Set You Free

Dear Precious Friends,

On this Fill our Soul Sunday, I pray you are waking up to this new day filled with the joy of the Lord despite circumstances that may be less than desirable. When I wake up each morning I have a Bible verse that pops up on my phone from the Bible App. I love meditating on the verse and starting my day thanking the Lord for a new day and seeking Him first. I love hearing from our Lord. Most days I start my day listening to the Bible in 365 days with Nikki Gumbel. I especially love the devotionals that start before the reading of God's word as it sets up the teaching. Today's was about Truth and Freedom. When we hear the scripture " You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. " from John 8:32 it stops us in our tracks.... What is the truth? We find that Jesus said this to the Jews of His day. These were people who at an early age grew up studying and learning the law. Yet, these people, in ways very similar to us today, still battled with fears, anxieties, sicknesses, and all kinds of oppression, bondages, and addictions. So this truth that Jesus was talking about clearly cannot be the law, because these people could not find freedom in the law. In fact, the truth of the law only brought them into religious bondage.

My friends, the truth that shall make you free, is the truth of His grace. This is the truth that He came to give us. His Word proclaims that “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

I loved this so much I wanted to share this with you because in Him we are truly free! "Who the son sets free, is free indeed, I'm a child of God, yes I am! There is so much wisdom in todays devo and what it truly means to know the Truth (Jesus) and be set free. May we live and walk in this freedom today!

Here is from the Bible in One Year with Nikki Gumbel Devo today:

The good news is that grace came to set us free from the curse of the law. Grace is not a doctrine or a theological subject. When Jesus talks about grace, He is talking about Himself. Grace is a person. Grace is Jesus Himself. Truth is revealed by God. Jesus is ‘the truth’ (14:6). He is God’s ultimate revelation. Knowing the truth is not about assenting to propositions, but about knowing a person. Knowing Jesus broadens your mind, increases your depth of insight and widens your scope of understanding. To live in truth is to live in a relationship of love with Jesus who is the truth.

This does not mean that we have all the answers but that we have a true framework of thinking. Scientific laws provide a framework that gives freedom to investigate in the physical realm. God’s revelation provides the framework that gives intellectual freedom to investigate in the spiritual realm. Belief leads to understanding.

The response to Jesus’ words were, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ (8:33). But Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin’ (v.34). To sin is to be a slave to our compulsions, our addictions, our need for power and admiration, a slave to what others think of us, a slave to the fear of others. Without Jesus Christ, all of us are slaves to sin. But, ‘if the Son liberates you, then you are really and unquestionably free’ (v.36, AMP).

Freedom from shame

Jesus sets you free from guilt and shame. He died so that you could be forgiven and your guilt and shame could be taken away.

Freedom from addiction

He sets you free from addiction – being ‘a slave to sin’ (v.34). On the cross the power of addiction was broken. Although you may still fall from time to time, the power of the addiction to sin is broken when Jesus sets you free. While some may receive complete freedom from a specific addiction when they come to Jesus, for others it may be a longer process.

Freedom from fear

Jesus sets you free from fear. He came so that ‘by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death’ (Hebrews 2:14–15). Jesus says here, ‘I tell you the truth, whoever keeps my word will never see death’ (John 8:51).Death is not the end for those whom Jesus has set free. Rather it is the gateway to heaven. When Jesus sets you free from the fear of death, he also sets you free potentially from all other fears.

Freedom to know God

Jesus sets you free to have a relationship with God like his own. Jesus is the supreme example of a person who is led by God. He says of himself, ‘I heard from God’ (v.40). But he also goes on to say, ‘Whoever belongs to God hears what God says’ (v.47). It is possible for us all to hear from God.Jesus says, ‘I know him’ (v.55). He makes it possible for you to know God.

Freedom to be yourself

Rather than attempting to be a second-rate version of someone else Jesus sets you free to be your true self as God intended you to be.

Freedom to love

Jesus sets you free to love (the opposite of the self-centredness of sin).He sets you free intellectually, morally and emotionally. This is true freedom: ‘… if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’ (v.36).

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the freedom that you bring to my life. Thank you that I can know you and hear your voice.