Wednesday in the Word...John 8.31-38...Freedom!!!!!

Let's get into the Word of God with our Wednesday in the Word and chapter 8 of John and verses 31 through 38, which read,

v.31, 32 - So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, 

and the truth will make you free."

We ended last Wednesday with the statement in verse 30 - As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him.  There were Jews who were believing while there were other Jews that were determined to take Jesus out.  In the midst of this division Jesus continues to teach those who are believing.  This teaching is connected to His Word, the Bible.  Those who are truly disciples of His will be reading the Bible.

Of course the Bible spoken of here at this time was the Old Testament.  It would later include the New Testament but what was available for them at the time of Jesus was the older section.  In that older section, Jesus is saying, you will find the truth.  You will find Him.  You will find the One who will set you free.  This version says, "make you free."  Either way, who is the one who makes you free and sets you free?  The answer to the question is Jesus.  Jesus is the truth that makes it possible for you to be free and He is the one through His sacrifice to set you free.

We believe in Jesus therefore we continue in His word.  "We habitually abide," as John MacArthur describes it, as one who "holds fast, obeys and practices Jesus' teaching."  We are to be believers, followers, and learners.

v.33 - They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?"

The Jews had been enslaved to the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Syrians, and Romans.  What is spoken of here must be a reference to an inner matter.  They were slaves outwardly to these other nations but inwardly they never gave up who they were.  They were descendants of Abraham always, free inside but still bound or taken away in captivity, but Jesus was saying they still needed to be set free even though they kept their Jewish heritage and religious rituals.  

v.34-38 - Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave to sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.  So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.  I know that you are Abraham's descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things you heard from your father."

How many of us are sinners?  All of us.  As sinners we are slaves to sin.  The situation a slave is in is that he cannot remain in the house.  He has to leave the house at a certain point and go back to his or her quarters.  He doesn't sleep in the same room as the master of the house.  This is different for the son of the master.  He doesn't leave the house.  He sleeps under the same roof as the master of the house.

Jesus is giving the invitation again to be not a slave but a son.  He identifies that He is the truth that sets them free that makes it possible to go from being a slave to being a son.  It would mean the inheritance of heaven to reside with the Master forever.  Jesus also agrees that they are descendants of Abraham but yet the result of their response to Him was to kill Him.  

Why did they want to kill Him?  It is because of what He has said.  Jesus then brings up the statement that brings rocks to their hands to try to stone Him at times.  He makes the identification with Father God as His actual Father.  What He is saying has come directly from the Father when He was actually with the Father.  

Then our meek and mild Jesus, (me said with a lot of tongue in cheek) tells His listeners that they have a different father than He has.  If Father God is not your father than what other option is there?  The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of working for the Devil but Jesus is telling them that they have the Devil as their father.  Do you feel the temperature going up in that room?

Let me end with a couple verses from the Apostle Paul that relate to Jesus' words in this passage.  Romans 8 and verse 1 and 2 say,

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Galatians 5 and verse 1 says,

For freedom, Christ set us free.  

Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Has Christ set you free?  Has freedom been given to you not of your doing but because of His doing?  You may have a religious background but it doesn't answer the righteousness question.  There is only one answer to how to be right before God and the truth is it is by faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, help us to see Jesus in the light of Someone who preached and taught so boldly about what salvation is.  He made it clear to His listeners that an inner freedom was needed and it only comes from Him.  Thank You for setting me free.  Thank You for making me born again.  Thank you for giving to me Your words to continue in to live out for Your glory.  Amen."

Pastor Adam