The Truth Will Set You Free, But How?
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Titus 3: 3.
In this passage, Paul reminds his readers that they were once foolish, disobedient and enslaved by their passions. I believe there is a progression here beginning with foolishness and ending with bondage.
A foolish person is prone to disobedience. Disobedience leads to deception and deception to enslavement. A foolish person disobeys because they don’t know any better. They don’t know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad.
What Is Wisdom?
A good definition of wisdom is to know the difference between right and wrong or good and evil.
Disobedience then causes us to rationalize, excuse and justify our sin. We do this so as not to be plagued by a guilty conscience which would rob us of the pleasure of our sin.
In other words, we no longer see our sin according to the truth. We no longer see it the way God does. We convince ourselves that God understands. Our excuses make it acceptable.
Once we begin to excuse, justify and rationalize away our sin rather than acknowledging its sinfulness, we become deceived. And we’ve opened the door to bondage.
The truth about our sin causes us to hate it and continue to deal with it. But once we believe the lie that it’s okay, and that God understands, we’ll stop trying to resist it. We’ll give up the fight and begin to peacefully co-exist with it.
At this point, there’s no reason to strive against it, since it’s acceptable and we’ve become enslaved to it.
The Truth Will Set You Free If You Change Your Mind
To repent means to “change your mind” according to Strong’s Exhaustive Dictionary of the NT. The reason we make a habit of sinning is because of what we think or believe about it.
As mentioned, we can’t enjoy our sin with a guilty conscience. So, we convince ourselves that it’s not really that bad in order to continue to enjoy it.
But we’re believing a lie, we’re deceived. But when we repent, we choose to believe the truth once again. And this will cause us to continue to strive against it until we overcome it.
As long as we continue to believe the truth about our sin, and see it the way God does, we’ll continue to fight against it. And not become a slave to it.
Disobedience Robs Us of Truth
The problem is that disobedience leads to deception. Disobedience is a dangerous indulgence because it robs us of the truth. If we know the truth, we’ll be set free (John 8: 32). Conversely then, if we don’t know the truth, or believe a lie or are deceived, we’ll be enslaved.
Samson is a good example of this principle. This account illustrates a spiritual principle using physical truths. It appears that perhaps he didn’t have the discipline he needed as a child. He had a love for foreign women. As a Jewish boy, he would have been taught against this.
And when he fell for a Philistine woman, his parents tried to dissuade him. But he was both insistent and demanding.
“Then he came up and told his father and mother, ‘I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.’ But his father and mother said to him, ‘Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes'” Judges 14: 2, 3.
Samson’s Foolishness
But, as it turns out, this marriage was never consummated (Judges 14). God protected Samson from his folly, in the beginning. But the point is, Samson was foolish. And therefore, disobedient. This is why he wanted a Philistine woman which was against God’s law and his parents’ wishes.
He was spared the first time. But he soon took up with another Philistine woman named Delilah. This time his disobedience led to deception, and ultimately bondage and imprisonment.
After he foolishly revealed the secret of his strength to her, his eyes were gouged out. Literally and figuratively, he was blind and couldn’t see the light in which the truth is revealed. And when you can’t see the truth, you’re deceived.
Ultimately, he was bound with bronze shackles and set to grinding in the prison (Judges 16: 1-22).
As mentioned, perhaps Samson was not properly disciplined as a child, which caused him to go into adulthood with foolishness bound in his heart. This soon led to disobedience, and then blindness or deception. And ultimately, enslavement.
To be foolish is to be immature. It is to not know the difference between right and wrong, good or bad. Proverbs 22: 15 (and others) tells us “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him” Proverbs 22: 15.
Know the Truth and Be Set Free
Proper parental discipline leads to an obedient child. This causes them to eventually know the truth and live in freedom”. . . you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” John 8: 32.
A child often chafes at having to obey his parents because they don’t see the necessity and value of those mandates. But if they are made to obey, when they don’t want to, they eventually come to know the truth about those things.
As they mature, they will begin to see that those rules promote their well-being and are in their best interest. They start to see that eating their vegetables will keep them healthy. And brushing their teeth will keep them from falling out.
And at that point, they start to do these things without being told, or coerced, but willingly. They no longer do what’s right because they have to, but because they choose to. In other words, as they come to know the truth, they are set free.
They may not necessarily want to do it in the moment, but they do it as part of an overall plan they have chosen for themselves.
A Foolish Man Doesn’t Hide from Danger
Adultery is another good example of how this progression works. A foolish man does not protect himself from his weaknesses. “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it” Proverbs 27: 12.
If he’s married, and has a weakness for young, attractive women, rather than taking steps to avoid being alone with them, he does the opposite. He flirts and strikes up a conversation and tries to find ways to be alone with her.
This foolishness leads to disobedience, and they end up having an intimate encounter. At first, he feels terribly guilty and vows he won’t let it happen again. But because he doesn’t protect himself, it does. And every time it does, he becomes a little more deceived.
Now, instead of acknowledging that it’s wrong, he begins to think things like “my wife doesn’t understand me anyway”, “no one will find out”, or “everyone does it”.
Now, he’s gone from acknowledging the truth, to believing a lie. He’s deceived. And from here, it’s only a short step to enslavement.
People don’t start out in bondage to their sin. At first, they foolishly entertain and then indulge it. Then, they replace the truth with a lie. Finally, because they no longer put up any resistance, they are enslaved.
Disobedience Is Dangerous
Disobedience is dangerous, because it eventually leads to deception. You may cling to the truth and put up with a guilty conscience for a while; but before long you’ll start to believe a lie.
The reason the truth sets you free from slavery to sin is the opposite of why deception leads to slavery. Deception causes us to give up the fight against our sin. We do this either because we’re convinced it’s too hard, and we’re too weak, or because we believe the lie that God understands, and it’s therefore okay.
Actually, the second lie is just a way to justify our sin that we feel helpless to overcome (1st lie). So, if deception causes us to give up the fight, the truth causes us to keep up the fight. And not giving up is the secret to deliverance from sin.
We’re A Slave or A Son, but Not Both
Jesus said “the one who endures to the end will be saved” Mathew 24: 13. And my earthly hero, Joyce Meyer has said, “the only way we fail is if we give up”.
The truth causes us to continue the struggle against our sin, because the truth is God hates our sin. And “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever” John 8: 34, 35. Sin will destroy us.
Knowing these things will motivate us to keep up the fight, because there are no other options. Either overcome our sin, or be under God’s wrath, a slave and not a son, and be destroyed. Either you’re a slave or a son, but you can’t be both.
We might stumble 100x a day, but as long as we continue to believe the truth about our sin, we will continue the struggle. And this will eventually lead to victory over it.
The problem is, we get discouraged, start to believe lies, and give up. But as long as we cling to the truth, we will eventually be set free!
If We Cling to the Truth, We’ll Be Set Free
Herein is the danger of believing God forgives our sin, and overlooks it without also doing our part, which is repentance. Repentance means to change your mind.
In other words, the only way God will forgive and pardon our sin is if we stop believing that God understands or that we can’t help it, or everyone is doing it. And start believing the truth.
Once we begin believing the truth, and see our sin the way God sees it, we’ll resume our fight. Then we’ll be forgiven and pardoned, even while yet struggling with it. The key is that we haven’t given up on it.
Or, we could say it’s our faith in the truth that sets us free. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” 1 John 5: 4.
Abraham’s faith was reckoned as righteousness (Genesis 15: 6). What we believe determines what we do. What we do dictates our habits. Our habits shape our character. And our character determines our destiny.
To read another post similar to see The Prince of Peace Gives Peace in Every Circumstance.