****John 8:31-36 free

John 8:31–36 (NRSV)

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 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’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Peter Marshall prayed this prayer before the U.S Senate, “Lord Jesus, Thou art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make us free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It cost too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right.”

We live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I want you to know that we are the land of the free because of God’s provision; we are the home of the brave because of God’s protection.

We live in the land of the free where multiplied millions live in bondage.

◾ Many are in bondage to alcohol, to drugs, to sex, to pornography, to gambling, to lying, and cheating.

Many people are incarcerated behind bars for crimes that they have committed. Some are in bondage to mental abuse by spouses, physical abuse by parents, and everyone has at one time or another been in spiritual bondage to the prince of darkness. This great country that we live in once had to fight to be liberated from England. The 4th of July is the day we celebrate our freedom.

→ Whether we fight for our freedom as a country, as a race, or as an individual everyone is seeking freedom.

You can search your whole life and work your whole life for financial freedom, but in the end you can take nothing with you when you die. There is true freedom that is available that is offered to every person. There is superficial freedoms, limited freedoms, temporary freedoms, and then there is REAL FREEDOM.

John declared the revelation of real freedom, the resisting of real freedom, and the redemption in real freedom. Real freedom is only available through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that the Lord Jesus will set men, women, boys and girls free from spiritual bondage, physical bondage, and mental bondage. Are you in bondage today? Do you know the truth? Do you love the truth? Have you been set free by the truth? This passage reveals some facts about what the Bible says about freedom. The Bible gives:

I. The signs of freedom. (31–32)

A. There is a continuous action required by Jesus. (31)

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”

The Lord Jesus instructed those believed Him. (Believed) This word means that they believed Him, but they have not believed in Him. Jesus specifically calls for all those who trust in Him to follow after Him. In his book “Cost of Discipleship,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The demand for absolute liberty brings men to the depths of slavery.”

Following Jesus demands that we give up ourselves. Jesus tells us that those who are His disciples will give evidence of it in this world. Jesus tells us that there will be a continuous action on the part of those who follow Him. Abide: (KJV: Continue) meno, men’-o; a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain.)

This word means “to stay in the same place physically or philosophically.” This word is the same word Jesus used in John 15:4–5 which says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

True disciples will not jump ship or flip flop. They will abide in the Word of Jesus Christ. True disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are active in their faith. They are not only hearers of the word, but they are doers. To abide in His word means that we obey what He teaches us. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “When we obey His Word, we grow in spiritual knowledge; and as we grow in spiritual knowledge, we grow in freedom from sin. Life leads to learning, and learning leads to liberty.”

Real freedom comes from abiding and continuing in the word of God. A true Christian is:

→ one that learns the word of God,

→ loves the word of God,

→ and lives the word of God.

William Barclay wrote, “We study it (His Word) not simply for academic satisfaction or for intellectual appreciation, but in order to find out what God wishes us to do. The disciple is the learner who learns in order to do. The truth which Jesus brought is designed for action.” Those who are true disciples have experienced true freedom and they are true followers. True followers experience true freedom.

◾ True disciples know Jesus personally, walk with Jesus daily, and read His Word faithfully.

There’s a promise in this verse as Jesus says, “you are My disciples indeed.” Disciples: mathetes, math-ay-tes’; a learner, i.e. pupil-disciple. That means we are in the School of Christ and we are ever learning from Him. We never graduate from His school! We never are exempt from His school; we never get the summer off from His school! There are no vacations, breaks, or sabbaticals from His school. His school is always in session! Those who know Jesus will give evidence by their faithfulness and their fruit.

A Christian peach farmer was reminded of this reality one day in the field. The fruit was big and juicy that year and the crop was one of the best in memory. While harvesting the crop the farmer noticed that a limb had been broken off of a tree. As he came upon the tree limb he noticed that the peaches on that limb were rotten and shriveled. The farmer realized that that is what happens to the fruit in a person’s life who does not abide in Jesus. We cannot bear good fruit apart from Jesus.

Those who truly believe in Jesus and are born again will continue to abide in His word until they die. 1 John 3:7–10 says, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” What about you today? Do you give signs that you are abiding in Jesus? Are you truly a disciple of His? There is a continuous action required by Jesus of those who are truly His disciples. Are you truly abiding in Christ? We also see in verse 32:

B. There is also a comforting affirmation revealed by Jesus (32)

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Lord reveals a comforting affirmation about His disciples. True disciples will know the truth. Know: ginosko, ghin-oce’-ko; to “know” (absolute), be aware (of), feel, (have) know (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand. True believers will know the truth! True disciples are not deceived, they have not bought into a lie, they do not believe a lie. We know the truth because we know Jesus Christ. Disciples know the truth, they can discern from good and evil, and from truth and a lie.

Through the word of God we have power to test the truth and confirm the truth because we know the truth. There are absolute truths and I am absolutely sure about that! Jesus gives us comfort in our hearts that we have been set free.

◦ We have been set free from sin, self, and Satan.

◦ We have been set free from death, hell, and the grave.

◦ We have been set free from the principalities and powers of darkness.

◦ We have been set free from fear of failures.

◦ We have been set free from condemnation and corruption.

God gives Christians freedom to live godly lives and be godly examples in this world today. When we know the truth we are made free by the truth. The truth does not set us free to live as we want to, but to live as we ought to.

Jesus gives us a comforting affirmation that those who continue in His word will know the truth and be set free by the truth. Make you free: eleutheroo, el-yoo-ther-o’-o; to liberate, i.e. (figurative) to exempt (from moral, cerimonial or mortal liability) deliver, make free.

Fire can be beneficial or destructive depending on how you use it. When used correctly fire can warm a house, cook food, or provide light to see. When it is used incorrectly, it can lay waste to woodlands, destroy homes, or even devastate cities. Christian freedom is the same. When used correctly, it can be extremely beneficial, but when used incorrectly, it has great potential for destruction. The Lord shows us the truth because He is the truth, and when we know Him we know the truth, and when we know Him we are set free by the truth to live for Him.

True disciples will give signs of life in this world because they know the truth and have been set free by the truth. Are you showing signs that you are a disciple of Christ? Are you bearing fruit by abiding in Christ? Have you been made free by Christ? Have you truly experienced freedom? In verses 31–32 we’ve learned about the signs of real freedom. In verses 33–35 we notice:

II. The suppression of freedom. (33–35)

A. Suppression comes from deception. (33)

“They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?”

In these verses we notice the suppression of real freedom by these Jews. They responded to Jesus with pride of who they were. They were proud of their heritage. They were deceived about their position though. Can you detect the pride? “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.”

They didn’t have a clue about what Jesus was talking about! They were in spiritual bondage and they suppressed the truth by their arrogance and indifference to the Son of God. They were in physical bondage. They were so blind that they denied the reality that the nation of Israel had been in bondage on numerous occasions.

→ Seven nations had brought the nation of Israel into bondage.

→ The Jews had been Four Hundred years in slavery to Egypt.

→ The ten northern tribes had been carried away into captivity by the Assyrians.

→ The two southern tribes had been brought into bondage for seventy years by the Babylonians.

To top that off in the very hour that they spoke to Jesus they were under Roman rule. They were so deceived that they could not recognize that they were in bondage as Jesus spoke to them. The Jews took pride in believing that they were free. They believed that they were under the rule of God.

Many today say that they are not in bondage because we are Americans. We are free! I am proud to be an American, but I know that you can be an American and still be in bondage. The American Flag Stands for Freedom!

Evangelist Rick Coram said, “The American Flag stands for Freedom. Wave red, white and blue! That red represents the blood that was shed on Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, at the Alamo, and the forests of Europe, in the Jungles of the Pacific and in the mountains of Korea and down the Hochee-min trial and in Baghdad and in Desert Storm. Wave red, white, and blue! That blue represents our rich and royal heritage. We get goose bumps when we see the eagle fly majestically. I still get thrilled by our national symbols. Pearl Harbor still shakes me and the Beaches of Normandy still amazes me. Wave red, white, and blue! The white stars stands not only for our states, but for the Bright and Morning Star a Nation that was born in Holiness. Wave red, white, and blue! And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. So I’ll gladly stand up next to you and I salute her here today. For there ain’t no doubt I love this land. God Bless the U.S.A.”

These Jews may have been physical descendants of Abraham, but they were spiritually lost.

→ Just because you belong to a church does not mean that you belong to Christ.

→ You may teach a class, but if you have never trusted Christ you are lost.

→ You may have been baptized by the pastor, but if you have not been born again by the Master you are lost.

→ You may have been confirmed as a child, but if you have never been converted by Christ you are lost.

A multitude of Americans are in bondage today. They have been in bondage all of their lives and yet they are deceived.

◦ Americans are in bondage to debt, depression, drugs, and demons.

◦ Americans are in bondage to pornography, wicked philosophies, and pride.

◦ Americans are enslaved to sex, science, and selfishness.

◦ Americans are in bondage to covetousness, carnality.

There are many Baptist and people in general who have suppressed real freedom by their pride and arrogance. They may say, “My daddy was a preacher, my mama was the WMU director for 40 years, I grew up in church, I learned the books of the Bible, I joined the church when I was young.” Suppression comes from deception. R. Kent Hughes wrote, “People do not like to be told they are enslaved. Like the Jews, they are easily desensitized to their true condition.” These Jews did not like what Jesus had to say! It never crossed their minds that they were in bondage!

One Friday morning while Tracy and Elijah were gone to Georgia, an elderly lady called the church line. I answered the phone, “Happy Home Baptist Church.” The lady said, “What?”

I said, “Happy Home Baptist Church.” She said, “Huh! I didn’t call you!” I said, “Ma’am, the phone rang and I answered it. Maybe you dialed the wrong number.” She said, “No, I didn’t dial the wrong number, they just put me through to the wrong place.”

I said, “Okay, you have a good day.” The phone didn’t ring again so I assume the lady dialed the right number the next time, or maybe “they” put her through to the right place. That old lady would not admit that there was a slight possibility that she might have mistakenly dialed the wrong number. How dare that I would insinuate that she dialed the wrong number! The Bible tells us that suppression comes from deception. We also learn:

B. Suppression comes from disobedience. (34)

“Jesus answered them,” Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”

Jesus tells us that real freedom is suppressed by disobedience. When we sin we become slaves of sin. James 2:10 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” If you break the law at one point you are guilty of breaking the law at every point. Jesus says that whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. Those who commit sin become servants of sin. 1 John 3:4–5 says, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.”

Jesus emphasizes the importance of what He is saying. “Truly, truly” stressed the importance of what He said. How do you view sin? Do you have a Biblical view of sin?

◾ Man calls sin an accident; God calls it an abomination.

◾ Man calls sin a blunder; God calls it blindness.

◾ Man calls sin a chance; God calls it a choice.

◾ Man calls sin a defect; God calls it a disease.

◾ Man calls sin an error; God calls it enmity.

◾ Man calls sin fascination; God calls it fatality.

◾ Man calls sin infirmity; God calls it iniquity.

◾ Man calls sin luxury; God calls it lawlessness.

◾ Man calls sin trifle; God calls it tragedy.

◾ Man calls sin a mistake; God calls it madness.

◾ Man calls sin a weakness; God calls it wickedness.

Suppression of real freedom comes from disobedience. The Lord Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay for my sin and your sins. Don’t be deceived and don’t be disobedient. When we are disobedient to the Word of God we sin against God and become slaves of sin. Suppression comes from deception; disobedience; and we also see:

C. Suppression brings desolation. (35)

“And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.”

Jesus uses a simple and powerful illustration. The Jews thought that because they were physical descendants of Abraham that they were sons of the Father. Jesus is telling them that being a physical descendant of Abraham is not enough to get them to heaven. Though they thought they were sons, they were indeed slaves of sin. Just because the Jews were God’s chosen people of the Old Covenant, does not mean that they do not need to be saved. Jesus gave them a reality check about their status. Jesus reminds them that a slave does not abide in the house forever. Jesus was telling these Jews that they too were slaves to sin and if they died in that condition, they would go to hell. They would not abide forever! Sin brings desolation to a soul!

Suppression of real freedom will bring devastation and desolation! Those who are slaves to sin cannot abide in the house forever! William Barclay said, “The word slave reminds him that in any household there is a difference between the slave and the son. The son is a permanent dweller in the household, but the slave can be ejected at any time.” All of us at one time or another have been slaves! We have been slaves to sin and Satan! We were all under bondage to sin! We all stood condemned as lawbreakers and were under the sentence of death.

Sin places a body of death upon us. This term alludes the type of horrible execution that was employed by the Romans. A cadaver would be fastened to the condemned person so that he could not be released from the corpse. Every move he made was accompanied by the deceased. The rotting flesh of this cadaver would spawn disease and infection upon the condemned individual. Eventually he would die a slow, painful, and emotionally horrifying death. Every person has been attached to the decaying carcass of sin. Its end result is death, but God has provided an escape to everlasting life through His Son Jesus Christ.

If you’ve never been saved you have never been set free! The suppression of freedom brings desolation to men’s souls.

→ When you reject the truth there is nothing else but a lie.

→ When you reject the light all that remains is darkness.

→ When you reject heaven all that is left is hell.

→ When you reject Jesus all that is left is judgment.

In this passage we’ve noticed the signs of freedom, the suppression of freedom. In verse 36 we see:

III. The Source of freedom. (36)

“Therefore if the Son makes you free,”

The only way to be set free is by the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are in your sins today you are a slave whether you realize it or not. A slave’s position was temporary. A slave had no rights, no security, and no freedom. Many people are like that today. You cannot find freedom through drugs, alcohol, sex, possessions, pleasures, or in any thing or any one apart from the Son of God.

Our freedom is found in Jesus Christ and Him alone. If we are free it is because Jesus Christ has made us free. Someone has well said, “The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom, but its Master.” I want you to know that when you find the Master you will find freedom.

When a man or woman is released from prison he or she is not free to do anything they feel like doing. They are free to obey the law. In the same way, when we are freed from sin by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ we are not given a license to sin, but we are set free to obey the Lord.

In Jesus’ sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth He read from Isaiah 61:1–2 and expounded on His ministry and mission on earth. Luke 4:18 says, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed;” The true and only source of real freedom is the Lord Jesus Christ. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Jesus sets us free and gives us a new life for a reason. We exist as the body of Christ:

→ to expand the kingdom,

→ extinguish evil,

→ and exalt the Savior.

When a person has truly been set free they seek to magnify and glorify His name. We are willing to live for Him because He died for us. Romans 6:20–22 says, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Are you free indeed? Indeed: ontos, on’-toce; really-certainly, clean, indeed, of a truth, verily. We do not have pretend freedom, but real freedom in Christ. We do not have temporary freedom, but eternal freedom in Christ. We do not have some freedom, but all freedom in Christ. Has the Son set you free? Have you repented of the sin in your life and asked Jesus Christ to save you? Freedom is offered to you this morning through the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you accept His free gift of eternal life and have real freedom, lasting freedom, and eternal freedom?

A spy was captured and sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. Before execution, the general would go through a rather unusual ritual. He would give the criminal a choice between the firing squad or the big, black door. This spy was given the usual choice. He deliberated for a long time then finally decided on the firing squad. Moments later his life was extinguished. The general turned to his aid and said, “They always prefer the known way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined. Yet, we gave him a choice.” The aide himself did not know what fate lay behind the big, black door so he asked his commanded. “Freedom” replied the general, and I’ve only known a few brave enough to take it.” Freedom can be a frightening endeavor. Far too many choose familiar slavery rather than taking a risk for freedom. Cry out to Jesus for real freedom! Are you bound up today? Come to the Lord and let Him loose you!

“Father, I pray for lost sinners today that are slaves to sin. I pray that they will not suppress real freedom by their pride, arrogance, or indifference. I pray that they would hear the words of Jesus and that they would not defy the call of God. I pray that lost sinners will be saved and set free today. I pray that saints will be living according to Your word and abiding in Your word. I pray that your church would be living for Jesus. I pray that we would be giving evidence in this world that we are saved and that we belong to You. Father, do only what You can do in the hearts and lives of people today! Father help us never to take our freedom in Christ for granted or our freedom as a country for granted. I love you Lord Jesus and give You the praise. For it’s in Jesus name I pray! Amen! Amen!”