The Truth Will Set You Free

Marya Hayes looks to Jesus' teaching about the truth for guidance in leading her children in a life of faith.

Today it is often difficult to know what the truth is. We tell our children to tell the truth so that we can believe them when they tell us something. We tell our children to tell the truth so that they can be believed by others and walk in righteousness.

But why is truth so important? Jesus told his followers that truth equals freedom. Freedom is critical to our happiness. Freedom is critical to thriving as individuals and as a society.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” (John 8:13-38)

So in order to be in truth, we need to avoid sin, and continue in the Word. We need to be connected to the One who gives us the grace in order to avoid sin, remain in the word, and be truth tellers. Living in the truth will give us a clearer mind. Living in truth gives you a clear conscience. If you think about people who lie, they have a very stressful life constantly maintaining the many lies they tell. We watch as the truth rises to the surface. The phrase, “the truth always comes out in the end” is an indication that people keep seeing this evident in their lives and the lives of others.

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Living in truth gives you a clear conscience. #catholicmom

mom talking with little girl

Whoever would love life and see good days must keep the tongue from evil and the lips from speaking deceit, must turn from evil and do good, seek peace and follow after it. (1 Peter 3:10-11)