The month of August presents a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the concept of freedom. It is the month that reminds us of our nation’s journey from the bondage of foreign rule to the dawn of independence. In this context, it is fitting that this issue explores the theme of freedom from the perspective of the Holy Scriptures.
“The truth will set you free.”
These powerful words from John 8:32 hold deep spiritual significance. To fully grasp their meaning, we must consider the context in which Jesus spoke them. The Gospel records, “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31–32)
The response from the Jews was puzzling: “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone.” This claim seems to overlook the long history of Israel-430 years of slavery in Egypt, 70 years of exile in Babylon, and subjugation under Greek and later Roman rule. Their response reflects a sense of spiritual pride: the belief that as Abraham’s descendants, they possessed the truth and were therefore free-never misled, deceived, or in need of liberation.
But Jesus revealed a deeper and more profound kind of slavery-one not of physical chains, but of the soul. He corrected their assumption that they didn’t need deliverance, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) According to Jesus, sin enslaves people in their daily lives, and the ultimate consequence of this slavery is death. The Apostle Paul echoes this truth: “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
From the theological viewpoint of John, the root of sin in the world is the rejection of Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus, the Messiah, declared that only the truth can set us free. This leads us to an important question: Does merely knowing the truth intellectually free us from sin? Or does “knowing the truth” mean something more? In John 18:38, Pilate cynically asks Jesus, “What is truth?”-a question that has perplexed philosophers and seekers for centuries. To understand what Jesus meant when He said, “the truth will set you free,” we need to examine the biblical understanding of the word “truth.” The Greek word aletheia and the Hebrew word emeth are both translated as “truth,” but they carry slightly different connotations. In the Greek worldview, truth refers to an objective reality or harmony between thought and reality. In contrast, the Hebrew word emeth emphasizes faithfulness to God and His covenant.
Jesus Christ is the embodiment of this divine faithfulness. In Him, God’s covenant is fully revealed and fulfilled. That is why Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Here, “truth” becomes synonymous with the Messiah Himself. To know the truth, then, is not merely to possess correct doctrine or factual knowledge-it is to know, believe in, and live in relationship with Jesus Christ. Only through Him can humanity experience genuine freedom. According to the Bible, freedom is a divine gift bestowed at the very creation of man. “In the beginning, the Lord created man and gave him liberty.” (Ecclesiasticus 15:14) Yet, when sin entered the human story, freedom was replaced by various forms of bondage. From a Christian perspective, true freedom is not the ability to do whatever we please, but the ability to desire what is good and live according to God’s will. In other words, freedom is realized when our desires align with God’s purpose for our lives. When we know and live in Christ, we can experience true freedom-freedom that surpasses external circumstances and resides in the heart. This is the freedom Paul speaks of in Galatians 5:1: “Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”The freedom that Christ offers is not a license for self-indulgence but a call to greater responsibility and love. “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
In Christ, freedom becomes a life of love, service, and truth. It is not freedom without restraint, but the freedom to live rightly and purposefully, rooted in God’s truth.
Rev. Dr. Tom Olikkarott
