THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
John 8:31-32 NKJV
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The truth shall make you free is an often-quoted scripture. Actually, it is an often-quoted part of a scripture. There are conditions to the freedom.
Jesus was speaking with the people who followed Him. These were not just the twelve but others who were disciples of Jesus. We know there were more because Jesus not only sent the twelve well-known apostles to preach and teach, but He also sent seventy more. The number of people following Jesus is not known, but it was more than just the band of twelve men.
Jesus gave a condition for being a true disciple of His. Abiding in His word was the key. We don’t often use the word abide in our modern vernacular. To abide means to stay or remain. I like how the NLT version treats these verses. “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So, it’s not the truth that sets you free; it’s knowing the truth. And the only way we know the truth is to know from knowledge and experience. We gain knowledge by reading God’s
Word. God’s Word is truth. Then, as we apply this knowledge and begin to act on what we know, the truth becomes a part of our lives and produces freedom.
The next question is: how do we act on the truth? Two key ways are speaking and practicing. We don’t just read about forgiveness; we forgive, no matter how we feel. We don’t just read about who we are spiritually because we have received Christ; we speak these truths about our lives. The truth of God’s Word must be in our hearts, in our mouths and governing our actions.
PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the truth in Your word. Thank You that I can apply that truth to my life so that it penetrates my words, my thoughts, and my actions. Thank You for the freedom You provide.