From Amanda Agnew

Abiding Comes Before Knowing

THE PROMISE OF FREEDOM

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, NLT)

As believers, we have this awesome promise that we have been set free — free from our sin and guilt as well as their penalty. It’s not just a wish to hope for; it’s a powerful reality! But we don’t always feel free.

Sometimes in our journeys, things come up that show us we are not living as free as we think we are, and this might cause us to wonder if we actually are free. Perhaps we find ourselves struggling with some kind of sin, or perhaps we have old wounds that still need healing. In these times, we realise that we need more of the freedom Jesus offers. We need Jesus’ ministry to us more than ever.

In John 8, we read that Jesus was speaking to people who didn’t realise how much they needed him. They trusted in themselves and their own situation and missed what God had for them. But still, Jesus invited them to know him and become free.

When we find ourselves in such a place, how do we respond? Do we pretend the struggle doesn’t exist so that no one will see, lest we be found wanting? Do we try to make ourselves ‘good enough’ for Jesus, to ‘live up to’ the price he paid for us? Or do we admit our need for Jesus? Realising that he will meet us exactly where we are, in the middle of our muck or struggle, trusting that every step of the way through, he will help us.

Reaching this point requires humility and honesty. But we can trust that the Lord will work in us and help us to step more fully into the freedom he has for us. And, along the way, we will come to know him more deeply and fully. And isn’t that what we need? To understand what it means to be a child of the Living God: completely confident in his unfailing love and goodness, free to live for him, whatever that might look like.

It’s not about getting the right information so we can think our way to freedom; it’s about God’s Word working in us through His Word. Jesus told the people that they would be changed to be like him through holding fast to what he taught them. Another translation says, “'If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples'" (John 8:31 ESV). ‘Abiding’ comes before ‘knowing the truth’. As we abide in him, we can receive and understand the truth that sets us.

What a joy it is to be found in him! It is like catching waves at a beach you expected to be flat. Or like discovering that veggies can be delicious even if you don’t deep fry them; the truth, at its simplest, is that Christ has set us free, and now we are learning to live as free people. And all of it comes from the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17-18), who is deeply faithful.

And so, let’s pay attention to what the Word says to us. Let’s take it on board and allow it to sink in to all the places within us that need his restoration and transformation. With honesty and humility, let's invite the Lord do his deep work within us. And may we experience the depths of his love for us because we have encountered the One who wanted to redeem us and did so!

Is there something you’ve been ignoring for a while — an area that God wants to bring wholeness and freedom to you in? Ask Jesus to meet you right in that struggle, to work in you and teach you how to be free. And be prepared to do that with him, in a relationship with him, not on your own. He is faithful, and he wants to help.

Reflection

• Is there one Scripture God has been speaking to you through, maybe a Psalm to encourage you? Let it sink in.
• Do you need the Holy Spirit’s ministry and counsel? Who could you ask to pray with you?
• Who are the people you could journey with in this?

Prayer

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you have set us free, and that we are free indeed! Teach us to live from that place of freedom as we walk with you. Help us to be humble and honest and fully embrace your work in us through your Word, because of your unfailing love for us and because you are faithful to bring about the freedom that you have won for us. Amen.