True Freedom

Freedom begins with Abiding

John 8:31-47 .

These were Jews who “believed Him”

Jesus is trying to explain to them that He’s not just a nice teacher with some great insights important things to say.

He’s not here to give them some great tips on how they can get saved a bundle by bundling their own beliefs with what He offers.

He’s not just trying to encourage them along and handing out participation trophies.

He’s saying that they are liars and murderers, children of the devil and headed to hell. They need a savior and He’s the only one that can save them.

He explains that being His disciple is more than a quick prayer and going to church once in a while.

Being a disciple means giving up everything you ever knew - releasing every claim to spiritual knowledge and releasing every physical possession and releasing every minute of your life and committing it all to Him!

John 8:31–32 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Some of the Jews said “Ok! We believe you now” (where’s our prize?)

Jesus said you need to ABIDE!

Just because you ‘believe’ right now doesn’t mean you truly fully believe.

Just because you AGREE with me, doesn’t mean you truly FOLLOW me.

IF you ABIDE (remain consistently) in my Word.

That means to obey His Word. That means to truly follow His teaching.

If Adam had abided in God’s instructions, He could have still abided in the Garden of Eden!

3 things will happen for those who remain, abide continually, in His Word:

1) We truly BE His disciples

2) We will know the truth

3) the truth will set us free.

There’s a big IF here: IF we live, abide, dwell, remain continually in His word!

It’s a process.

There is a definite divine encounter where you feel the weight and conviction of sin

There is a definite divine encounter where you feel the freedom from that sin

We ARE His disciples as we abide.

We want to understand and then we’ll obey.

Jesus said trust me. Obey, even when you don’t understand.

Obey and you will understand. Then it will click!

There are all kinds of reasons that will appeal to your intellect that will challenge your obedience (seemed like a good idea at the time)

There are all kinds of desires that will appeal to your emotions, which will hijack your reasoning, walk past your intellect, and short circuit your obedience!

There are all kinds of questions that will make up reasons and challenge your obedience.

It’s true in your disobedience of your parents when you were young.

It’s true in your disobedience of bosses, teachers, and laws you don’t like or don’t agree with. (or you hold yourself to a different standard)

It’s true in your ignoring certain rules

It’s true in your disobedience to God.

Jesus made it clear, follow - truly follow - obey my teaching and THEN you will understand and you will be set free from the bondage of your own rebellion!

Throughout the rest of this section and as the conversation continues, Jesus is arguing that they are not secure in their salvation. They are counting on the promises of Abraham.

They are counting on:

Their genetic heritage

their spiritual heritage

God’s relationship with Abraham

Here’s the bottom line:

There’s only one way to the Father and that’s through Jesus Christ.

We don’t make it on who our parents or grandparents were.

We don’t make it by thinking we’re a good person.

Only through constantly continually and unreservedly abiding in Christ.

Only through immediately, consistently, and continually obeying His words, that which He has told us and that which He tells us!

You can’t count on being baptized as a baby - a decision you didn’t make.

If that was enough, then these Jews that Jesus was talking to would have been fine because they were circumcised as children.

In both scenarios it was a decision the parents had made.

Jesus called them out for plotting His murder and for not believing in Him.

Acts 4:12 ESV

12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

As Jesus said to His true disciples:

John 14:4–7 ESV

4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus is the way. He is the truth. He is the life.

That’s why following Him we will know the Truth - it’s Him!!!

Abiding in Him we are set free from sin!

If we are set free from sin, we are set free from its consequences.

Our flesh is still corrupt and must die that we be raised to life again in new bodies (not angels and ghosts or puppy dogs).

When we are His, we’ll know Him, We’ll be free, we’ll have life!

Yes there is objective truth in a world that can’t tell its left hand from its right. In a culture and day where right is considered wrong and wrong considered right!

We cannot afford to be held back by our own pride or by others opinions and thoughts, we must abide in Jesus. We must abide in His words!

As we abide, He will reveal Himself to us and we will be set free.

We cannot afford to be discouraged because things aren’t happening like we expect.

We must not grow faint. We must press in.

We must continue to believe and trust in and follow Him!

These Jews weren’t getting it.

Even as true disciples we have blind spots or weak areas.

The enemy against us is powerful, but he’s powerless without the enemies within us!

Satan destroyed everything Job had but failed to destroy Job.

King David could not be defeated by the nations around him. He won every time he went to battle. But where he failed was lust, and later on pride.

Our enemies within can get in the way, distract, and derail our relationships, especially our relationship with God in Christ Jesus.

We can learn to stop feeding self.

We can learn to recognize, break, and replace cycles and patterns the enemy uses for self-defeat.

disobedience is at the top of the list - pride is usually present

The enemy hits us in so many areas, like:

sin, finances, relationships, time management, anger, offenses/hurts (victim), people pleasing vs God pleasing, thought management, heart (emotion) management

Some things lead to others

spread too thin or too focused in one area for too long, good (good enough)

But Jesus simply says, “follow me” “abide in my word”