Read John Chapter 8:: Here

Devotional ::

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NLT

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There is more to this verse than meets the eye. Our tendency is to focus on the punchline, “the truth will set you free…”. This statement from Jesus is a profound truth {no pun intended} and resonates with us at a deep level; so much so, that it has woven itself not only into the wisdom and teaching of the Church, but into secular thought as well. These very words are inscribed on the wall of the Headquarters building of the CIA in Langley, Virginia.

Ironically however, it is a redacted rendition we find engraved into the understanding of most who read this passage from John’s Gospel. Verse 32 taken alone is powerful, but lacks the context necessary to bring it off the page {or the wall}, and into reality in our lives. It is true that “the truth” is the key to becoming free. But prior to the punchline so familiar to us, we find the gist of Jesus’ statement, and it holds “the key to the key”, if you will.

Jesus has not only told us the truth will make us free — He has told us how we can know the truth! We come to know the truth through faithful discipleship. By walking out the Words of Jesus, and bringing them into reality in the world around us.

We often make the mistake of thinking that “believing in Jesus” constitutes knowing the truth, and having been made free…but that is not what we find written here. Instead, Jesus is telling us that belief is the beginning of a process!

It’s a bit like walking into Planet Fitness and signing up for a membership; if you stop there, so does the transformation. Walking into a gym won’t make you fit, and just “believing in Jesus” won’t make you free. The path to freedom begins with belief, then presses on into discipleship. To get fit we have to work out a physical transformation with weights and bikes and treadmills, and to become free, Jesus tells us we must come to know the truth by walking out His teachings in our lives. And when we do, we find that we don’t walk alone; Truth Himself steps into the process with us, and makes us free indeed.

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Reflect ::

•In what ways have you walked out the teachings of Jesus in your life?

•How have you come to know truth through that obedience?

•Is there an area of your life in which you have not yet been made free?

•Is there a teaching from Jesus that might lead you to freedom in that area? What would it look like to walk out the Way of Jesus in that part of your life?

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Prayer ::

Jesus, You’ve promised us that our faithfulness to You will end in freedom. We believe You Lord! Please give us courage and grace to walk out our belief, and set us free along the way.

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Action ::

Try to intentionally practice at least three teachings of Jesus today.