Knowing, I'm on the way to Freedom

“ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Something struck me with this "too-familiar" saying when I read it this morning. We tend to define "truth" so limitedly. We think we need to know the facts about God, about His Word, about Christian living. But, do you think when Jesus says, 'you will know the truth and the truth will set you free," he was actually simply referring to himself as "truth?" As in, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." So I checked out a commentary, and sure enough... that is pretty much their take, too. What appeals to me in this explanation is that we are given an answer to "how do I know Jesus aka Truth?" By holding to the teachings of Jesus. It is also much more simpler than having to have a PhD in Theology in order to really feel like you "know the truth."

I am also struck with the differentiation between "believing" Jesus and "knowing" Jesus. We can believe, but not necessarily know him, as I did for many years. I became a Christian in Jr. High and believed Jesus, but knowing Him is something I am working on daily. Well, it is something I wish I worked on daily. (This blogging assignment is certainly helping tremendously toward that end!)

Here's another cool thing I saw in this today:
This verse seems to practically lay out the Christian journey:

Step one: Believe Jesus ("who had believed in him")

Step two: Study and apply the things Jesus said. ("If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciple")

Step three: Be building a loving relationship with God. ("Then you will know the truth")

Step four: Have eternal life, victory over sin and death, all that you need for holy living. ("the truth will set you free.")

I think that is pretty cool. And encouraging. I am on the right path. I am pursing knowing Jesus and I am experiencing more and more freedom. Freedom from what? Myself really. As my dear friend and I were chatting about today, we all carry with us a shadow of ourselves - I would define this shadow as our sinful selves and the self that listens to the voice of the Enemy instead of God. The more and more we turn to Jesus, apply his teachings and know Him, the more we will recognize when it is our "shadow-self" speaking and have the power to be free from the falsehoods it proclaims. That's a freedom I want!

Lastly, I keep looking at the word "know." Here's all the potential meanings from the original Greek word:

1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel

2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of

3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman

4) to become acquainted with, to know

This shows me what I hoped it would, because as I was looking at this I was thinking of what it is like to know our spouse or a close friend. When we know someone closely, we can anticipate their reactions to things, we can trust them, we can tell what they are thinking (sometimes!), we can know what they need from us and how to serve them best, we know what makes them happy, sad, frustrated or joyful...

This is very motivating for me to pursuing "knowing the truth." I so want to know Jesus like this! I also am grateful that, just as I will never have David so figured out so as to risk getting bored or thinking I "know it all," I don't have to have Jesus all figured out either. And, I will never get bored trying! Wow... that really is freeing! See? It works!