Everything we know to set us free (salvation in Jesus is our freedom) can be found in the Holy Bible (God's word). The Holy Spirit sees to it that that God's word does not return to Him empty and is alive and active. Our relationship with God begins with God who loved us first. We love Him in return because of His love, mercy, compassion, redemption, etc... We look to how an earthly father guides over and teaches his child to know that our God as Father does the same thing with us. Our relationship is built by Him but isn't the cause of our freedom since He did that when He reconciled the world to Him and then gives us faith to trust.
Your statement ("Everything we know to set us free (salvation in Jesus is our freedom) can be found in the Holy Bible (God's word)") is an interesting spin on what the Lord said. Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." [SUP]
John 8:31-32[/SUP] Those Jews quickly stopped following him. "They answered him, 'We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, "You will be made free"?' Jesus answered them, 'Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father's presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.'" [SUP]
John 8:33-38[/SUP] The faith they evidenced was tenuous. Was it alone sufficient for salvation? Were those Jews reconciled, along with the world, to God when Jesus did the work of reconciliation two thousand years ago?
