What does John 8:32 mean?

The most enticing aspect of sin is the promise of freedom. Even from the first temptation, in the garden of Eden, man has assumed that defying God is a way to control his own destiny. In fact, the opposite is true. Nothing enslaves like sin—it corrupts our thinking, controls our actions, and destroys our peace. Worst of all, it separates us from God (Ephesians 2:12) and condemns us to an eternity of loneliness and shame (Matthew 8:12). Jesus, on the other hand, represents the truth—that is, Himself. This is theme Christ will return to often in His teaching (John 14:6; John 8:12). No other claims are true, and nothing but truth can really free us.

Comforting lies are never as beneficial as loving truth. Even when the truth is not what we want to hear, we can't expect to make good decisions or correct choices when we're operating under the control of a lie. As Christ stated earlier in this dialogue, He—alone—is the "light of the world," the one and only means to apprehend truth. True freedom is found in forgiveness of sin and service to God, and this is only found when we accept Jesus.