“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
There are those areas of bondage that have been so longstanding, so tenacious, so unyielding that we come to believe we will never be free. That somehow, “I am not one of the ones whom Jesus will heal. I’ve never met anyone with this problem. I must just have to live with it.” Oh, how Satan would love for us to continue to believe those lies that hold us in bondage. It stands to reason if truth sets us free then lies or errors bind us. What hope floods our soul when we realize that “the truth shall make you free.” We may say, “I already know the truth, but I’m still not free.” We may genuinely be saved but still believing lies in certain areas of our lives that continue to hold us in bondage. Perhaps we are in bondage to fear, bitterness, worry, depression, addiction, pride, anger, unforgiveness, etc. We continue to be in bondage by the lies we believe. Lies are those things we believe that do not match up with God’s word.
There is a world of difference between knowing the truth (giving it intellectual assent) and believing the truth (at a heart level). Knowledge at the intellectual level never set anyone free. It is only when we believe truth in our heart (which leads to action) that freedom reigns. We may believe that we trust God yet struggle with worry or fear. The evidence of what we believe in our heart is visible in our life. Worry and fear are evidence that God’s trustworthiness is not deeply rooted in our heart.
When we realize we have not believed God, but only believed in God, we should repent and choose to believe God’s truth even if we can’t see it, feel it, taste it or smell it. We believe it because He said it. We search the freedom-giving word for truth that is specific to our area of bondage. We persevere in claiming that truth for our life and we will find our knowledge will become belief as we experience God’s faithful keeping of His word.
Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.
Think About This: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” ―
The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 13:22-35| You can download our 2022 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
