John 8:31-47 – Bible Study & Exploration
The Truth Will Set You Free
(Verses 31-36) We come to a very popular verse in John’s gospel that is often used by the world outside the context of the Bible. It’s likely many people don’t realize that the phrase, “the truth will set you free” originated from the Bible.
Unfortunately, the world points to a different truth than the Bible. The world points to the truth in general. Jesus is explaining that He is the truth. John hit on this at the very beginning of his gospel.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
Jesus was trying to teach them that they were slaves to their own sin. Being a slave to sin made them a temporary member of the family. But being a child of God and not a slave to sin made them a permanent member of the family.
Paul touched upon the subject of sins control in our lives in his letter to the Romans.
“For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:19-20)
When we sin, we are slaves to sin and it causes us to continue sinning. Only Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit can break us from the slavery of sin.
“because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)
Children of God
(Verse 37-41) Those who give their lives to Christ receive the Holy Spirit. This makes them children of God. The power of the Holy Spirit will walk with them (Christian journey of sanctification) to teach them to be more like Christ every day.
The people listening to Jesus’ words didn’t understand the role the Holy Spirit played in making them children of God. While they believed that keeping the law was their path to God, their sins were enslaving them. They didn’t realize there was no path to God for them while living in the sin of God’s laws that condemned them.
We see this teaching playing out today before our very eyes. Those who are of their father, the devil are being prepared for the coming of the tribulation in the last days. While the ones (children of God) who are of their Father in heaven are being prepared for the day of the rapture.
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)
Paul again, spoke on the same topic in the book of Acts when he encountered the sorcerer Elymas in Cypress.
“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? (Acts 13:10)
And the Truth Will Set You Free
(Verses 41-47) Again, the people attempt to shame Jesus as they make the claim that they’re not illegitimate children. They were alluding to their belief that Jesus was illegitimate. It was because they didn’t fully understand the mysteries of Jesus’ birth.
Jesus asks them to prove Him wrong by pointing to one single sin that He committed. They’re unable to point to one because there were none. Christ is the perfect savior who came to fulfill the law in it’s entirety. This had to be so He could be presented to the Father as the firstfruits of the resurrection. So that by His death and resurrection, our imperfection could be exchanged for His perfection. Thereby making us worthy to be reunited with our Father in heaven.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)