This is a Bible study presented by Pastor Brian Roberts. Brian is a MMA Chaplain and runs our FIGHT CHURCH affiliate in Minnesota.

John 8:31-38

Honesty, unadulterated truth, respect…these things are hard to come by these days, and we all pursue them, either to give away or to take captive for ourselves. I believe shortage of truth to be the top reason for the disrespectful attitudes and nature that have taken up residence in our culture. Let’s visit respect through the conduit of the truth.

Jesus was asked a question during His time on earth that gives us a clear answer as to what order our respect should fall. Jesus was asked, of all the commandments, which are the most important? Jesus, instead of just quoting from a list, said that there were two that were important. The first, love God with everything that you are. And the one that comes in a close second, love your neighbor like you love yourself. Let’s deal with this command straight away.

Honesty is the number one criteria in the building and sustaining of any relationship. As an example, the closest relationships I have here on earth are with my wife and children. They trust me, they believe in me. If they find me to be anything less than honest with them, how will they ever show the love and respect for me that Jesus commanded? How can they love their neighbor as themselves if they can’t love me because I haven’t given them the true me to love? If I am dishonest, I have, in fact, hidden who I am behind a curtain of mistrust that is created by being untruthful. Not being truthful might be the most disrespectful way to treat any another human being. It shows that you don’t see that individual as on the same level as yourself. It indicates the attitude that you are the arbitrator of truth, the owner, and distributor of it, even in small isolated cases. I am not loving my neighbor, my family, when I am not truthful. I am treating them with disrespect.

When being dishonest results from trying to protect ourselves or someone we love from harm, or punishment, we are again being disrespectful. But this time it is disrespect for the person of God and The Word of God. When we lie or tell half truth to protect, we are in fact, taking God’s place in the situation. Our heavenly Father is the grand protector, and provider. When we try to take His place, and withhold truth, we show disrespect for Him. We are saying, “God, I don’t believe that you can take care of me, or my loved one, even if we have made a mistake.” In speaking untruth we are saying “Father, your Word tells me that I shouldn’t be untruthful, but I trust in my own words to protect me, not Your word.” To love God with all that we are, we must concede that this means we honor God’s word, and trust Him to hold His rightful place in any, and all situations, which is at the top. At an early age we teach our children to trust us as parents, and to listen to what we say. If a child is being respectful and loving, he or she is honoring their parents’ God-given position and taking heed to what their parents are saying. As we mature our attitude should grow to hold our heavenly Father in the same love and respect. But how will we ever respect people with the truth if we don’t know what the ultimate truth is? Is there a truth from which all, honesty and respect flow from? Is this the truth Jesus is speaking of? Do I have to be or do something to know this truth?

Because there is longing for respect today, but no longing for truth, there is a severe struggle going on between the soul and society. We cannot take our place with God in eternity if the truth does not find us here and now. After this time of teaching with the religious leaders of Jesus day, some of the Jews that were present started to believe what Jesus was saying. Slavery to men, in Jesus day, was used at times to show a dominance over a group of people. A blatant disrespect for their gods, their way of life, of them as equally human. The Jews Jesus was speaking to, as documented by John, didn’t see a need to be set free, because they didn’t perceive themselves as being slaves. They erroneously thought they had earned their respect because of their forefathers, that they weren’t slaves to anything. They thought Jesus was talking about a physical slavery to men, but He was actually speaking about a spiritual slavery to sin. Sin is the result of blatant deception and dishonesty that has taken all men captive, and placed them in spiritual captivity. An egregious sign of disrespect for man, and His God. The idea of placing people into slavery because of your pride would be seen, if open in society today, as a crime and would not be tolerated. And yet these people in Jesus time and, many people in our time, allow themselves and others to remain in spiritual captivity without any reservations. Why? Because of the lack of truth.

God is not trying to hide anything from us, he wants us to know the truth, and the kind of truth that, by knowing it, can set us free into real relationship with Him. This is the ultimate show of respect from a holy God to His followers. That is how our idea of truth is different than Gods. Like the religious leaders of Jesus day, we believe that the truth is ours to hold or give as we see fit. We believe the truth is situational, or relative. Jesus idea of truth, however, is a liberating truth that is not only available but a privilege for all people to know. There is a stipulation to knowing this truth. Jesus says we must “abide” in his word, then we will know the truth. The word abide in the original language of the New Testament is an action word for staying put, either in body or expectancy. Jesus is being totally honest with the people of his time here. He is saying, if you will allow yourselves to “stay put” in what I am saying you will receive the truth, and consequently, your God-given place at my side. All honesty, freedom, respect and truth lie in staying put in the words of Jesus.

Be on the lookout for more Bible studies and updates about FIGHT CHURCH Minnesota from Brian in the near future!