From Truth to Freedom

An often misunderstood passage of Scripture is found in John 8:32, which reads, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."  The misunderstanding is how the truth sets us free.  It is not, as many suppose that discovering the truth somehow takes away the chains that bind us as if realizing that one is an alcoholic suddenly frees one from the addiction or discovering that one has an eating disorder causes it to disappear.

While uncovering the truth is paramount in finding freedom from whatever holds us, that discovery itself will not break the chains of addiction, bad behavior or the like.  There is another component that is too often lest out as people tend to read the passage as a stand-alone text, which it is not.  There is a context in which it sits that must be discovered as well, which is the fullness of this "truth" that does result in freedom.

Let's read the passage again but this time with a bit of the context in which it was given: "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (Jn 8:31-32).  Jesus was not talking about simple head knowledge, he was talking about transformational knowledge that is based on trust and behavioral modification.

Moving from truth to freedom begins in trusting that following Jesus is the answer and then actually following or "holding on to" his teaching.  As we listen to the words of Jesus and begin to apply them to our lives, we discover his way is not only right but in him we receive power from above to free us from what has overpowered us for "he is able to do more than we can ask or imagine according to his power at work within us" (Eph 3:20).

So many discover that their addiction is bad and want to change, to give up alcohol or pornography or drugs or tobacco but are not able.  They are unable not because they have not found the truth but because they have not fully given in to the Author of that truth, they have not released the addiction to His power that lives within them, they have not yet found the truth that they really can "do all things through Christ who strengthens them" (Phil 2:13).

When one says "I can't stop drinking or smoking or lusting or whatever," they are correct.  But the truth found in trusting Jesus, holding on to his teaching, embracing his Spirit, can and will break the hold of whatever has been keeping you prisoner.  Jus' Say'n.