Obedience Brings Freedom

In John 8:31-34 we have the flow of concepts...

31 If you abide in my word
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
34 everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

The word 'know' is the original 'ginosko' meaning "to know (by experience, or effort)".

Hence, freedom comes from learning about the Truth (taught by Jesus) and then obeying them by putting them into practice, and then tasting the real experience of freedom. ... Know-Do-Have-KnowMore-cycles to greater and greater freedom.

So we have this interesting truth of "Obedience brings Freedom". Freedom comes not by doing whatever you like but only by following the Truths. Sins and bondage come from disobedience of the truth. If we are trapped in bondage, being forced to do things then we must know that we are following a lie. Discover the truth to reveal the lie and then follow after the truth and you can break free.

This is not difficult to understand. We are built, like machines for an example, to work in a certain way. If we operate not according to our instruction manual, we will malfunction. Only when we follow our operating manual will we find the effectiveness, joy, and fulfillment of life. 

To be free, learn and obey our operating manual - the Bible and receive the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus the reason for this Christmas season.

======
ChatGPT provides the following interesting points:

Obedience Brings Freedom

Your insight that "obedience brings freedom" is profound. Freedom in Christ is not the license to do whatever we want but the ability to live as we were created to live. Obedience to God's truth leads to a life of purpose, fulfillment, and true joy, as opposed to the emptiness and dissatisfaction of a life lived in sin.

The Path to Freedom

To break free from bondage, one must:

1. Identify the Lie: Recognize the false beliefs and practices that lead to bondage.
2. Discover the Truth: Engage deeply with the Bible and the teachings of Jesus to uncover the truth.
3. Obey the Truth: Put into practice what is learned, leading to experiential knowledge and greater freedom.

Doubao:

The idea that freedom is derived from knowing and adhering to the truth as taught by Jesus is compelling. It emphasizes that true freedom is not about unrestricted license to do as one pleases but rather about aligning one's actions with a set of guiding principles and truths. The "Know-Do-Have-KnowMore" cycle proposed suggests a continuous process of learning, applying, experiencing, and further deepening one's understanding, leading to an increasing sense of freedom.

The comparison to a machine operating according to its instruction manual is quite insightful. Just as a machine functions optimally when used in accordance with its manual, humans are suggested to thrive when they follow the spiritual and moral guidelines provided in the Bible. This view implies that disregarding these instructions leads to malfunction or bondage, similar to a machine operating outside its prescribed parameters.