John 8:31 & 32 has is something that again is used quite frequently and I don’t think is understood completely:
31 So Jesus
said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are
truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.”
To those who live in a “free” nation we have a tough time
understanding this as did the Jews who were listening to Jesus at the time.
Verses 8:34 – 38 explain that we are not really free, but rather slaves to sin.
Once we get that all becomes clear and we can look at how we are slaves.
Mine was spending over what I had or made. Some say that is
not a sin, I argue it is because I was not following the 10/10/80 principle
spelled out in the Bible. Just as a review the 10/10/80 principle is simply 10%
goes to God first to show money does not have a hold on you, 10% is saved for “lean”
times and live on 80%. You do that and things will be good as you move through
life. Instead I spent well over what I made and justified it by saying “we are
paying less in interest than what we make selling the stuff.” I became a slave
to the credit card companies and became hopeless. I can only imagine how we’d
be if I’d spent what we made and had reserves.
Now I know many who are or have been slaves to porn. This
sin engulfed their lives and ruined their finances and marriages. They became a
slave to their lust and could not stop until they hit bottom. I know many who
are slaves to drinking and/or drugs who hit bottom before they become free in
the word of Jesus.
Through all these examples one may say heathens, yet all
were “Christians” before slipping into slavery of their sin. All had to hit
rock bottom before they finally pulled themselves to Jesus and with His grace
and mercy became free. Sure in all cases it wasn’t an overnight thing, but a
struggle to get free.
Look at Israel gaining freedom from Egypt to the Promised
Land, that was the epitome of life’s struggles to freedom. If it was “easy” we
would not understand the reasons why one does not do these things. Our sinking
and struggle to freedom becomes a witness to those slipping and hopefully will
save them from our pain.
When you hear this “cliché” understand what it really
means and help those who use it to know the truth in Jesus. I think of Jim
Carey, in “Liar, Liar” when he uttered “and the truth will set you free” in
court. It was cute, but again flippantly used for a laugh line. Sure it’s fun
to laugh and I got a chuckle at this scene, but we need to ensure that people
see what freedom from sin looks like!