You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32
Freedom is a state of reality that every human heart needs to experience. When we are free, we are liberated from the oppression and power of another. While countries and world powers fight for their citizens to experience the beauties of freedom, we know there is a greater battle for freedom being waged all around us.
All of us have known this bondage. No one has been exempt from the oppressors of our own sin and flesh promising happiness, but delivering emptiness and pain. We have sacrificed everything to obey with our only reward being a compounding sense of guilt and hopelessness.
But God.
He enters into the trenches of our captor and rescues us from the futility and agony of serving an evil master. He doesn’t come in declaring war, helping us escape as prisoners of war by brute force. Instead He takes our place. He lays down His life so that we can be set free. Our truest freedom could never be won through negotiations or physical demonstrations of strength and power to overwhelm our enemies. Freedom always demanded sacrifice. And Jesus is the sacrifice that allows us to walk in the newness of abundant life, at peace with our heavenly Father again.
How do you know this good news? How are you able to surrender to this great King and live in light of His great emancipation proclamation over your life? Is it not through His own Word preserved for you in the Bible so that you might hear and believe? God has spoken so that we might know who we really are and where our greatest joy truly lies. This is why we have the promise from Him:
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32
Our greatest freedom is found when we build our lives on the truth of God’s Word. His voice is the only one that can stave off the lies and confusion seemingly all around, and even within us, that can feel like a prison. For us to live as the free, we must build our lives on the truths of His great gospel and promises. According to this verse, we have to know and believe the truth to be set free by it. We must be a people who study the truth of God through the Bible so that we can live in light of what He says. And yet, for many of us, studying the Bible can be overwhelming. We can feel inadequate and not know where to begin. But beloved, God has something to say to you. And He has given you His own Spirit to bring truth to bear on your soul. He has given you a great Helper who will point back to the Father who has redeemed you. Believe that He will help you and when you open up the Word because He says He will:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. – John 14:26-27
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. – John 16:13-14
God is ready to speak to you right now. He isn’t angry over how long it’s been since you last opened His Word. He isn’t disappointed in you. He is eager to spend time with you. He is willing and able to meet your needs and calm your fears. He has sacrificed everything to make you free. Now all we have to do is know and trust our Redeemer, secured and sustained by His Word.
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