Chaplain's Corner
Mark Shogren
September 2025
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
(John 8:31-32)
In the Gospel of John prior to Jesus crucifixion, Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor of Judaea asked Jesus a question: “What is Truth?” (John 18:38). Pilate was convinced that no answer existed to the question; even though Jesus gave him the answer to the question in the prior verse (John 18:37) “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.”
It seems today that many people have their own version of truth. Distortion, half truth’s and flat out lies committed by all forms of media are so common that it becomes difficult to determine what is truth. Fortunately we serve a God that is immutable He changes not; (Malachi 3:6) “For I am the LORD, I change not”. God’s Word is truth and does not change you can depend on it. The Apostle Paul said in (Hebrews 13:8) “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”. His Holy Word is eternal; “The words of the LORD are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”, (Psalm 12:6).
When Jesus said “If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples”. This is an invitation to live in a state of continual involvement with Jesus’ teachings. This isn’t a passive act; it requires active participation and daily commitment. “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”, (Luke 9:23). Following Jesus is a committed lifestyle with a desire to become more like Him.
The wording “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” is deeply profound. Knowing the truth is more than just an intellectual acknowledgment, its a spiritual conversion that transforms our entire being. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”, (2 Corinthians 5:17). True followers of Jesus ultimately seek to walk in His truth, reflecting His light in a world filled with darkness and confusion. It involves obedience to His words and living out His commands in daily life. The truth of God’s word can set you free from the bondage of sin and darkness by adhering to the truth of Jesus Christ. “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me”, (John 14:6).
Living out the truth of His words daily frees us from the burden of sin. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, it commits us to a lifetime of obeying Him, and sets us on a spiritual path that leads to eternal life
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