Key Verse: As he was saying these things, many believed in him. Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:30-32 CSB)
If you consider yourself a Christian, how do you know for sure? What do you look to that demonstrates the reality of your relationship with God?For the Jewish people to whom Jesus was speaking, their confidence about their relationship and standing before God rested in their spiritual heritage. They were Jewish, the ancestors of Abraham, the one to whom God has made His promise to set apart a nation for Himself (Genesis 12:2). Because of this, their sense of confidence was rooted in their ancestry.
Jesus, however, challenged this assumption. To the many Jews who had believed in Him, He said, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (v.31-32). According to Jesus, the true test of a genuine relationship with God is not about one’s heritage but rather is about whether one continues in His word.
What does it mean to “continue in my word”? Other translations use the phrase “hold to my teaching” (NIV) or “abide in my word” (ESV). The idea is of staying or remaining in something. True disciples of Jesus are those who remain and rest in all that Jesus says about who He is and what it means to follow Him.
Why is this so critical to following Jesus? Why is this one of the litmus tests of true discipleship? Later in John, Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me” (John 15:5). The ability to live a fruitful life is tied to remaining, abiding or continuing in Jesus and His words.
In His words in John 8, however, Jesus provides some additional insight. As you continue or abide in His word, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (v.32), Jesus said. For the Jewish people who first heard Jesus say this, they didn’t understand what He was talking about. What was this bondage to which Jesus was referring? “How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” (v.33), they asked Him.
But Jesus wasn’t talking about the captivity their ancestors had experienced under the hands of the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, or others after them. He was speaking about being in bondage to sin. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin” (v.34).
This is the fundamental issue. The barrier separating people from God is not about one’s heritage or ancestry. It’s not about whether you are Jewish or non-Jewish, whether or not you can claim to be a descendent of Abraham, or whether your parents or grandparents before you were people of faith. Those who are truly in a relationship with God are the ones who have encountered the truth for themselves and have experienced freedom from the bondage to sin through faith in Jesus Christ. Only Jesus has the power to do this. “So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free” (v.36), Jesus declared.
So have you been set free from slavery to sin? Have you by God’s grace placed your faith in all that Jesus has accomplished? Are you continuing and remaining in His teaching? If so, then walk today in the freedom that Jesus has declared over you! Let God’s Spirit now lead you because you are truly one of God’s children (Romans 8:14).
Prayer: Jesus, I praise you that in you I can find true freedom. Thank you that through faith in you, I have indeed been set free. Help me today by your Spirit to continue in you and all that you have taught. Empower me to walk in the freedom that is now mine, as I follow you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
