The Word Sets You Free
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32 (KJV)
It is amazing how many people like to quote this verse. Even unsaved people who don’t acknowledge God use it. The problem is that many people, even some believers, don’t understand what it is saying. As a result, they actually misuse and mis-apply it.
Many people use this verse to say that when you know the truth about a certain situation or circumstance, it will make you free. That is not correct. They take the verse out of context, which alters its meaning. The truth in reference is not truth in general, but the Truth. Jesus is the Truth, and the Word is the Truth. If we include the verse immediately preceding it, we see what is meant.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32 (KJV) emphasis mine
The Word and Jesus and Truth can all be used interchangeably because they are one and the same. We see this in the following verses.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17 (KJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:1, 14 (KJV)
When we spend time in the Word, it is not wasted. We gain truth from its pages. And we know Jesus by spending time in the Word, since He and the Word are one. And when we are in the Word, we receive the only truth that sets us free.
If you have been struggling with something and you need delvierance, this post is for you. Quit trying to find freedom on your own, and get in the Word, and you will find that freedom will come to you. We don’t have to struggle and strive to get free from a habit or addiction. Focus on the Word and not on your problem. If you commit to spending quality time in the Bible, one day you will realize the thing you needed to be free from is no longer holding you captive. When we get in the Word, it transforms us and changes us in ways nothing else can. The world’s programs and behavior modification strategies mean well, but they don’t deliver. Only the truth of Jesus Christ, found in the midst of His Word has the power to set you free.
