August 30

No Longer Captives

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. — John 8:32 BSB

Even among Christians, there is still much bondage due to ignorance of the truth. Some people live in fear because of superstitions or imagined dangers, but when they learn the truth, their fears disappear. They are enslaved by ignorance until knowledge sets them free. This is also true spiritually. Some Christians are constantly distressed about their sins, thinking that God’s wrath still rests on them, even though they were long ago forgiven. They don’t fully understand divine forgiveness, and therefore they miss out on the joy that comes with it. If they knew the truth, it would set them free.

At the end of a war between France and Great Britain, some French ships had been out at sea for years. Unaware that peace had been declared, they feared capture by British ships as they tried to return home. One vessel found itself near the coast of England, with a British warship close by. The French captain was terrified, thinking his ship would be taken. He even considered sinking his own vessel rather than letting it fall into enemy hands. But then the British hailed the ship and informed the captain that peace had been declared between the two nations. Once he knew the truth, his fear vanished.

In the same way, the gospel sets us free by telling us of the peace that Christ made for us through His cross. The moment we accept Christ, we are free from sin’s curse and condemnation. We are no longer captives; we are free.