The Truth Will Set You Free

JOHN 8:31-32
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
”‭‭John‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭NKJV‬

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The truth is Jesus, and the truth that sets us free. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
But free from what?
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Sin enslaves us to death which is the penalty of sin.
Should one commit murder, face the courts and is found guilty, that person will face the consequences of his or her actions. Maybe the death penalty that still operates in some countries today.
But what if it was you who committed the murder, and you plead guilty before the judge, and he said to you, “you are guilty of this horrendous crime, and the penalty is death. But however, I am a merciful judge, so I am going to take your punishment of death on a cross so that you may live; you are free to go and live your life?”
That my beloved is exactly what Jesus Christ has done for you!
Are we humans not all guilty of murder (1 JOHN 3:15)
Have we not shown hate toward others at some time or another in our life. Yet, because of what Christ has done, both you and I have a wonderful opportunity to be set free from the power of sin and death, and live forever.
Does that mean you can carry on living in sin? No of course not. It means you are free to come to Christ in repentance and live forever in paradise through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Sin is complicated; often as a result of addiction, culture, or even circumstance.
Therefore, we humans cannot overcome sin in our own strength because we are born with a sinful nature and a deceitful heart ( JEREMIAH 17:9). But that is where God’s grace shines through; He sent His Holy Spirit to help us; to lead, teach, strengthen, and guide us through life (JOHN 14:15-18), always giving us a righteous way forward (1 CORINTHIANS 10:13).
When we invite Him in and cooperate with Him, He gives us both the desire to do His will, and the power to do it (PHILIPPIANS 2:13).
But one must repent, turn from his old sinful ways toward God, being willing with every effort and allow God to change even the way he thinks (ROMANS 12:1-2).
God does not take away our choices; He gave us free will, therefore we all have a dilemma-To walk in the flesh by our sinful nature, or in the Spirit who will lead us in His righteousness. You are free to choose!
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:34-36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:16-26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
My beloved, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Indeed God gave up His divine privileges here on earth and lived as a human slave (PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8), simply to undo the evil works of the devil, to start the work of building His church, and then finally pay our debt of sin on a cross.
He suffered humiliation, abuse, and the most excruciating pain by being nailed to a cross for you, me, and all people of every nation, for He wants no one to perish but for all to come to Him in repentance (2 PETER 3:9).
“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.