“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. 32 And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. 33 They answered Him, We are Abraham’s offspring (descendants) and have never been in bondage to anybody. What do You mean by saying, You will be set free? 34 Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin. 35 Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever. 36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free. John 8:31-36 AMP

Jesus said that if you abide in His Word you are truly His disciple and you are truly free. Abide means that you believe His Word and you commit to His Word. It means you conduct your life according to His Word. God’s Word shapes your decisions and your choices. You become a doer of His Word. When you have done this, you will know the Truth and this Truth will set you free. People in the world think that being free is about the liberty to do whatever you want to do – to sin without guilt or restraints – but Jesus said that if you continually sin, you become sin’s slave. The rule of thumb is this: whatever God wants you to do will bring you into more and more freedom, but whatever the devil wants you to do will bring you into more and more bondage.

In John 17:17 AMP Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.” God’s Word is the Truth and it will sanctify and purify your heart. The Truth of God’s Word will set you apart and make you what you ought to be. You can’t do it yourself – you need to be washed with the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26).

For all flesh (mankind) is like grass, and all its glory (honor) like [the] flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower drops off, 25 But the Word of the Lord (divine instruction, the Gospel) endures forever. And this Word is the good news which was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25 AMP

A lie has a short life, but the Truth will go on indefinitely. The Truth does not change – it is always the same. The Truth will stand up from age to age – it will stand forever. You can trust the Truth – you can stake your life on it.

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. 13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13 AMP

The Truth of God’s Word cuts down through all the junk and exposes what is real – the truth – even those things that are hidden from sight. Nothing is hidden from God’s eyes – everything is open and bare to Him. God requires that we be truthful and honest with Him. Honesty is liberating in itself. The power of sin is in its secrecy. Secrecy binds you to your sin. Being open and honest – acknowledging your sin – breaks its hold on you. Telling the truth brings freedom from the bondage of sin.

For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 AMP

Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me. John 14:6 AMP

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). 2 Corinthians 3:17 AMP

Jesus is the Truth. Truth comes only through Him. The more you embrace Jesus, the more you become acquainted with the Truth and with true freedom. Anything else is nothing more than feeling around in the dark. God created you with a free will – free to choose whom you will serve. You are free to believe anything you choose to believe about life and the meaning of life, but anything outside of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will not bring you into the Truth or into true freedom. Only when you believe in Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of God, who shed His blood for you, died and rose for you, will you experience the Truth and the freedom of walking in the Truth. By faith, you embrace the Truth, and with Truth come both light and freedom. If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed!