The Truth Will Set You Free
“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” A relatively common phrase, and a commonly quoted Scriptures that one sees in the mainstream. One of the elementary schools in my school district had the latter half of the phrase written out prominently above the stage in the auditorium. I’ve seen it elsewhere, too, and it points to a simple fact: Humans love truth.
I don’t think this is a controversial statement to make. Though we can be quick to deceive at times, we usually want people to be truthful to us. We love stunning exposes in the newspapers that reveal hidden truths about celebrities and politicians. We can be pretty honest as well, though sometimes we have other desires that overpower our desire for truth. But regardless, I think it’s very fair to say that we usually want to know what is true, because we don’t want to waste our time with falsehood. We want to know what’s true about religion, so we don’t worship the wrong thing. We want to know the truth about situations around us, so we can face them accordingly.
And to say that the truth sets you free? That seems pretty reasonable. I mean, even though we lie to cover things up, isn’t it often liberating when you finally get caught? No one likes to live a lie.
But, what really struck me about this verse when I opened up my Bible and read it was that its context really alters your perception of what the verse is trying to say. Check it out:
John 8:31-36
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
At this time, Jesus is speaking at the temple. Lots of people had gathered to hear Him talk, and He had just stirred up some controversy when He dismissed an adulterous woman and her accusers (John 8:1-11…”Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”). Now, He was talking to the crowd that remained, speaking of His status as God, man, and Savior. His words apparently had their effect, as it says in verse 30 that “many believed in Him.”
But Jesus wasn’t content for people to believe in Him. Remember, these were fresh converts, who had their minds changed by one sermon! So, Jesus speaks to them by saying that if they abided (abide is to continue in something) in Jesus’ word (for us that primarily means His Scriptures, the Bible), then they are truly His disciples.
I have to straighten something out here. This doesn’t mean that salvation is about how well you keep God’s commandments. Salvation has always been about grace and grace alone…you can never earn your way to salvation. However, if salvation is something that you have truly received, then it will change you, and it will manifest itself in good works and continuing in God’s commandments. And that’s what Jesus is getting at. Anyone can feel good after a great sermon, but only time and perseverance will tell if their hearts are truly changed.
Now, we get to the quote in question. At the beginning of the article, this was a statement about any old truth in general. In a school, it’d be academic truths. In a courtroom, it’d be true testimony. In a personal scandal, it’d be coming clean. But this is the Bible, and this quote is actually the second half of a sentence. ”If you continue in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Well and good, but what are we getting set free from?
The context, shown in the next four verses, answers that. The freedom mentioned here is freedom from sin. Salvation. The Jewish people come out and insist that because they are children of Abraham and thus children of God’s covenant, they have never really been enslaved to anyone. They don’t understand that they are slaves! But Jesus is quick to counter, telling them - and us - that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. But Jesus then gives us hope, saying that if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! We’re talking about genuine freedom of the best kind.
So, you now have the truth with you! I’m not saying that other applications of the phrase “The truth shall make you free” are necessarily untrue, but I am saying that if it’s not referencing sin and salvation, then it’s not accurately quoting Jesus. ZA Magazine is all about seeking truth, and we hope that you, as the viewer, have the same attitude. May you come to know and accept the truth that is in Jesus, and allow His blood and His power to make you free indeed.
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Grace and peace,
Brendan
