Jesus Offers Freedom
Do you long for freedom?
Verse of the Day
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Today’s Devotional
With most things in life, there is natural progression. Here is an excerpt from vocabulary.com: “A movement forward, especially one that advances toward some achievement, is called a progression. When you get your learner’s permit, it’s a step in the natural progression from child to responsible adult — although you may see it as part of your progression toward freedom.”
We see this natural progression in many areas of life. We see it in the lives of children. We see it in ourselves when there is a goal we are working toward. We see it in nature. But what does natural progression have to do with truth and freedom?
If you go back to the description above, there is action or movement. There are steps in the process that must be taken to achieve a goal. Today, Jesus is offering us a tutorial in the process of achieving freedom. There is a natural progression toward freedom, and Jesus is telling us how to get there.
If freedom in a particular area is the goal, then what are the steps to achieve this goal? According to Jesus, I need to know His teachings. Once I know them, I need to put those teachings into practice in my life. Once I am acting according to Jesus’s teachings, I need to remain faithful to that way of life. I can’t bail on a Jesus-lifestyle when it gets difficult. Once I am faithful to this Jesus way of life, THEN I will know the truth. When I finally know and consistently obey the truth of Jesus, that truth unlocks the doors of freedom.
We are guilty of quoting and using verse 32 (“you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”) without including verse 31, which tells us how to get there. And just to clear up any confusion over the word “disciple”, this simply means a learner, a follower, a student. According to a sermon I heard recently, a disciple of Jesus is someone who is becoming who they already are in Jesus.
Jesus kindly gives us a map to freedom. To get to freedom we must first get to truth. And to get to truth we must be actively living a Jesus-lifestyle. So if there is any area of your life in which you feel bondage, do you truly want freedom? And if you do want freedom, are you willing to follow the map that Jesus provides?
I have personal experience of being in bondage and having to follow the steps to freedom. I will not lie and tell you that the journey was easy. But I will tell you that the freedom I have now in that area is worth every single second of discomfort and difficulty on the journey. I followed the map. On the journey, I learned the truth. And the truth set me free. I could not be more grateful.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
In what area of your life do you long for freedom?
What steps in the journey to truth are you afraid to take?
If you don’t know what steps you need to take, are you brave enough to ask God for clarity?
How has truth set you free?