It’s not enough to desire truth. We must believe it and embrace it when it’s revealed. Jesus asked His Father to “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). He knew the only way we would be “one” with the Father would be through this sanctification process that would set us apart from all that is of the world and of the flesh. And it all starts with knowing the truth. Not perceptions, opinions, or personal preferences – but a revelation of all that is absolutely true.

 

Immediately after Jesus prayed this, He was led to the garden where one of his close friends betrayed Him, and His band of 12 was thrown into chaos. The truth that needed to be known was shocking, painful, and costly. It caused His disciples to waiver in unbelief and cling to self-preservation. It created division within the ranks as they sought to interpret this new reality thrust upon them. It also, unexpectedly, removed the member who was not true to the cause but given to personal gain and enemy influence.

 

Scripture states that the truth will set us free (John 8:32). But it first requires a circumcision of the heart – a cutting away of anything that is false and untrue. Even seeming division within the camp is not a bad thing, but a necessary work of sanctification. The faster we embrace the truth, including any pain and discomfort – the sooner we come into a true oneness of His Spirit that cannot be shaken or altered by man.

 

We cannot settle for compromise in order to appease. We must pursue the truth, regardless of the cost. It’s the only way to lasting freedom and the unity we so desperately need. (1 Thess 5:23)