daily java

Daily Java: Jesus said, You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. That's in John 8:32.

Knowing the truth will make us free, Jesus says. Someone else says, what you don’t know won’t hurt you.
The movie character says, you can’t handle the truth. Someone else says, truth hurts.

All of which are true to an extent. I would rather know what is wrong than not and have it surprise me. I think we can handle the truth, and sometimes, yes, it hurts.

And truth will give freedom. When it comes down to it, ignorance is enslaving. People keep things from you many times to control you. As a bumper sticker I saw said (to the effect), the government prefers ignorant unarmed peasants.

That may or may not be true, but it is true that ignorant people are more easily controlled.

What Jesus wanted was an informed people, a people who know what is what and still choose to serve him.
He wants us to know him, to know his word, to know his plans for us.

He says that when we know him, we will be free.

I still remember the day in Germany when some of the signs began to make sense to me. It was 1970 and I was in the army. It was so strange to be in a place where you couldn’t even tell where the restrooms are. You can’t order a Coke or hamburger or anything.

Then one day it made sense to me. I always had a gift for languages and when it kicked in, I felt so free. All of a sudden I could read stuff.

God gives us that same freedom. When we know his word, we know what he wants, how he is, what pleases him – all those things.

We are not some ignorant rabble worshipping a god in the dark with special secret incantations. We worship a God into whose presence we can go boldly.

Know him. Use a new and good translation of the Bible, listen to the pastor when he speaks, check out what he says, accumulate knowledge and wisdom and know God.

Then you will be free.