Quick trivia question for Texas Exes: What’s inscribed above the entrance to the Main Building on the Forty Acres?
“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
That may be the most-read inscription on the whole campus. Most people who see it probably assume it’s a quote from an ancient philosopher about the satisfaction that comes from intellectual curiosity.
It’s a quote from the King James Version of the Bible. In John 8:30-36, Jesus said that those who hold to his teaching would discover a truth that would liberate them. When his listeners objected that they were in no need of liberation, Jesus said, “everyone who sins is a slave to sin” but “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
To make any progress in life, we have to admit how we’re stuck and accept what it takes to get unstuck. This is true in business, in personal health, in politics, in overcoming addiction, in your finances—and it’s true when it comes to building a life that pleases God, too. Sin leaves us stuck without any hope of progress, but as we “hold to” his teaching we will know the truth that sets us free.
The Greek word we translate “hold to” is also translated “abide.” We’re in a season in Austin where it’s very expensive to find a place to abide. It’s a great time to sell but a really challenging time to buy. It’s hard to find a home you can afford and the moment you do 15 other people immediately outbid you. Some of our neighbors have even found housing so expensive they’ve resorted to living in tents wherever Austin will let them.
But in John 8, Jesus spoke about an absolutely priceless place you can live in right now—and there’s plenty of room for everyone! He said, “Abide…remain in…hold to my teaching.”
How do we “live” in Jesus’s teaching like we live in a house? And how does that set us free? I’ll try to answer those questions this Sunday. We meet online or on campus starting at 10am. Find out more at www.hillcrest.church.
--Tom
Sign up here to receive Tom Goodman’s weekly devotional in your email inbox. Tom serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter.