Spiritual Freedom- The Truth Will Set You Free
What did Jesus mean when He said “The truth will set you free”? Steph Nickel takes a look at this well known passage, and focuses on the truth, the Scriptures, and spiritual freedom.
The Truth Will Set You Free
John 8:31-32 says,
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (ESV).
Even unbelieving society often quotes part of this passage. When encouraging someone to tell the truth, they say, “The truth will set you free.” But is truth in general what Jesus is talking about here?
We Must Study The Truth
Let’s re-read the pre-requisite for knowing truth: “If you abide in my word …”
Now that changes things.
My first series for HopeStreamRadio was titled “If You Love Me.” It was based on John 14:15, which says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (ESV).
We must study the Lord’s commands within His Word—and we must walk in obedience. As I’ve often said, we can’t earn a place in heaven. Salvation is evidence of God’s grace. However, as genuine believers in Jesus Christ, we will increasingly desire to honour and glorify Him. We do this by obeying the directives, the commands, in His Word.
God’s Word Is The Truth
The Bible is true. It’s applicable to every area of our life. I once heard it said that the Scriptures don’t teach us everything about every subject, but they do teach us what we need to know.
I love books. I have stacks and stacks of books—upstairs, downstairs, in the linen closet, beside my bed, physical books, ebooks … You get the idea. Many of these books I’ve never read. I try to discipline myself to carve out time to read almost every day. And then I remember …
If I only had a copy of the Scriptures, it would be enough. If I read nothing else, it would be enough. If I sought only to learn what is included within its pages, it would be enough. If I sought to obey only the commands I read there, it would be enough.
Despite the fact that there have been countless individuals who have sought to discredit the Bible—and still do, it has stood the test of time. Dozens of men wrote the sixty-six books it contains over thousands of years. There is consistency from Genesis to Revelation that could never have occurred by chance.
I am not very well educated in this area, but I know enough to realize the Bible is like no other book ever written. I also know that there is guidance for every area of life within its pages.
We Find Spiritual Freedom In The Scriptures
Second Timothy 3:16-17 says,
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV).
These are the Scriptures, the truth, that Jesus was referring to. In them, we find spiritual freedom. Many who believe there is a god think they have to earn his favour. They think that if their good deeds outweigh their bad ones, they will earn a place in heaven. This leads to bondage, not freedom. And it is clearly contrary to the truth we find in God’s Word.
But that’s the key: we must find it. And the only way to do so is to read it, study it, and meditate on it. This requires a reorganizing of our priorities. Each of us only has 24 hours in a day and many, many thinks rush in to fill those hours.
Many of them are good things: going to work or school, taking care of our home and our family, even taking care of ourselves.
But do we set aside what’s most important. In the KJV, 2 Timothy 2:15 says,
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God” (ESV).
While this doesn’t save us, it is evidence that we belong to God and know that His Word is the truth that sets us free. We must make time in our day to dig into the Scriptures, both on our own and with others. I know I have to set aside some of those other books—plus other distractions—to make it a priority in my life. How about you?
Thankful For Spiritual Freedom
I am thankful for freedom to openly worship the Lord and share the gospel. I am exceedingly thankful that Jesus Christ took my punishment when He died on the cross and then rose victorious over sin and death.
Romans 10:9-10 shows us all how we can experience this spiritual freedom—no matter where we live and what the political climate. It says,
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (ESV).
May this truth set you free this day.
Do you think the 10 Commandments are still important today? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
More Podcasts to Enjoy:
More Reviews
Promises to Love My Husband – and God!
All In – A Review by Steph Nickel
Images courtesy of:
Chains- wsyperek
Adult- Pexels
Woman- Unsplash
Bible- Pexels
Leave a Reply