“As He spake these words, many believed on Him. ³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; ³² And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. ³³ They answered Him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. ³⁵ And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. ³⁶ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:30-36.

The Lord did not say “ye shall quote the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.”  Reciting Scripture is different than understanding the full counsel of the Word of God in context.  I did not just say it was a bad thing to recite or memorize Scripture.  Truth be known, I could probably do more of it myself.  However, if we don’t understand what we are reciting than we don’t “know the Truth” we are quoting the Truth.  Furthermore, if we are reciting the Truth to speak something into existence that the Lord does not Will, we are in fact using God’s Word as an incantation.  An incantation is a series of words used to make something “magic” happen.  We cannot use God’s Word against His Will for our gratification.

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  God’s power is to further God’s Will and His power is in the Cross of Jesus.  It is only through our faith in Jesus’ finished work that the Holy Spirit is commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

If we are in a situation that is unpleasing to us, seek God’s Will before cursing and rebuking the circumstances.  So many are spiritually stunted because the word of faith doctrine has taught them their situation is the devils fault, when in fact the devil is being used as God’s instrument to chastise us.  Or perhaps, like Job, God is wanting to show satan that no matter his attacks, the Lord still has those that will praise Him even in the worst of storms.  Seek God for the lesson and allow Him to author your faith.   “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.

To Jesus the religious Jews declared “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” John 8:33.  These same religious Jews had been in bondage to the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and at that time the Romans…yet they were never in bondage to any man.  You see, these Jews could quote the Scriptures but they did not know the Scriptures.  They did not know they were in bondage.

It is Christ alone that can make us free.  Not our incantations, not our self efforts or schemes of man…Jesus Christ made us free on Calvary’s Cross.  The Lord paid the sin debt in full and gave us dominion over our sin nature.  Looking to Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we shall KNOW the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.  “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36.

-Donna Clark Warren