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Truth and liberty are two of the greatest words in the English language. There are perhaps no other words in the language that have been so variously interpreted which the conflict of opinion have raised more fiercely. No words have had greater power to call for the energy and devotion of human hearts or have on the other hand have more often been employed to give an ideal coloring to base and to selfish ends. How many and what noble battles have been fought for the most sacred interest of humanity, which were identified by these names truth and liberty.
We would block out half of the pages of heroic history if we were to erase the deeds done and the sufferings endured for truth and for freedom. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. This utterance of Jesus at this point in His earthly ministry was spoken to a proud and presumptuous people. Jews whose past history of their Nation was a record of bondage. They had been in bondage to the Canaanites, in bondage to the Philistines, the Chaldeans, and Syrian Kings. Even at this moment when this indignant disclaimer was uttered and their subjects denied ever being in bondage the signs of a foreign rule, and the domination of stranger was everywhere.
They bought and they sold with Roman money. They paid tribute to a Roman Emperor. A Roman Governor sat in their judgment hall. A Roman garrison occupied the fortress of their cities. And yet with all of this they angrily put back the promise of Christ as though it conveyed an insult when the Master said, "and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. The aim of Christ in setting forth these words was not only for the freedom of his countrymen in bondage to the Romans.
He did not limit His vision to that present day or hour but looked through the future and saw servitude in every form, man in bondage to man, races enslaving other races, those who were politically free in worst bondage still. The rich and rulers in bondage to their passion. Conscience of His inward deity and Father's intentions, Jesus without melodrama, which would mock the mere liberator, calmly said, "ye shall be free".
Liberty is a jewel for which men in all ages have fought. A jewel for which human nature will contend as long as the wheels of time shall roll. She is a lovable Queen mild and gentle, her disposition sweet, her manner soft and humanity, delights to have her reign upon the citadels of their hearts. For liberty the heroes of Rome stood on the plains of battle until the Eastern world formed the region of the Roman Empire. For liberty the groans and cries were heard from the grief stricken hearts of enslaved Israel in the land of Egypt. For liberty the devout Mordecai set a sad countenance at the Kings gate. For Liberty his niece Esther with her maidens fasted and prayed three days, night and day (Esther 4:16). For liberty Israel sat by the rivers of Babylon, hung her melodious harp strings upon the weeping willows.
My country tears of thee sweet land of liberty has been the subject of song from sea to shining sea, in these United States of America. Poets have penned their expression of the beauty of liberty. Philosophers have reasoned from cause to effect within the walls of the fortress of liberty. Man constitutionally loves liberty.
The very faculties which goes to sentimental, intellectual, and spiritual beings were created after the image of God. God's being is unparalleled. His will is omnipotent and arose in the midst of His uncreated excellence. He spoke a not yet universe came into existence. Lighting up an entity of impenetrable darkness with incandescent matter, a flaming sun, a silvery moon, and twinkling stars. But the liberty my brothers and sisters, of which we have been speaking, is only a constitutional liberty. It is a national liberty. A liberty which is almost as fleeting as a bubble on an ocean wave. What manner of man is he that does not love such liberty?
The real patriarch will gird himself with the weapons of war and march out upon the fields of battle and stand in blood amidst the slain and the wounded till his own body be striped and torn for liberty. For liberty Patrick Henry, the Virginian Statesman cried, "give me liberty or give me death". Oh my brothers and sisters, freedom at it best can only come through the medium of something that nobody likes to hear. Yet, Jesus acquaints us with this in the text, when He said, "and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free".
When we consider something that nobody likes to hear; if one would take time to write them all down certainly the number of them would no doubt be great, but the banner winner would be truth. I know of nothing or of anyone who has done so much for man, yet has had a more dismal road to travel, more obstacles to overcome and greater competition to face than truth. Every knowable effort has been put forth since the beginning of time, up to right now, to prevail over truth.
Many have stretched and have twisted the truth. They've tried to formed the truth and put it into the corner, they thought, of forgetfulness. But soon it became apparent that truth is like genuine rubber. You may stretch it out of shape, but when you get through stretching it, in a little while, truth will regain its shape. And no corner has ever been able to hold or isolate the truth from the world. Then there have been those who have ridiculed truth. Hoping that by laughing at the truth, they would drive it into a hiding place, hoping that this would be the conqueror. They soon came to the realization that you can laugh at the truth all you want to, but you will find out for yourself that truth can never be put to shame.
It is a reality, that some folks have been successful at making truth look bad for a while, while other still, have buried truth in the ground. But praise the Lord, nobody has been able to dig deep enough and no ground is strong enough to hold the truth. It does not matter how deep you dig to bury truth, or how large the stone to conceal it, bury truth if you will but in a few days truth will rise again. And so the question presented still requires an answer, "what is truth"? Can any of us define truth? Is there any answer, or is there any definition to the word truth? Certainly I believe that it is a reasonable question. But in one aspect, truth is a difficult word.
Mr. Webster had trouble with the word truth, as you check the Websterian pronunciation of the word truth you, will find or discover that the best that he could do was the borrow help from the encyclopedia, leaving him at a loss for the meaning of truth. So the question still remains to be answered, this question is still ours to wrestle with, "what is truth". Since Pilate asked this question a long time ago men have been ever inquisitive to know, "what is truth"?
All the intellectual unrest and confusion of our day, is just evidence of man quest for truth. People today are in search for truth, ultimate truth, the most earnest and sincere truth. They do not want scientific truth. They do not want relative truth. But they are in search for absolute truth. As I move to a close, in effort to arrive at an answer, pray with me as I declare to you this day, that truth comes from Him who is ancient in days. Him who was in existence before the mountains were brought forth or ever the world was framed. Truth was in existence before the morning stars sang together or the sons of God had ever shouted for joy.
Truth is basic. Truth is glorious. Truth is precious. Truth is the star that leads to Christ. Truth is the foundation of all excellence. Truth is God Himself. And since truth is God, truth is the supremest fact of the entire universe. Truth of course does not mean truth as opposed to falsehood, but in a broader sense truth has to do with systems of truth as opposed to error. Basically truth is right opposed to wrong. Truth is God opposed to the devil. Truth is reality. Truth is facts. Truth is finality. Truth is the eternal principal of right. (higaw)
It is said the Socrates found truth in philosophy. Plato found truth in idealism. Aristotle found truth in systems. While Christianity finds truth in Him, who says I AM the way, I AM the truth, and I AM the life. The only name given under Heaven whereby men might be saved.(higaw) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. There might be someone still questioning free from what?
So I stopped by to tell you that the truth will make you free; from the declension of death brought on by the Adamic curse when Adam disobeyed God's Word, and brought death upon all mankind. Free from the torment of the grave while the dead in Christ wait for the general resurrection. (higaw) Maybe this question is still unclear to some and you still want to know just what is truth, and why is truth something nobody likes to hear.
First of all truth is something nobody likes to hear because truth is like a two edge sword, you got to be careful how you handle it, because you might injure yourself. Truth is like a two edged sword, it cuts across the grain of human nature, inclination, disposition, desires, and practices. Truth is something that nobody likes to hear because whatever is done in the dark, (Hallelujah) somehow, some way someday, somewhere, Truth will always bring it to the light. Truth is something that nobody likes to hear because it has x-ray vision, It can look at a smiling face, but it can see a frowning heart. "Oh Lord" Truth is something that nobody likes to hear because it's straightforward. It never deceives, it never says you are right if it knows you are wrong.
Truth never flowers, for truth knows that flowering is much like soap 90% of it is always lye. "oh Lord" Truth is something nobody really likes to hear so much so that somebody said, that if you take truth and stand truth and a lie side by side, on the fastest Boulevard, (higaw) "Oh Lord" somebody will come along pick up a lie, spread it all over town, Truth will be less than long lived. Truth is something that nobody likes to hear, and no banner, no flag has ever been wave for the man of God for telling the truth. If you don't believe what I'm saying, check out the Word of God and see what happened to men who told the truth.
Elijah, fed by ravens, ate at a widows table; Daniel thrown in a lions den; Isaiah slain between two logs; Ezekiel lying on the banks of the Chebar River; John the Baptist, when he told Herod, it was wrong for him to marry his brothers wife, had his head served on a silver charger; Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia; Mark was dragged by wild horses through the streets of Alexandria; Luke died, hung by the neck from the limb of an olive tree in the land of Greece; James was slain by Herod's sword because it pleased the people; (higaw) Andrew's brains were splattered when he was thrown from the pinnacle of the Church; Peter was crucified upside down on a cross for telling the truth; Paul, hated by his own kinsmen, striped and beaten while he was wading through the love of a Christian, had his head severed from his body, just for telling the truth.
Jesus***** got nailed on the cross because He told the truth. He died, He rose from the dead with all power of heaven and earth in His hand.