ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND CERTAIN FREEDOM
Absolute truth, when acquired, guarantees each of us certain freedom. Ordinary ethical or moral truths are studied and analyzed by many, some seeking truth in religions, others question the existence of truth, or embrace falsehood masquerading as truth, such as, there is no God; man came from a monkey, or there is no life after death. But among the many pursuits of truth, none of them satisfy what man unknowingly yearns – which is absolute truth. But this must be sought for, as the Lord taught: "Ask and it shall be given to you . . ." For the acquisition of absolute truth available to us, brings with it ``` perpetual happiness, certain freedom and lasting liberation. That is why our Lord says: "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free." Our Lord speaks of himself for He is the absolute living Truth.
Truth is defined as the exact representation of a being, while the opposing lie is the misrepresentation of a being. A being includes anything that exists, from the smallest fraction of a grain of sand to the whole of creation, from an invisible germ to the true God, who alone bears the title, The Being or the One who exists.
Almost 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem of Judea, the Living Truth descended from heaven and became incarnate of the Virgin Mary. He became one of us and lived among us, selected His disciples, and taught them to preach the good news throughout the world, baptizing in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . . This preaching resulted in the overthrow of the old world of idolatry, as it spread to the far corners of the earth.
Christ is the Logos* of God, born eternally from the Father (Mind), dwelled among us full of grace and truth. He is the Living Truth, who is born of the Father and is in the Father, as He told the apostle: "Philip said to Him, Lord show us the Father and it will suffice us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long with you and yet have you not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen me has seen the Father; and how do you say then, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me." Christ perfectly depicts the Father being the eternal Truth, and proclaimed nothing of His own, but only that which the Father has given to Him. He is the Godman who says and does nothing that is superfluous, or that has shortcomings, for His every thought, idea and word are perfect. *(Word)
From these words of the Lord, we behold Him as the Truth, not a mathematical or philosophical truth, but the real living and absolute divine Truth! He bears perfect witness of the Father Mind. All other known truths accurately depict some created being, but the Logos who is born of God the Father, accurately and perfectly depicts Him. He is in the Father Mind, and coming forth to all of creation, proclaims and offers peace, hope and love to all. This divine truth is a great light, infinitely brighter than a million suns, enlightening the race of man. St. John describes Him: "In the beginning there was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos is God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without Him was not anything that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent by God whose name was John. The same came to bear witness of that light. That was the true light that lightens every man who comes into the world. (John 1: 1-10).
Prisoners of Sin
When Christ came, the Devil was the ruler of the world. Being the Truth and the Liberator from heaven, Jesus Christ, entered the world in order to set the human race free from the authority of the Devil, to release man from the captivity of sin, through which the Devil had tightly bound them as prisoners. Before Christ entered into battle on the Cross, He warned about being captives of sin: "Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin." Then He promised new and certain freedom saying: "If the Son of Man sets you free, then you will surely be free." For it is the Devil who teaches man to sin, attempting to rob him of God’s precious words of life. But the Liberator Christ our God promises certain freedom and teaches us how to acquire it – first He sets us free, and then strengthens us to remain free.
Upon completing all His work and doctrine on earth, He entered into the greatest battle ever fought, or that ever will be fought, and the greatest victory that could ever be won. This victory was over the hatred of the Jews and the fierceness of the Romans, which were defeated by the apparent weakness of but almighty power of Christ on the Cross – the greatest power ever to occur in history. The authority and power of the Roman government is seen as puny and of no consequence before Christ hanging on the Tree. The fearsome cross devised by the Romans to put fear and trembling into men was used to assure the death of Christ as demanded by the Jews, crying: "Away with him! Crucify him!" Being the life of all, death not only could not hold him, but was stripped of its power and authority, and both Hades and death lie defeated as their prisoners are released including Adam and Eve, the progenitors of the human race.
The Absolute Truth came into the world and by His great work, he set us free from the authority Devil granting us eternal life. In Orthodoxy, with great joy, we sing to the Cross which Christ ascended: "Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ let us bow before the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We venerate your Cross O Christ, and we praise and glorify your holy Resurrection, for you are our God and we call upon your name . . . by enduring the Cross for us, He has destroyed death by death.
The certain freedom acquired and the absolute truth believed, should enthuse us, both clergy and laity, to warmly embrace Christ the Truth and our Liberator, to glorify Him, to love Him, to cherish Him and as we pray in every Divine Liturgy: " . . . submit ourselves and one another and our whole lives to Christ our God!" Then we will be able to enthusiastically go forth and preach this Gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Knowing the Absolute Truth and having gained the certain freedom, we must not fail to bring this Gospel to all whom we can, for it is imperative that we multiply the talents given to us with this knowledge.
Truth and freedom are gifts to the human race, and are vital for its happiness, for without absolute truth we will wander aimlessly in life, and without certain freedom we will lie helplessly bound without hope, headed for a bad ending, for these are two gracious gifts to mankind.
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