How the Truth Can Set You Free
John 8:31-36
According to man’s thinking, freedom means being able to choose or act with few if any restraints, limits, or accountabilities. According to God’s view, this definition is actually a description of rebellion, where submission to authority is rejected and people all do as they see fit. (Judges 21:25) True freedom – being free from bondage to sin – is found only through Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:16-17)
The first step to freedom is recognizing where we are not free, that is, areas where we remain imprisoned. People who have not received Christ as Savior are in bondage to unbelief. They can neither believe God nor trust the promises of Scripture. Sin has blinded their eyes to the truth that they need a Savior.
Even Christ-followers can find themselves in bondage, especially with regard to subtle kinds of enslavement. Feeling inferior is a type of bondage that can dictate how we respond to people. Insecurities can control our ability to think or act; they also make trusting God harder. A sense of inadequacy will color our responses to life’s challenges and affect our ability to obey God. Furthermore, feelings of worthlessness or rejection can inhibit our Christian witness.
God wants us walking in freedom. Scripture reveals that we are set free when we know our position in Christ, our person in Christ, and our possessions in Christ. The path to discovering these truths is found only through the living Word of God. (John 8:31-32) Meditating on the eighth chapter of John is a good place to embark on freedom’s road. Its truths will set us free!
Daily Devotions with Dr. Charles Stanlley, InTouch Ministries