How does Ephesians 4:21 connect with John 14:6 about truth in Christ? Setting the Stage Ephesians 4:21: “surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him, in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus.” John 14:6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” Both verses anchor truth squarely in the person of Christ. Ephesians reminds believers that every lesson they’ve embraced comes from being “in Him,” while John records Jesus declaring Himself to be Truth in the flesh. Three Clear Connections • Exclusive Source – John 14:6: Jesus doesn’t merely teach truth; He is Truth. – Ephesians 4:21 builds on this: all authentic teaching the Ephesians received flowed from being “in” Jesus. – Acts 4:12 affirms this exclusivity—“there is no other name.” • Personal Encounter – John 14:6 invites relationship—“No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – Ephesians 4:21 stresses hearing Him and being taught in Him: truth is not abstract lecture but personal discipleship. – Compare John 10:27: “My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” • Transforming Power – John 14:6 points to life flowing out of Truth. – Ephesians 4:22-24 (immediately following) calls believers to put off the old self and put on the new. Truth in Jesus always produces change. – John 17:17: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.” Implications for Everyday Faith 1. Truth is Relational • Christianity is not a philosophy we sample but a Savior we follow. • Colossians 2:3: in Christ are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” 2. Truth is Objective • Because Jesus is Truth, what He says is final (Matthew 24:35). • Scripture carries His authority (2 Timothy 3:16). 3. Truth Shapes Identity • “In Him” language (Ephesians 1:13; 1 John 5:20) grounds who we are. • Falsehood and futility are shed as we grow in Christ-taught truth (Ephesians 4:25). Practical Takeaways • Run every teaching through the filter “Is this in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus?” • Listen daily for His voice in Scripture; truth is encountered, not merely studied. • Expect transformation—attitudes, speech, relationships—because truth in Jesus never leaves us unchanged. Closing Reflection When Paul says “the truth is in Jesus,” he mirrors Christ’s own words, “I am …the truth.” The two verses interlock: the Lord is both the message and the messenger, the content and the conduit. To know Him is to know Truth itself, and to walk in Him is to live that truth out loud. |
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