◄ What Does John 8:36 Mean? ►

Freedom is the cry of every man and woman, every boy and every girl. And Jesus proclaimed, "if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." Only a few verses earlier we heard Jesus explain to His followers, and those that were challenging His Messianic claims, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Those who know the Son know the TRUTH - for Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life'.

But how important to recognise that there is a huge chasm between knowing facts about the truth as a historical fact, or as some detailed information, and actually knowing the truth about the unique Person and saving Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing the Person of Jesus - having a personal relationship with Him, as outlined in the God-breathed Scriptures.

Many people in Christ's day knew about Him. They knew his mother and siblings. They knew He was a carpenter in the little town of Nazareth. Some even knew the Messianic claims that He made and may have witnessed the many mighty miracles that He undertook, but they did not know Him as their Lord and Saviour. They did not know Him as the Word of Truth or trust that His shed blood would pay the price for their sin.

The Scribes and Pharisees knew Christ's movements, heard His teachings, questioned His authority, and were fully conversant with the good news that He presented to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They even knew that He claimed to be the eternal Son of God from heaven Who could forgive sin. They knew He claimed to be the promised Messiah and King of Israel Who had come to set up His kingdom on earth.. but they did not mix the truth that they heard with faith in their heart. They knew about the truth but they were not set free by the truth because they did not believe the incarnate truth.

It was the Philippian jailer who asked the question, "what shall I do to be saved...?" and the simple answer was, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." He was to believe on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, the salvation of the soul, and life everlasting. Believing the truth would set this jailer free from slavery to sin and bondage to Satan. Believing the truth would set this man free from the curse of the Law and eternal condemnation. Believing the truth would transfer this man from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Light and Life.

The jailer was not set free by simply knowing about the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, but by knowing Him as Saviour. He was set free by BELIEVING on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was knowing Christ as Saviour that would set this jailer free. He was saved and set free from eternal condemnation by grace through faith in the Son of God and His sacrificial offering at Calvary, "for if the Son sets a man free, that man is free indeed."

Jesus Himself explained to Nicodemus that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life. He was to be lifted up on the Cross and His lifeblood was to be shed for the sin of the world. It is not simply knowing about the historical facts of Christ's crucifixion that sets people free... but believing on the redeeming truth that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scripture, that He was buried, and rose again, according to the Scripture. It is knowing the truth that frees a man from bondage to sin - and when one is set free from the curse of the Law and enslavement to sin, by grace through faith in Christ, one is truly liberated.

Every man is born dead in sin. Everyone lives in bondage to sin. Everyone is a slave of sin and is entrapped by sin. Every man is estranged from God and shackled by the heavy weight of sin. But there is one way, and only one way to be set free from slavery to sin, Satan, death, and the curse of the law - and that is to KNOW Christ personally - not simply to know historical facts about Him, but to know Him as one's own personal Saviour... Who willingly died in our place to pay the price for our sin. And when we are set free from slavery to sin, Satan, death, and the curse of the law... by the redeeming blood of God's only begotten Son... we know the Son as Saviour and the SON, WHo loves us and gave Himself for us, sets us free forever.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for sending Your Son to be my Saviour and for setting me free from slavery to sin. Thank You that in Christ I am set free from the curse of the Law, and thank You that the punishment that I deserve for my sins was paid for me by the Lord Jesus Christ, so that by faith in Him I am truly set free. May I live my life to Your praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN.