John 8:31

The Truth Will Set You Free

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

This is the preface to John 8:32 that ends in a comma linking the two verses together. That makes this verse important in how to achieve the second, to know truth. Now English is a tricky language and some wording can lead to the wrong conclusions,

“Had believed” implies they no longer believed. I do not know the heart and mind of those people and I need to be concerned with my own understanding and beliefs. The assumption here is that being a disciple leads us to know the truth. Since a disciple is a student then we will once again assume that being a student is enough to know truth.

John 15:7

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

A better understanding comes to us about abiding here in John 15:7. There was a lot to learn between 8:31 and 15:7 for this better understanding. So what does it mean to abide in Him and for His words abiding in us?

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Abide:

a-bid’: Old English word signifying progressively to “await,” “remain,” “lodge,” “sojourn,” “dwell,” “continue,” “endure”; represented richly in Old Testament (King James Version) by 12 Hebrew and in New Testament by as many Greek words.

Since there are many Greek words describing abide, then let us not assume it means one thing.

It is interesting to attach the word progressive to this explanation which tells us that this experience has multiple stages beginning with “await” and ending in “endure”. Some of these words imply stillness while others imply movement. They are various states of being.

Focus on the issue of “I in you and you in me” as it relates to our state of being. It implies intimacy, relationship and reminds us of the marital bond, to become one flesh. Since He is the unchangeable God then in order for us to become one with Him, we are the ones that are changed in this relationship. It is His abiding presence that performs those changes. His Word.

John 8:32

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What is freedom? We all have a concept of freedom and depending on what country you live in, it might mean something different than what it means to Americans. Maybe.

To have a proper understanding of this biblical comment we must take into consideration that the freedom that Jesus refers to here is for a child of God who is a member of the Kingdom of God.

• Ephesians 2:19
  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
• Philippians 3:20
  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

As such our citizenship now defines freedom. Before we see what we are set free from we should examine the key that unlocked the cell. Truth sets us free.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Obviously there is more to Jesus than just truth so to keep on topic let us look only at the aspect of Jesus being truth. If we have placed our faith in Him, then we believe that He will never lie to us, even in the hard truths. In the most simple terms to know the truth dispels the lies we have heard. Lies are sourced by that other guy. Let us not talk about him right now.

The effect of lies is a bondage to the lie, to cause us to act in a manner which leads us to a place designed by those who lie to us, to use us to their own end. The source of all bitterness and hate are lies. This is why Jesus qualified His comment in John 14:6 as our goal in that life, is to come before Father God at the end of this worldly life.

To believe the truth is to reject the lie. To follow the way is to find the life that leads us to our eternal salvation. We will discover we have been set free from the penalty of eternal death.

Once the key has opened the cell door it is our opportunity to follow the truth and discover where He is leading us.

First thing is, you have to leave the cell.