Mike Chaffin
and you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32
When being sworn in to testify at a trial you are asked, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” I wonder if anyone has ever answered anything, but yes? If they did, they would be reprimanded by the judge about the consequences of lying.
Luckily, we can trust everything Jesus said in the Bible as one of God’s attributes is He is truth and cannot lie. In fact, there is a list in Proverbs 6:16-19 of seven things that God hates. Two of them are lying.
When John wrote the Gospel of John, he didn’t number the verses, or even break his work into chapters. That was done centuries later to help people study and memorize God’s Word. While this verse is not unique in that it is only a partial sentence, I find it odd that what Jesus said was broken into two verses. Since we don’t want to take any verse out of context, we need to read the whole sentence. Jesus said to those who 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
To abide means to live in, remain, stay, continue in a relationship. It can also mean to suffer for. By making Bible study our dwelling place, we are truly Christ’s disciple, something we are commanded to be and to make. Our reward is to know God and be set free. Set free from sin. Free from the devil’s hold on us. Set free from the fear of death, and what the world thinks of us. It is a glorious freedom.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your truth that sets us free. If I abide in your word I can live in freedom knowing you and your love for me. With that knowledge I can stand against the wiles of the Devil and not give into temptation. Lord help me to know you more. In Jesus’ name, amen.
* There is a website that conducted a search for Bible verses. They compiled a list of the verses in order of the magnitude of hits they got in their search. Some of these verses probably qualify as ‘people’s favorites’, while others might be on the list because they are some of the most important and most teachable words of God.
