Train Up A Child (Part 7)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32

Many people misquote John 8:32 and/or take it out of context. Most often, you hear people say "and the truth shall set you free" and that's it. But this scripture reveals much more than just that.

If we look at John 8:32 in context, we see in the preceding verse that Jesus talks about people becoming His disciples. A close reading of John 8:31-32 reveals that it's only after becoming a disciple of Jesus that one is exposed to the truth. Exposure to the truth then makes us free.

In other words, there's a whole process to attain freedom. Simple truth doesn't make people free. It's by becoming disciples of Jesus that we come to know the truth and become free.

In other words, Jesus instructs us to become disciples (Matthew 16:24) - that is, to become students or "studiers" of His Word. He tells us to train by abiding in it (John 8:31).

And just like any trainer, He says we can't get the results without going through the process.

So, the real question is, if you truly want to be free, are you willing to go through the process to get there?

How are you training today?

God bless,
J.W.

"Let A Man Examine Himself..."

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ~ John 8:32

The most dangerous lie in the world is the one we tell ourselves.

God not only wants us to be real with ourselves, but He wants us to be real with Him as well. But we can't be real with Him, until we get real with ourselves. It's a Catch-22.

So examine yourself today. Is there some aspect of your life you need to work on? Is there an area of your life that God has called you to change in the new year? If so, be truthful with Him and yourself. It'll change your life.

God bless,
J.W.

"But let a man examine himself..." ~ 1 Corinthians 11:28