Jesus confronts the illusion of false discipleship in John 8:31–36 by defining true discipleship not by mere belief or religious activity, but by abiding in His Word. He reveals that genuine disciples are marked by a life of ongoing submission to Scripture, which leads to the certain knowledge of truth in a world of confusion and deception. This truth, far from enslaving, liberates from the bondage of sin, which Jesus identifies as the true condition of humanity—enslaved to sin until set free by the Son.