The Truth Will Set You Free

…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  (John 8:32)

A hot and steamy morning cup-a-joe with this verse anyone?  Oh yes, let’s not forget, this is Coffee Cup Theology you guys!  If you have been around Christian circles for any length of time, this verse is sure to have popped up.  No surprise, since it IS a pretty great one.  Who doesn’t want to be free after all?!  The problem is that, while this freedom thing sounds good, many of us who quote this verse are not exactly sure what we are free from.  Are we free from addiction,  a broken relationship, gossip, poor self-image, bad finances, gluttony, an unhappy work situation etc.?  Short answer – yes and no.

If you look at the context that surrounds the verse you realize that first off the truth Jesus is speaking about is HIMSELF.  He tells the Jews that if they abide in HIS word that they are really his disciples and then they will know the truth and that this truth sets them free.  Jesus says elsewhere that he is “the way and the truth and the life”.  So very simply, Jesus = truth.  Then if we abide in that truth (Jesus, who is also described as the word become flesh) and his words to us, we will be free.

When the Jews insist to Jesus that they have never been enslaved, Jesus explains to them exactly what he meant by the word FREE.  “Everyone who commits sin is a slave,” he says to them.  Jesus is telling them that they are in slavery to their sin and that he can set them (and us) free from the bondage of sin.  Sin does that.  It makes us believe that it is giving us the exact opposite of what it gives.  It says that if you do ___________ you will be happy, when in reality in the end it robs us of joy.  Brance wrote an awesome post about that here that I highly recommend you read.

So yes, Jesus sets us free from many of those things we listed in the first paragraph.  We no longer need to be in bondage to the sins of addiction, worry, gossip, anger, bitterness, sexual immorality etc.  How awesome is that!?  We no longer have to be controlled by the terrible, toxic things that previously controlled our lives.

“So  if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  (John 8:36)

It is like a heavenly breath of fresh air, a real miracle.  But what about the unhappy relationship or money situation or work environment.  This is where it gets tricky.  The freedom that Jesus brings is not the freedom that is popular – being free to DO and SAY whatever we want, to have life go exactly the way we want it to go.

So no, we are not free in a way that the culture talks about freedom .  That wouldn’t be freedom at all!  Jesus saves us from the bondage of all sin, including the sin of self preoccupation.  This flies completely in the face of everything secular culture tells us.  Being set free does not mean that everything in life will go our way.  Jesus says the only way we can be free is when we move our focus from ourselves to our savior, “to know the truth”.  We become his bondservant instead of sin’s.  Certainly we are to take all of our cares to our loving heavenly Father as he says to in his word.  And the amazing thing is this – as we turn our eyes to Jesus, feed on his word, and experience freedom from sin, our lives become more balanced spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  The exact things that the culture promises, but can not deliver, through self-actualization.

…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.  (John 8:32)

You guys this is an amazing truth!  We are no longer slaves to sin, but set free to God where real joy and happiness abide.  Sip on that amazing truth today!