The Truth that sets Free

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

John 8:32 says "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (NKJV). Other translations say "... and the truth shall set you free."

Two questions are pertinent at this stage:

First, what truth did Jesus have in mind in this context and how can this truth set one free?

Secondly, how is it that a believer who has been set free from sin by Christ can still be predisposed to sin?

The statement in John 8:32 was made by Jesus while addressing a group of Jews who believed in Him after hearing him preach (John 8:31-36).

The Pharisees however kept interjecting, questioning His authority. They were not seeking to learn from Jesus but to impose their religious rules.

Earlier in John 8:13-20, Jesus defended His witness which was under attack by the religious leaders.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their lack of discernment. They stubbornly rejected His Messianic authority and even later sought to arrest Him and charge Him with blasphemy.

The Pharisees were spiritually blind to the truth. Their religious legalism stood in the way of the light that Christ brought.

Jesus went on to affirm His divine mission and works, and the authority He bore as God incarnate, the messenger of God to a sinful and alienated people who were far from God.

In John 8:21-30, Jesus spoke of His coming departure at the conclusion of His earthly ministry which would be realized through the way of the cross, a way that Jesus was determined to accomplish.

So what did Jesus mean by His statement in John 8:32 that those who will know the truth shall be set free?

To address this question, we need to appreciate the passage context in which this statement was made.

The statement of John 8:28-29 contains the gist of what Jesus meant. Jesus says here:
"....when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

Jesus here alluded to His death at the cross.

Notice that at the conclusion of this address, more Jews believed Him (John 8:30).

The Jews were aware of ritual cleansing as the means of remission of sin. They knew that without this cleansing the transgression would not be atoned.

Truth, in the words of Jesus in this passage, is therefore the knowledge of the purpose of His incarnate coming and more so His atoning works of the cross. This was the perfect solution for sin.

This truth lies at the very foundation of the Christian faith.

Jesus came to reveal the Father to a sinful world and to draw men to the Father.

Without His sacrificial death, we would still be lost in our spiritual rebellion.

To accomplish this task, Jesus had to die on the cross as the perfect atonement that God provided for our redemption.

The Bible teaches in Revelation 5 that no one was found worthy to open the scrolls and Apostle John wept. However, God revealed that Jesus alone, who is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundations of the world, was worthy to open the scrolls. This was a comforting message to Apostle John and indeed to us who know Christ!

Jesus is indeed our Savior, our Messiah, our hope of glory (Titus 2:11-14).

Philippians 2:10-11 declares that "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (NKJV)

Now here is the summary of the Truth that sets us free:

1) THAT "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24, NKJV).

2) THAT it is only in Christ, and in Him alone that we can find redemption (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is the truth that breaks the chains of sinful condemnation that fell upon us in Adam.

3) THAT it is by this Truth that the believing Jews to Christ, and which is at the gist of the gospel proclamation for every Bible believing Christian community.

4) THAT any gospel that does not have this Truth at its centre is a  counterfeit religion.


[I will separately address the second question touching on why a believer who has been set free from sin can still be predisposed to sin]



© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2019.

For more teaching resources, please visit my blog at www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com