Abiding or Aligning?
Escaping the False Binary of Political Identity Through Covenant Truth and Identity in Christ
Scripture: The Living Word
John 8:31–47 (TLV)
“So Yeshua said to the Judeans who had trusted Him, ‘If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s children and have never been slaves to anyone! How can you say, “You will become free”?’ Yeshua answered them, ‘Amen, amen I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now the slave does not remain in the household forever; the son abides forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed! … Why do you not understand My speech? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks lies, he is just being himself — for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.’”
Yeshua’s words land like a sword. He begins with an invitation: abide in My word, know the truth, be set free. But as the conversation unfolds, the line between abiding and merely aligning becomes clear. Some in the crowd had aligned with Him outwardly, even professed belief, but when His word confronted their assumptions — about freedom, identity, and truth — they resisted.
To abide (meno, echoing Hebrew/Aramaic yashav) means to dwell, remain, continue. It is covenant loyalty, not temporary agreement. To align is different — to stand near for a time, to agree in part, or to join a camp without being transformed.
The fruit of abiding is twofold:
Knowing the truth — God’s covenant faithfulness revealed in Messiah, not mere facts or philosophies.
Being set free — liberation from slavery to sin, not political power or cultural control.
The fruit of aligning is also twofold:
Believing you are free while remaining in bondage — clinging to heritage, ideology, or politics instead of Messiah’s word (John 8:33–34).
Believing you know truth while resisting it — aligning with a teacher, movement, or tradition, but rejecting the piercing word of God when it exposes sin (John 8:37, 43–45).
Context: Behind the Words
Historical setting
Yeshua is teaching during Sukkot, when Israel remembered God’s provision in the wilderness. Against that backdrop He declares Himself to be living water (John 7:37–38), the light of the world (John 8:12), and the source of true freedom (John 8:31–32).
His audience included:
Those who trusted in Abrahamic heritage (John 8:33).
Those longing for political liberation from Rome.
Those who believed, but superficially.
To all of them, Yeshua insists: true discipleship is proven not by lineage, politics, or shallow faith, but by covenant abiding in His word.
Why language matters
Yeshua likely spoke these words in Aramaic, rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, then recorded in Greek, and finally translated into English. Following this continuum reveals the covenant depth of His teaching that can be lost in translation.
Word Study: Key Terms
Truth
Hebrew: ’emet (אֱמֶת) — faithfulness, reliability, covenant stability.
Aramaic: sharara (ܫܪܪܐ) — certainty, covenant trustworthiness.
Greek: alētheia (ἀλήθεια) — unveiled reality, what is disclosed.
English: “truth,” often flattened into “facts.”
Insight: Truth in this context = God’s covenant faithfulness embodied in Messiah.
Freedom
Hebrew: ḥerut (חֵרוּת) — liberty, release, Jubilee restoration.
Aramaic: ḥeruta (ܚܐܪܘܬܐ) — liberty, deliverance.
Greek: eleutheria (ἐλευθερία) — liberty, release from bondage.
English: “freedom,” often understood as autonomy or rights.
Insight: Yeshua’s freedom = deliverance from sin and covenant exile, not political sovereignty.
Abide
Hebrew: yashav (יָשַׁב) — dwell, remain, sit.
Aramaic: cognate forms — to dwell or continue.
Greek: meno (μένω) — remain, endure, stay connected.
English: “abide” or “continue.”
Insight: To abide is to dwell covenantally in Messiah’s word, like branches in the vine (John 15:4–5).
Theological frame
When Yeshua says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” His meaning is covenantal:
Truth = God’s faithful word revealed in Messiah.
Freedom = deliverance from sin’s slavery.
Abiding = remaining rooted in covenant life through Him.
Modern Example: When Truth & Freedom Are Misrepresented
We pause here with prayerful hearts: Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31 years old, a husband and father, known for his activism, speaking engagements, and political work among young people. In this tragedy, we extend compassion and prayers to his family, friends, and all who mourn. Violence has no place in our nation, and it certainly has no place among the body of Messiah.
Much like Yeshua’s audience in John 8, Kirk often brought what he claimed was “truth” (sometimes rooted in Scripture) into public debates, especially on college campuses. Some applauded him as a defender of Christian values. Others questioned him, especially on Christian nationalism. Yet in these exchanges, neither side reflected the full counsel of Scripture.
On one hand, nationalists often lean heavily on the Old Testament because it can be weaponized for judgment: God’s commands, Israel’s wars, and covenant curses are used to justify hardline stances, exclusion, and even nationalistic zeal. This is a distortion of Torah’s purpose, which was always meant to reveal God’s holiness and point to Messiah.
On the other hand, critics often downplay or dismiss the Old Testament in favor of the New because the New Testament can be weaponized for cheap grace: passages about forgiveness, love, or freedom are severed from their covenant roots, producing a Christianity that excuses sin, neglects obedience, and minimizes holiness. This is equally deceptive, reducing discipleship to sentiment rather than covenant faithfulness.
Both distortions echo the error Yeshua confronted in John 8: people who believed they were free, but whose understanding of truth was partial, selective, and ultimately enslaving.
The tragedy is that many onlookers — then and now — cheer for whichever voice aligns with their political leaning, not realizing that both sides are distorting the truth. As Yeshua said, only those who abide in His word are truly His disciples; only then will they know the truth, and only then will the truth set them free.
Echoes of John 8
At an outdoor campus event — show below from a clip on Instagram — Charlie Kirk stood with microphone in hand, engaging students in open debate. One young man stepped forward to question him, raising concerns about Christian nationalism and its place in the life of believers. What followed was a back-and-forth rooted in Scripture, but much like the scene in John 8, both voices revealed partial truths mixed with distortions.
The Debate in Brief
The student argued that Christian nationalism is antithetical to the early church. He challenged Kirk for relying on Old Testament passages while neglecting the revelation of Christ in the New Testament.
Kirk defended being both Christian and nationalist. He cited Jeremiah 29:7, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, and Moses’ writings to argue that caring for one’s nation is biblical. He also claimed that when Yeshua said ekklesia in Matthew 16:18, He meant a governmental assembly tied to Greek ideals of liberty (eleutheria) and equality (isonomia).
The exchange mirrored John 8: people believed they were defending truth, yet their understanding of freedom was rooted in partial readings of Scripture.
Truths Present in the Debate
Jeremiah 29:7 does show God’s people seeking the welfare of the city in exile.
Daniel, Esther, and others prayed and acted for their people’s well-being.
Paul does command prayer for rulers (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
Nationalism can be idolatrous and is not the same as the kingdom of God.
Yeshua proclaimed the kingdom of heaven, not loyalty to empire or nation.
Distortions and Deceptions
The Deceiver (Kirk):
Justified Christian nationalism through selective use of Scripture.
Either purposefully or mistakenly misdefined ekklesia. He tied it to the Greek words eleutheria (freedom) and isonomia (equality), which have nothing to do with the word itself.
The actual root of ekklesia is:
ek (ἐκ) = “out of”
kaleo (καλέω) = “to call”
Together: ekklesia = “the called-out ones,” an assembly summoned out.
In the Septuagint (Greek OT), ekklesia translates Hebrew qahal (קָהָל) — the covenant assembly of Israel.
By linking ekklesia to liberty and equality, Kirk distorted its meaning from covenant identity into political ideology.
He reduced “truth” and “freedom” to political categories, not covenant faithfulness and liberation from sin.
The Deceived (the student):
Correctly saw the danger in Christian nationalism, but leaned on inherited doctrine he himself called “Christological theology.”
Treated the New Testament as “greater” in a way that diminished the Old Testament.
Implied the Law and the Prophets were obsolete shadows rather than the foundation fulfilled in Messiah (Matthew 5:17–19).
Flattened covenant continuity, leaving space for a theology of cheap grace divorced from Torah’s call to holiness.
The Real Truth
Yeshua declared in John 8:31–32 that truth and freedom are not found in politics, nationalism, or theological imbalance. They are found in abiding in His word:
Truth = God’s covenant faithfulness revealed in Messiah.
Freedom = liberation from sin, not national sovereignty or cultural autonomy.
Ekklesia = God’s covenant people — Israel and the nations grafted in — not a political assembly, not a replacement church.
The lesson is this: both the deceiver and the deceived can quote Scripture, but only abiding in Messiah’s full word leads to truth that sets free.
The Danger of the False Binary
In John 8, Yeshua exposed the false assumptions of His audience. Some thought they were free because they were Abraham’s descendants. Others thought freedom meant overthrowing Rome. Both were wrong, because both measured truth by human categories instead of by abiding in Messiah’s word.
The same danger exists today. When debates like this one take place, believers and onlookers often line up behind whichever voice matches their political identity — conservative or progressive, right or left. But in doing so, they miss the deeper truth: both sides can be wrong if both are outside the covenant Word of God.
To side with Kirk because you identify as politically conservative is to risk embracing Christian nationalism, a distortion that baptizes worldly power.
To side with the student because you identify as politically progressive is to risk embracing a diminished view of Scripture, one that discards the Old Testament and flattens covenant faithfulness.
In both cases, the line is drawn not by Messiah, but by political ideology — and that is a false binary.
Paul reminds us: “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Peter calls us “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11). Yeshua Himself said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
When disciples allow political identity to shape their alignment more than their identity in Christ, they repeat the same error as the crowd in John 8: mistaking human categories for divine truth.
The call of this passage is clear: discipleship demands that we abide in Messiah’s word, not in political camps. We are not set free by aligning with right or left, but by walking in covenant truth that transcends both.
Covenant: The Relational Core
The debate between Charlie Kirk and the young man mirrors the scene in John 8 because both reveal what happens when discipleship is replaced by other loyalties. Kirk appealed to nationalism. The student appealed to doctrinal systems that flatten the Old Testament. Both missed the covenantal center: truth and freedom are found only in abiding in Messiah’s word, which stands in continuity with the Torah and the Prophets.
In Scripture, God’s people are not defined by politics or philosophy but by covenant.
Israel at Sinai: The assembly (qahal) was summoned by Yahweh’s voice to live as His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5–6).
The ekklesia of Messiah: Yeshua continues this covenant assembly, calling out both Jew and Gentile to be grafted into one olive tree (Romans 11:17–24).
The covenant word: Messiah did not abolish the Law and the Prophets but fulfilled them (Matthew 5:17). His word abides forever (John 8:31–32).
To step outside this covenant reality — whether by weaponizing the Old Testament to justify nationalism, or by discarding it under the guise of “Christological theology” — is to risk deception.
The covenant truth is this:
Truth is Yahweh’s faithfulness revealed in Messiah, the Word made flesh.
Freedom is liberation from sin, exile, and deception, not from political rule or cultural discomfort.
Identity is in Christ and His covenant people, not in nation or ideology.
Covenant discipleship keeps us from the false binary of political camps and anchors us in the reality that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9) — not defined by worldly nations but by the kingdom of God.
Practice: Living It Out
Imagine a believer scrolling social media. They see the Kirk debate clipped and captioned. In the comments, one side cheers Kirk as a “defender of truth” against liberal students; the other applauds the student as a “courageous voice” against Christian nationalism. The believer feels tugged — which side should I agree with?
John 8 reminds us: the right question is not Which political side am I on? but Am I abiding in Messiah’s word? Truth is not found in aligning with left or right but in covenant faithfulness. Freedom is not in winning a political argument but in being set free from sin.
Three Takeaways
Truth is covenantal — it flows from abiding in Messiah’s word, not from ideology.
Freedom is spiritual — deliverance from sin, not political privilege or autonomy.
Identity is in Christ — disciples are defined by covenant, not by political party or national allegiance.
Discussion Questions
What does it really mean to “abide in Messiah’s word,” and how is that different from simply quoting Scripture to defend our position?
How have you seen truth and freedom distorted in today’s culture — either by being tied to politics (like nationalism) or by being reduced to cheap grace?
When you think about your own life, where do you feel the pull to identify more with a political or cultural camp than with your covenant identity in Christ? How can abiding in His word re-center you?
Seven Day Practice Rhythm
Day 1 (🪞 Personal)
Read John 8:31–32 slowly. Journal what it means to abide in Messiah’s word in your daily life. Where are you tempted to only “agree” with Him rather than “dwell” in Him?Day 2 (🤝 Relational)
Share with a trusted friend or small group one way you’ve seen truth misused in politics or culture. Ask together: How do we discern covenant truth in a noisy world?Day 3 (🙏 Spiritual)
Pray through 2 Thessalonians 2:10–11. Ask God to protect you from deception and to anchor you in His truth that sets free.Day 4 (🪞 Personal)
Read Matthew 5:17–19. Reflect: how do you view the Old Testament? Write down one way you can reconnect your faith to the Law and the Prophets as fulfilled in Messiah.Day 5 (🤝 Relational)
Discuss with someone how ekklesia has been misdefined (as government or as “church institution”). Share the biblical meaning: God’s called-out covenant assembly.Day 6 (🙏 Spiritual)
Pray for leaders in your city or nation (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Do so not from political loyalty, but from your identity as a disciple whose true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).Day 7 (Rest/Reflection)
Sabbath rest. Re-read John 8:31–32 and John 18:36. Meditate: His kingdom is not of this world — how can I live more fully in that reality?
Closing Blessing
May the Spirit of Truth guard your heart and guide your steps.
May you abide in Messiah’s word and find freedom not in politics or ideology, but in His covenant faithfulness.
May you discern deception, resist false binaries, and walk as a citizen of heaven,
bearing the fruit of holiness, justice, and love —
until the day when truth and freedom are revealed in their fullness in Him.
Shalom.