John 8:31-32 … To continue in His Word (03/20/17)
“If you continue in my Word … You will know the Truth,
and that Truth will set you free.” ~ Jesus (John 8:31b-32)
There are actually quite a few interesting Truths buried within this verse; a verse spoken specifically to “the Jews who had believed in him” (John 8:31a) … Consider:
First of all, note that “continue in my Word” (sometimes translated as the equally active “abide”) here means to actively emulate the core of Jesus’ teachings – meaning to actively live a life of selfless self-sacrificial Love (see John 13:15-17, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 16:24, & Luke 8:4-15 et al) …
Secondly, note as well that “the Truth” to which Jesus is referring here is his Gospel — his “Good News”; namely, the Truth that Heaven is alive & well in every present moment (see Matthew 10:7 – also Luke 17:20-21) and that its Bliss is accessible for anyone who choose to devoutly Love the Divine by selflessly Loving others (see Matthew 24:12-14 – also Matthew 22:37-40) …
Thirdly, note additionally that the phrase “set you free” (more accurately translated from the ancient Greek as “liberate you”) refers to setting his followers free not only from their own sinful, self-fixated instincts, but also from fear itself — most potently from their innate fear of death (the fear which keeps us all from self-sacrifice in the first place – see Hebrews 2:14-15). And this makes perfect sense, for if the heavenly Father of Jesus Christ is perfect, completely unconditional Love (1 John 4:8, Luke 6:36, Matthew 8:21-22 et al), and if we are all to “become perfect as the Father” (Matthew 5:48), and if fear is the opposing force to Love and thus prevents Love from blossoming (1 John 4:18), then we must indeed set aside our fear before “the Truth [of Love] can set [us] free” …
And finally, it might be important for conservative Christians to consider the fact that – if the Truth is indeed what sets us free, then all that binds us (like religious dogma) or constricts us (like judgmental beliefs) cannot be Truth!
Amen … Know that it is so.
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