John 8:31-59
“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (v32). I think this is the most famous and most often misquoted saying of Jesus. On the banner over the graduation platform from my secular university it said, “The truth will set you free!” In a movie I watched recently the villain made the same statement about someone knowing who killed her father. But this is no general statement about truth and falsehood.
Right before Jesus said these words, he said that if we abide in his word (1) we are truly his disciples, and (2) we will know the truth which sets us free. Knowing the truth begins with abiding in his word. To abide means to remain and continue in something, so Jesus is saying that true disciples take in his word, believe (and continue to believe), and put his word into practice by obedience. As we live an obedient and faith-filled life, we will know truth and be set free from the bondage of practicing sin.
The truth that we will know is the testing and proving that God and his word is true by the practice of his word (see also Romans 12:1-2). Truth is not merely an accumulation of right knowledge, but hearing, believing, and obeying Jesus.
Being led more by Jesus always involves consuming more of his word and allowing his word to consume us!
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