in, there is one stop sign. A few feet before the stop sign, there is another sign. It says, “Stop means stop. Rolling through the stop sign is a $150.00 fine.” Four letters on that red sign, S-T-O-P. Is that hard to understand? Is a dictionary needed to explain this, or is a matter of the will. I don’t want to stop if I can beat the guy that’s coming. It’s not a language issue. It’s not an understanding issue. It’s a matter of some don’t want to stop. This may be the very issue with the Bible. It’s not the words. God doesn’t write in words that we cannot understand. Look at the model prayer in Matthew 6, that begins, “Our Father who is in Heaven.” Simple words. Easy to understand. It’s the forgiving others that we don’t want to do. We would rather roll through that sign than stop. God can communicate on our level. God can explain Himself very easily. It’s really a matter of the will. It’s easier to say, “No one understands the Bible,”  than to admit that I need to be holy.

You can know the truth. That truth can make you free. There are some things you have to understand about this. Knowing this truth means reading it and thinking about it. Speed reading isn’t good with the Bible. Reading the Bible, like a newspaper isn’t good. I tend to read the headline, first paragraph, skim through the rest and catch the last paragraph. If something catches your attention, then you slow down and read it. This is not appropriate for God’s word. Every word is important. The order of the words is important. Each word must be looked at and considered. Slow is the pace when reading the Bible. It is much better to read a few verses and grasp the understanding than to read chapters after chapters but have no clue as to what you are reading.

When reading the Bible, we must concentrate. This is hard for many of us. Reading while the commercials are on TV, is not the best. Reading while trying to  send texts on your phone isn’t much better. Find a time and a place where there are few distractions. Read with a pad of paper and a pen with you so you can write things down.

Could it be that one claims “No one can understand the Bible,” because of the way that they are reading? It may not be the message is difficult, but rather, they are not putting themselves in the best atmosphere to study and learn.

When reading the Bible, view it as God’s message. He is talking to you. Read with reverence and care. Read carefully. Read with the heart that wants to please God. Be willing to change your mind or your ways. Read with knowledge that God is right. Read with the hope that God is wanting you to believe and obey Him.

I think for too long we have said, “Study the Bible,” but we haven’t told people how to study. A similar thing happens every semester on college campuses. Freshmen start off thinking that college is like high school. It’s not. Many do not know how to study in college. They soon find out that things are not spoon fed to them. They have to work at it to learn. Many don’t and so, many fail. In a similar way, just study the Bible, implies that folks know how to do that. Many don’t. Many have never read books before. Many don’t understand what the Bible is about. Start with the table of contents. There are lessons to be learned about the order that the books of the Bible are in. Understanding a few things about the background of what is going on helps.

You can know the truth—you can. That truth can make you free. Don’t buy into the shallow excuse, “No one can understand the Bible.” That’s not what Jesus said. Don’t accept the idea, “We all have different interpretations.” Years ago, there was a cartoon in New Yorker magazine. A student was at the chalk board in school. The problem on the board was 7×5. He wrote the answer, “75.” He said to the astonished teacher, “I know that’s not the right answer, but it’s how I feel.” How I feel. That’s at the heart of understanding, interpretations, and knowing truth. I feel that…and we let that statement guide us and shape our faith rather than the word of God. We let our feelings shape the direction that we go. We let feelings determine what is right and wrong. I feel 7×5=75. You may feel that way, but that’s not the right answer.

You can know the truth, if you want to.

Roger

Jump Start # 382

John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jew who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.”

  Freedom! What a powerful and exciting word. Our nation was built upon individual freedom. The freedom to worship, the freedom to speak, the freedom of the press are in the fabric of who we are. Wars have been fought to keep this freedom. This weekend, our country celebrates that freedom. This is something that should never be forgotten. A trip oversees reminds us how wonderful this country is.

  Long before there was an America, Jesus spoke of freedom. All freedom comes with a price and a cost. Free speech means allowing the opposing voice to be heard. Not all like that. Freedom of the press allows articles that I disagree with to be printed. The freedom of Christ comes with a price, first, His blood was shed to inaugurate this and it takes our devotion to His word to maintain it.

  Our verse today identifies two key principles. First, the knowledge of truth. Jesus said, “you shall know the truth.” Knowledge of what is right is powerful. It opens doors and builds confidence. The knowledge Jesus had in mind was Biblical knowledge, the word of God. Paul told the Ephesians to not be unwise but to “know the will of God.” To know God and His Son is amazing. The Psalmist said knowing God’s word would make one wiser than teachers (Ps 119). This knowledge comes from spending time with God’s word. Thinking, learning, applying, growing—all the ways anyone learns anything.

  The second principle Jesus taught here is freedom. This knowledge, God’s truth will make you free. To the Jewish mind, the first thought that they would think would be independence from Roman rule. Freedom from Roman taxation, Roman soldiers in the streets and freedom from corrupt and wicked Roman rulers. The Jews longed for this. They anticipated a Messiah that would do this for them. As so often in the teachings of Jesus, the Lord had something totally different in mind.

  Jesus is thinking of spiritual freedom. The context points to that. A few verses later Jesus would say, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” That theme is repeated by Paul in Romans 6. Sin slaves. It captures the heart, controls the mind and once the door has been opened to temptation, it is hard to close it again. Sin keeps us from being what we should be. The consequences of sin is death—both physical and spiritual. The world Jesus came to did not know freedom from sin. That concept was not possible. How would they overcome what they were addicted and enslaved to? Who would do it? The answer is Jesus. He lived without sinning. He was the perfect one. He never had to apologize. He never had to ask for forgiveness. He never spoke out of turn. He never lost His cool. It is that truth, that way, that life which would release a person from the grips of sin.

  Because of Jesus, death is not the end of the journey. Because of Jesus, one doesn’t have to sin. Because of Jesus, there is hope. Because of Jesus, we can again be united with the Father.

  I like our freedom. In many places in the world today, I could not write my Jump Starts and send them out. It would not be allowed. I like being able to live where I want and work where I want. Those are amazing freedoms. But greater than all of those is what Jesus has done. The freedom that allows me to know the Father.

  The truth will make you free—what a great thought that is. Where would we be if Jesus had not come? How miserable our lives would be…how hopeless and full of dread. Jesus brings joy, peace, and rightness to a world that is wrong.

  The freedom is there—it’s in His truth. Have you found it? Are you staying with it? It will make a difference in your life.

  That’s a freedom we need to be thankful for!

Roger