I was reading a blog post the other morning, and this scripture stood out to me… Then Jesus said to those Jews who had believed him, If ye abide in my word, ye shall be my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.. (John 8:31-32 JUB) Most of the time, the only part of this text we oftentimes hear is… And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free, or make you free. Depending on which translation, but never the text preceding that part of the scripture.

Notice, before Jesus even gave them the word, it was addressed to whom? those Jews who had believed him. So, the first condition is believing him. This leads us to John 20:30-31, where it is stated, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

The condition—If you abide in My word…Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4 NKJV)

That omission matters. Jesus didn’t present freedom as a standalone promise detached from commitment. He tied it directly to abiding in His word. To abide means to remain, to dwell, to continue—not just to hear truth once, but to live in it daily. Discipleship isn’t proven by a moment of belief alone, but by a life that stays anchored in what He has said.

Only then, Jesus says, do we truly know the truth—not just intellectually, but experientially. And it is that lived, practiced truth that brings freedom. Freedom from sin, from deception, from fear, and from the false identities the world tries to place on us. The truth doesn’t set us free because we quote it, but because we walk in it.

So perhaps the question isn’t whether we want to be free—most of us do. The deeper question is whether we are willing to abide.

Thank you so much for your continued readership and support. Until next week…Blessings and Peace! And don’t forget…Let your light shine!

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