‘So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”’ John 8:31-32

I own several bicycles. I know this because every time I want to get into a closet in my garage, I have to move them away from the door. Sadly, this is usually the extent of my exercise with bicycles. Riding them generally requires my checking the tire pressures, since it’s usually been a while. After ‘filling up’ a tire, I went into the house and then heard…BOOM!!!!

Having a compressor in my garage is a nice perk. Having 1 and not using a tire pressure gauge when filling bicycle tires CAN be challenging. Since I had been in a hurry, I figured I could GUESS the approximate pressure by feel. Apparently not!

One of the challenging issues of our day has much the same effect, as people have come to believe they can determine what is ‘TRUE’ by how they FEEL! Since feeling is subjective, and the population is larger now than ever, there are MANY more claims to Truth than before. Finding truth then, has become more of a ‘match game’ as folks generally pick what ‘they’ personally like and approve of. But REAL Truth comes with a warning label.

Today’s verse comes from Jesus’ own mouth and begins with that scary little warning word ‘IF!’ To know Truth and be free, Jesus lays a condition that one must ABIDE in His Word! Not just ‘mentally ascent’ to, or simply ‘feel good’ about it. Freedom, He infers, only comes AFTER commitment! Which can sometimes seem like putting the cart before the horse!

This week is only 2.5 days old, and I have already had 2 challenges to my faith and understanding of God’s Word. One was from my own wife! And man…I stepped right into it! She had been reading one writer’s opinion on a well known Bible story, and then came to me to tell me how it REALLY was! Which I love to hear since I love to learn. Except, this time, the conclusion was 100% based upon OPINION and NOT on the facts! Can you say ‘BOOM?’

My marriage is strong and endures these little explosions. Right now I am considered a ‘chauvinist pig who hates women.’ I’ve been called worse. The point is, we are ALL in danger of being swallowed up by falsehood. Jesus said the ONLY way to guarantee to Truth is to ABIDE IN HIS WORD! Which, in the world, practically guarantees some sort of explosion?

What is YOUR gauge for determining The Truth and how is it working?