"Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"
Galatians 4:16
"What is truth?" Those were the famous words of Pilate as Jesus stood before him? The Bible, of course, has much to say about the truth. Pilate could not recognize the truth even though it was literally staring him in the face. Jesus proclaimed that He was the way, the TRUTH, and the life. Everything that Jesus said was true, because it flowed out of Him whose very essence is truth. He also told man that if he would come to know the truth and accept it as truth it would set him free. Free from what? Free from the bondage of a lie, sin.
It is here that we naturally want to say, "Well, no one wants to be in bondage. We all want to be free." I would caution you to think a little harder about the statement. There are many people in our world who are in bondage voluntarily. They have chosen to remain enslaved to something even though they could be free at any time. What do I mean? People are enslaved to several things: an addiction to a substance, a bitter spirit, a besetting sin, a harmful relationship, etc. Many of us have habits that are damaging to our body even though we know the truth of the consequences of these habits. We say that we could give it up any time, but we have no desire to do so. Instead, we just allow it rule and reign over our bodies day after day. Others have lived so long with bitterness at a family member, friend, or someone else that they ought to give it a name and keep it as a pet. We know the truth of how to handle this situation scripturally, but we cannot imagine letting go of what we have to hold over their heads. The examples could go on and on.
The problem is not that we do not know the truth. The problem is that we do not like the truth and better yet do not want to deal with it truthfully. As long as this is our attitude, we will stay in the shackles of a lie. God never intended for His children to live in shackles. He sent His Son to die on the cross to free His children. If you are a child of God, you have freedom today. This freedom is not to sin, but freedom from sin. God is not your enemy; He is your friend. He is the Friend that tells you the truth whether you want to hear it or not. He is the Friend that sticks by your side as you step by faith into victory from bondage. Don't let something in your life bind you to a lie. Your enemy is a liar. Your Friend is the Truth. Ask God to help you get the victory over that enslaving act or attitude today, and be free in Jesus Christ.
May you experience freedom today!
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