The Truth Shall Set You Free

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'." John 8:31-32

I read this last night while reading the book Names of God: Exploring God's Character published by Thomas Nelson. It is kind of set up like a devotional with Scripture readings for the different names and attributes of God. I was reading The Truth section last night.

Anyway, I reread these verses and I thought, "that's the key!" Do you see the connection between abiding in His Word and being set free? IF you abide in the Word you are His disciple AND you will know the truth! AND knowing the truth will set you free. God of course is the Truth. So abiding in His Word means you will know Him, not just know about Him, but truly know Him. And knowing Him will set you free. Who doesn't want to be set free?!

Coming to a relationship with God, through acceptance of Christ, ultimately sets us free from eternity of death. You do not have to have ever read a word in His Word for that to happen. Really? Yes, people have come to Christ from just one word spoken by a believer. I know of a pastor in Haiti who, as a child, turned away from the plan for him to become a voodoo priest because a Christian man gave him a piece of candy. That led to him becoming a Christian. A piece of candy. I am sure most people do come to Christ because they have either spent time in His Word or someone else has sent time sharing the Word with them, but God can do ALL things. He can even bring people to salvation with candy.

Even after we become saved and walk in that ultimate freedom we still walk around without freedom. Fear binds us, depression binds us, lust binds us, arrogance binds us, selfishness binds, pride binds us, and on and on and on. So how do we get free from those things? I want to know because I am tired of my bondages kicking my butt! "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." That's it abide in His Word!

But we have to abide in it. We have to abide, which means to remain in a place, to continue to be sure or firm; endure. We can't just pop in every once and awhile and check out His Word, we have remain in it. I am not talking about reading the Bible every day, although it's not a bad idea. I am talking about living it. Thinking about it, devouring it, digesting it, and letting it become apart of us. Anyone can just read the Bible, actually people who are against God read the Bible to refute it. We have to remain in it, continue to be sure and firm of what He is speaking through it and how He is making us more like Him through it, and we have to endure. We can't just give up because the freedom, from whatever we need freedom from, doesn't happen instantly or in our time frame. We must abide!