I recently told someone that my favorite pastime is learning. It doesn’t really matter what the subject is, just that I have the opportunity to learn something new. To me, knowledge is the most wonderful commodity of all (along with its mature cousin, wisdom, of course); and, for the most part, it’s totally free! If a person desires to learn something new, there’s always an opportunity. Heck, my second favorite subject (after God) is people, so I spend a lot of my time learning about others. How hard is it to ask someone how their day is going? When they answer, you know what process just occurred? You learned! Seeking knowledge and understanding, really, is the simplest thing of all.
Why learn in the first place? I mean, is it just something you do like needlepoint or playing solitaire to pass the time away, or are there real benefits? Well, if we are to generalize said benefits, we might say that learning leads us to truth. At the end of the day, it’s truth that sets us free, so says Jesus, Himself (John 8:32). We can conclude then that wisdom and understanding are the basis for freedom.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!
— Psalm 111:10
To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in righteousness, justice, and equity;
to give prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the youth—
Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
to understand a proverb and a saying,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
— Proverbs 1:2-6
For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
— Proverbs 2:6
Who doesn’t want to be free, I ask? When I learned the answer to this question years ago, I was stunned to find out that humans often prefer bondage to lies over freedom in truth! You might ask, why would they ever choose to live in lies rather than truth? Let me describe the malady this way: a lie is a lie because it diverges from the truth at some point in what it proposes to be true (that’s the very nature of a lie, it is easily thought of as a counterfeit to truth). So, when a person is living in a lie, they often believe they are living in the truth. This is why Jesus made monumental statements like:
For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.
— Luke 6:43-44
Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
— Matthew 7:20
Have you ever seen a person being transferred from one prison to another? I recently was on a cross country flight where three armed Marshals were transporting a prisoner. The situation was obvious due to the plain cotton clothes and the hand, waist, and foot shackles worn by the prisoner. Suffice to say that this man was clearly in bondage to his chains. Jesus stated on several occasions that we would also be able to see such analogs in the spiritual realm. Once you know the truth, having been delivered unto freedom, you have a clearer perspective to discern the bondage that besets others.
Knitting this together now…
The Word of Truth encourages us to learn from it and enjoy the wisdom that it produces. As we do this, we begin to see God’s good intention for us. It’s truly a beautiful thing to behold. To learn something as primitive to the spiritual life as ‘there is freedom in truth’ is indeed priceless.
Here’s the crux of this blog: the Truth is self-authenticating. This means that truth promises to validate itself by its own fruit. That is the way God designed it and Jesus described it. We ought to make it a habit to examine the fruit of whatever we believe to be true. It’s never enough to cling to doctrine for the sake of clinging to something (the reasoning being that it’s better to cling to something, even if errant, than nothing at all). We must cling to the truth. The Bible says there is a massive difference. If there are inconsistencies between what we believe and our own fruit, something isn’t right, because God’s not in the business of trying to confuse us!
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.
— 1 Corinthians 14:33
How confusing is it for the person who’s living in a lie (but believes they are living in the truth) when their fruit is bondage? How confusing is it for the person whose religion oppresses them? How confused is the person who prays to a god that never answers, never fulfills its promises, never assures them of their faith? Contrarily, how encouraging is it for the person whose truth sets them free? How validating is it when their changed heart desires to reach out to the needy, that being their religion (ala James 1:27)? How secure is the person whose God makes good on all of His promises?
Lies entice people into adopting them on the premise that they will deliver the same fruit as the actual truth. Their “oxygen” is deceit. Lies always produce the opposite of the results they advertise. Just ask the person who bought the lie that sex outside of marriage is good as long as it feels right or is somehow coupled to some expressed form of love (if that’s even the appropriate word – it’s most likely lust). Ask the person who’s in spiritual ruin because they bought the lies of false religion. Ask anyone, for that matter, who festers in chains and bondage. What’s the issue? They lack truth.
Truth is the only reality that delivers on its promises. It is self-authenticating. All we have to do is look at our fruit and discern whether or not the fruit confirms what we believe to be true. If our “truth” fails this simple test, the first thing we need to do is open up our Bibles and begin seeking. Jesus spoke a parable for our encouragement:
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
— Luke 11:5-13
Pursue the truth at all costs, for it is the key to your freedom! If you find your fruit is bad, then read your Bible and get to praying. Never be afraid to step back and evaluate the estate of your peace and contentment in this life. Lies will make promises they cannot keep – you will forfeit the very thing you seek if you cling to them. Only truth will set you free!
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
— James 1:5
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins