John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
In this passage of scripture Christ sets forth one of the most profound truths ever given to mortal man, that freedom comes only through the truth. This statement of fact needs to be carefully considered by every member of the human family, for our eternal destiny hangs on either the acceptance of the truth or the belief of error. Let's just say here that false doctrines never ever set a person free, only the truth can do this.
It was the truth that freed the thief on the cross from eternal damnation. The central truth of Christianity, that Christ died for our sins, is what the thief on the cross hung his hopes on, and because of it he made his only and final appeal to the One who could save to the uttermost, even the Lord Jesus. Truth gives our faith direction, in that it leads us to realities, because it is the truth. Error on the other hand leads us into delusions and fantasies and vagaries that are not real because it simply is not true.
Sincerity and good intentions are not to be regarded as substitutes for truth, for these attributes in and of themselves cannot set a person free. That's why, as the song writer correctly states, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". Many good people will be eternally lost because they accepted erroneous doctrines instead of the truth.
Let's just say a tourist from Canada decides to visit south Carolina during the winter months and gets lost because the signs on the I-95 say to keep driving south in order to reach the desired destination. The tourist obeys and and keeps driving south on the I-95. He passes Georgia, he crosses into Florida, he reaches Miami and still the road signs tell him to keep driving south in order to reach South Carolina. In his sincerity and with good intentions he keeps on driving south and now he ends up in the everglades surrounded by alligators, yet the road signs still say to keep on driving south. In desperation he stops at a gas station, gets a map, and to his surprise he finds out that he is several hundred miles past South Carolina.
The only way that he can now reach his destination is to take the first u-turn and head back north, or he will forever be lost in the Everglades, perhaps with some undesirable consequences!
The same is true of the truth. It is like a road-map on the highway of life and the only way we can avoid being lost is to follow the directions given in God's word for it is the truth. Many false road signs abound in modern Christendom, which promise to lead the masses of people to their desired destination, namely heaven. But God says to us that the only way to reach heaven is by accepting and applying the truths found in His word, which ultimately point us to Jesus, who is the only way, the truth, and the life.
It is the will of God that every member of the human family be brought to a knowledge of the truth, and that's why He has made His word available at our very fingertips so that all who will, may be instructed in the ways of righteousness and peace. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that encourages to seek for the truths of God's word as we would for hidden treasure. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
May the Lord grant to us His Holy Spirit that as we study the truths given in the Bible, the principles contained therein may be synthesized with our daily experiences. God bless!