John 8: 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
The words of Jesus that you see in this verse is perhaps one of the most abused and misused verses in the bible. In Pulpits, or a stool and small table, all over the world will allude to, read or quote this passage, but the reason they use it is drastically different from what Jesus was saying.
It is all to common for a preacher to use this verse to mean what they are saying to you is truth, and the truth they are saying to you, will set you free. For example: if the preacher was preaching a four point sermon on how to share the gospel more effectively, he would probably give you four points that look something like this:
1. Don't smoke or drink: Those things are bad for you, and you don't want to die early do you?
2. Become active, eat healthy - because if you're in shape and feel good about yourself your more likely to share the gospel with others, because you will learn to love yourself, and you can't love your neighbor if you don't love yourself.
3. Be relevant: this one gets tricky, simply because we want to influence the world, so we want to look like the world without really looking , smelling, acting like the world.
4. Just do it! The only way to do it is to just do it!
Most likely, somewhere in this topical and eisegetical sermon, the pastor will use John 8:32 to tell you that this shall set you free, and if they're charismatic they will probably shout that at least three times, but no more than ten.
However Jesus is making a very clear statement, one the early Jews would've understood immediately. When you look at the verse following Jesus' statement, "They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, "You will become free"?" (John 8:33). Immediately before Jesus says, "the truth shall set you free" he states, " So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. (John 8:28). Jesus is foretelling of his crucifixion, and at the same time saying that he is in fact God. This is the truth that Jesus was saying, I am going to die and set you free from your burden of sin and death. This death is eternal separation and punishment for denying God, and your continued disobedience; the obedience that is required all of creation is incapable of fulfilling (Romans 3:9-11).
Jesus goes on to say in verse 34 "Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin."
Our problem is quite simple. Our first parents sinned against God and God cast them out of the Garden, which was the first temple where they enjoyed God's presence. They rebelled against him by disobeying the only rule that God gave them. Since that time all of man kind has been under the curse that God gave to them, and no one has be able to please God apart from God working in them, on their behalf. Then in fulfillment of the prophecies, and the first prophecy in Genesis 3:15. Jesus, who is eternally God, comes in the flesh, born of a women, lived perfectly, fulfilling the law, and was perfectly obedient all the way to the point of death. Jesus knew the death that was coming to him and he faced the cross with Joy (Hebrews 12:2), endured it so that we can be at peace with God, resting in the promise land--who is Jesus. Jesus was born, Jesus lived, Jesus was murdered, Jesus defeat death by being resurrected from the grave, and Jesus ascended to Heaven where he is now ruling and reigning until the day the invisible Church will become fully visible and the Kingdom of God is fully restored on earth, and the entire earth will be covered with the knowledge of the triune God and enjoy him forever.
That my friends is the truth that Jesus is talking about, not some simplistic vanilla truth, which says if you smoke you're more likely to get cancer. But rather, Jesus is saying, I am God, you are a sinner against me, and only I can fix the problem that you've created; apart from me (Jesus) you have no inheritance, no eternal life, no peace, no joy, and no hope because "I AM" the way, the Truth, the Door, the Life, and no one comes to the Father except by me!
These lazy preachers of pragmatism need to repent of their neglected study, and failures to preach the real Gospel, as the real Gospel is massively and dominantly present in this small yet over shadowed verse.
Rest in the Truth, who is Jesus.
Coram Deo,
Douglas Herron
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