Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” John 8:31-33, The Message.
Things are going well so far in this conversation. Nice words are being said and no feathers are ruffled; we can all feel good, but then Jesus gets blunt and insulting.
“If God was your father,” Jesus said, ” you would love me, for I came from God and arrived here. I didn’t come on my own. He sent me. Why can’t you understand one word I say? Here’s why: You can’t handle it. You’re from your father, the Devil, and all you want to do is please him. He was a killer from the very start. He couldn’t stand the truth because there wasn’t a shred of truth in him. When the Liar speaks, he makes it up out of his lying nature and fills the world with lies…” John 8:42-44 The Message.
Jesus doesn’t disguise the anger inside of him. In my mind’s eye, I can faces reddening and veins bulging; men are reaching down to gather stones to hurl at Jesus. But Jesus fearlessly speaks the truth that needs to be heard. Maybe I should start getting angry when I think of when I have believed the lies of the evil one.
The particular lies that I am susceptible to tend to be the “enough” lies and go something like this, “I have to make myself good enough to be of value to God. I am not good enough, smart enough or well spoken enough to be able to tell others about Jesus and what He has done for me.” There are other lies that I buy into as well, but their origin is the same, the Liar.
I can live knowing I am enough because Jesus, the I AM died and paid the price for my freedom. Jesus continues to expose dark lies that keep me from living in truth. He is the angry defender of truth and won’t mince words when confronting those who perpetuate those lies. He is fearless when speaking the truth.
What are the lies you are listening to and who is telling them? Maybe it’s the culture, tv. Maybe it’s an actual person. Jesus went to the Cross so we wouldn’t have to live a lie. Lord, help us live in truth this day.
Klueh
Sixty-six books in a year 