We tend to think we know what we want, and what we want is to be happy. The problem is that when go for the things that we think will make us happy, the happiness we so desperately seek, seems to allude us. We look back and see the times in our lives when, with 20/20 hindsight, we were the happiest, we did not even know it. It works the same way with fulfillment in life, and with freedom. When we pursue these things, they seems to allude us too. In this illustration of the trinity of helps from John chapter 8, Jesus points the way to true freedom. True freedom comes not as we seek it, but as a byproduct of something else. True freedom is not found in doing exactly what I want to do. When I do this, I finish up developing appetites that that demand attention. I finish up being in bondage to the very things I felt would make me free (see future post 'The freedom that enslaves'). True freedom is not the absence of restraint, it is the freedom to be all that we were created to be. Jesus tells us that He came to bring us abundant life, to fullness of life, but we need to do things His way. More often than not when I do it “my way” I finish up settling for mediocrity, or worse, for the quiet desperation that, according to the saying, is the lot of most of us.
The verses we are looking at today, illustrate well the trinity of helps that forms the basis of my blog and in my book. The first component of this trilogy of interconnected helps is Truth. Truth is found supremely in the Bible, properly understood (no small task). In Jesus' High Priestly prayer (John 17) He prays to the Father that He would sanctify us (make us holy) through the truth. He then says “Your Word is Truth”. This may not what be what you believe at this point in time, but it is surly worth considering that these words are spoken by the one who is widely regarded as the best teacher the World has ever known. We might want to ask ourselves why that is, before we too easily dismiss what He says. The first component then is Bible help, help from His Word. The second component has to do with our receiving the truth, our cooperation with it, and the third with the help God gives as us we do this. So then the next two components are self help (if we continue..) and God's help, “the truth shall set you free”. "Wait a minute", I hear you say, "isn’t that Bible help again?" But in the mystery of what He tells us, He is the living Truth (John 14:6), and according to orthodox Christianity (and Jesus Himself if we can see it), He is God, so yes God's help. These things are, as I say mystery. But we have banished mystery in the West. We will need to say more on this (see future posts).
In addition to being an illustration of the trinity of helps, these verses constitute one of the exceedingly great and precious promises of the Scripture. If you are looking at these things from the outside (not yet a Christian), you will find them hard to believe. The Scripture tells us that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit. I can see it. If I did not know the truth of what I said in the last paragraph, I too would think of this as just so much mumbo jumbo. Perhaps this is you, but if it is, please do not tell me that Jesus was just a good teacher. If what Jesus is teaching here is mumbo jumbo, then Jesus was not even a good teacher, he was a teacher of mumbo jumbo (see future post Lunatic, Liar or Lord).
The things of the Spirit can only be verified from within. As one person put it “I believe, therefor I understand”. I cannot get there by logic. The understanding comes afterwards. If you do not believe that the human body (your human body) can float in water, the way to find out if it is true, is to jump in the water. This would be a scarey suggestion if you don't believe it can float. Some of us got desperate enough to take the plunge, and then found that it really is true. But you won't get there as a spectator staying at the side of the pool! But, to repeat myself, it is a promise. It can be verified by meeting the conditions of the promise “If you continue in my Word”, reading it, believing it, memorizing it, meditating on it, letting it sink into our innermost being, and most importantly, obeying it. The Bible makes it clear that the Word is like a seed that gestates. When it is planted deep within good soil (the soul who will continue) it germinates and brings forth fruit (Mark 4).
And all this is nonsense if God is not there, or does not play His part. But He is there and He will play His part if you play yours. If you are not there yet (or you need to go deeper), please do not give up, because “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17)”. “All very circular” you say. Perhaps, but it is a divine circularity, and that it is true, is the testimony of many who have tasted and seen that the Lord is Good. It is my testimony too. He is in the process of making me progressively more and more free.
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