Truth And Freedom
As I type these words, I am very aware of some of the risks in doing so. There is, for example, the risk of being misunderstood. There is also the risk of being perceived as being overly critical. I could be seen as being too “soft” or too “hard” in my assessment of preaching and/or preachers. The possibilities of negative consequences are almost endless.
There is also a risk of people thinking that I am only concerned about preaching and/or preachers. It may be true that a lot of what follows has to do with that. However, I believe that if you will stay with this until the end, you will find that this is not true.
Even with all of that said (and a lot left unsaid), I will attempt to share some thoughts that I have on my mind. Of course, the reader is perfectly justified in disagreeing, questioning, disregarding, etc. These are just my thoughts and observations.
I suppose that I will throw in one more caveat before I share what I have on my mind. These thoughts are coming from a person who knows firsthand what it feels like to be “graded” as a preacher. Nobody knows the pressure of going through a weekly (or maybe even daily) “performance review” unless you’ve been there yourself.
With all of that said, I’m concerned that, in some circles, two concepts that should work in tandem could be seen by some as being mutually exclusive and/or even in conflict with each other. Most likely you remember that it was Jesus who said, “…the truth shall make/set you free” (John 8:32). If He linked truth and freedom, none of us has any right to see them as two totally separate items which are in conflict with one another. It is also a grave mistake to try to minimize the importance of either truth or freedom.
Please do not think that I want to minimize the importance of truth. Somebody a lot smarter than me and who was inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it…” (Prov. 23:23)
Preaching and teaching the truth is imperative. Preaching and teaching all of the truth is imperative. Preaching and teaching undiluted truth is imperative. Only undiluted truth is actually truth. Once truth has become diluted, it is no longer truth.
While I’m concerned about the fact that truth can be misunderstood and/or misapplied, I’m equally concerned about a misunderstanding and misapplication of the second concept in our Lord’s statement. I fear that some have an erroneous concept of what it means to be free.
Freedom is not to be equated with license. We need to be reminded of these words that Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia: “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh…” (Gal. 5:13)
Sadly, it is now fashionable in some (many) circles to tolerate what God clearly condemns in the name of “freedom.” Truth is jettisoned in the process. This cannot be the case if one wants to honor the One who connected truth and freedom.
Truth and freedom must work in tandem. When I communicate God’s truth to people, the goal should not be about winning debate points, but about winning souls. At the same time, I cannot be concerned about winning people to whatever my concept of Christianity is at the expense of bringing them to the One who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
As a person reads the epistles written by Paul, it becomes apparent that he made another connection. Like his Lord, he did not divorce truth from freedom. Along with this (and again like His Lord), he made the following connection:
…speaking the truth in love… (Eph. 4:15)
Hopefully, the reader will remember that I suggested that my thoughts were not exclusively “aimed at” preachers/teachers. It is true that those who present God’s word need to evaluate themselves. At the same time, those who receive instruction from preachers/teachers bear a great deal of responsibility as well. Please read and carefully consider this description also written by Paul of those whom he described as “perishing:”
…[T]hey refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thes. 2:10-12)
In Mark 4:24, the Lord instructs those who were listening to Him on that occasion to “Pay attention to what you hear…” In Luke 8:16, He is quoted as saying on another occasion, “Take care then how you listen…”
Our eternal destinies are determined by what is proclaimed and how it is proclaimed. Those destinies are also determined by what is believed, obeyed, and followed.
So – why did I type all of this? While you may assume many things about many reasons for that. The fact is that I have only one overriding reason. Here it is:
It is my prayer that all of us are in harmony (and not necessarily musically) when we sing
When We All Get to Heaven.
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
