When the Son Sets You Free

Introduction

-What do you think of when you hear the word freedom

+Brittney Griner

Key Points

In verse 30 John points out many “believed in him” but what does that mean?

Jesus addresses them and makes some clarifying remarks.

READ John 8:31-47.

1. A disciple will hold to all the teaching of Jesus.

-The word meno (hold) means to abide.

-To abide in the teachings of Jesus is the mark of perseverance.

Jesus abides in believers to the degree that his words abide in them, and believers abide in Jesus to the degree that they obey his words. Every believer abides in Jesus to some degree, resulting in different degrees of fruitfulness.89

Andrew David Naselli

-We should all examine how we relate to the teachings of Jesus.

-This speaks to the kinds of followers Jesus is interested in. Are you living in Jesus or are you just participating when it’s convenient.

Imagine a part time player that you expect to be there every day

-To abide in something means that you have counted the cost, the pros and the cons.

-Jesus mentions that upside is knowing the truth & freedom.

-Jesus will go on to say “I am the truth...” That is not academic truth but truth that leads to the transformation of ones whole self.

-It’s not my truth or your truth, it’s the truth that comes from heaven above.

We must not just debate the truth, we must know the truth. If we would live free, we must not just know the truth, we must live in truth and we must become people of truth.

Os Guinness

2. Jesus sets you free from sin and makes you a “son” and gives you all the privileges of a “son”.

-Very truly/Truly, truly/Verily, verily/Amen, amen

-In order to be set free you must first understand that you are held captive.

-Everyone who sins is a slave to sin

-Sin is defined as an act of revolt against the God toward who every person owes love and obedience.

-Cosmic Treason (R.C. Sproul)

Romans 3:23 NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Paul goes on Romans 7:14-24

Romans 7:14–24 (NIV)

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

-And so it is with Jesus teaching. The slave has no rights and no privileges. The slave is subject to the whims of the master.

Sin is a thief. It will rob your soul of its life. It will rob God of his glory. Sin is a murderer. It stabbed our father Adam. It slew our purity. Sin is a traitor. It rebels against the king of heaven and earth.

Charles Spurgeon

-Let me remind you of our heading, “Jesus sets you free from sin and makes you a “son” and gives you all the privileges of a “son”.

-Jesus has come to set the captives free. Jesus says “free indeed”.

-He compares a slaves status in the household to that of a son.

-Jesus points to their hypocrisy. The fact that they want to murder him indicates that even though they claim Abraham as their father, their father is someone else entirely.

-Jesus has them on their heels.

-We are not illegitimate children—children of fornication.

-So they go another direction, “Well God is our father, not Abraham. (compare vs. 39 & 41)

3.There are only two options and ones actions will reveal who their father is.

-Jesus makes a very obvious point, if God were your father than you would love me.

Their own law instructs them. Lev 19:18

Leviticus 19:18 NIV

“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

-It is a dreadful thing to not be able to hear and understand the words of God.

John 8:43–44 NIV

Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

-What is more their father is a murder and a liar.

-That is what he has been doing since his fall from grace.

John 1–11 (4) The Light of Tabernacles and the Great Confrontation (8:12–59)

The devil here was named as both a murderer and a liar and therefore the source of murder and lying (8:44). The reference is obviously to the garden of Eden text where the deceit of the serpent/devil led to the “death” of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1–4; cf. Wis 2:24; Rom 5:12). From that point lying and murder were a pattern of human life (cf. the Cain story in Gen 4:1–15; also 1 John 3:11–14). As a result of the actions of the Jews in relation to his coming, Jesus judged, they made it self-evident that they were children of a different father: the liar and the murderer (John 8:44).

-It is evident, if God were really their father they would know who Jesus is but they do not so so his judgment against them is clear, they do not belong to God.

This is where we are going to stop. I know it’s a bit of a cliff hanger so you have to come back next week. But lets take the last few minutes discussing some

APPLICATIONS & IMPLICATIONS

If you are a follower of Jesus there is no other option than to hold to the teachings of Jesus.

Live as sons and not slaves because some of you have been set free but you still live shackled to sin.

Who is your father?