Freedom in Discipleship
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31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
John C. Truth and Freedom (8:31–41)
SUPPORTING IDEA: True disciples keep Jesus’ words. Because of this, the world hates them just as Jesus was hated by these people whose ill-placed faith he exposed.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Right off the bat Jesus tells us the secret to being a true disciple of His, to hold to his teachings.
For those who have gone through some form of trade school a new member always starts out as an apprentice, learning from a master, mimicking the master.
They don’t go out on their own doing their own thing, no they stay close to the master and they learn all that they can.
After some time they become a journeyman and have the ability to have some freedom and autonomy in their work but they are still learning from the master.
We are called to do the same thing with Jesus.
But before we get the point of remaining in His word or His teachings we first must follow Him and want to learn from Him.
19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Our first step in Discipleship is always to lay down our nets and follow Jesus.
Next we then need to listen to His voice.
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
But with all the voice out in the world how do we know His voice?
We know it by getting into His word.
When I Erica and I started dating I spent a lot of time listening to her, be it in person or over the phone. Because of it I can pick her voice out of a crowd, because I know it… I know it because I spent time listening to her, I spent time with her.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
You may being saying like the church people in Jesus day I have never been a slave to anyone so how can I be set free?
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
Becoming a disciple changes everything, true freedom is only found in following Jesus whole heartedly.
I know a man that spent a large chunk of his life incarcerated. He was a very wicked man, who did a lot of evil things to land him in prison.
Once he got out of prison there was a team of folks working together to help him transition. He was now a mean old man, very bitter.
One day he hobbled down the street to this tiny little church in the middle of the hood. That day he gave his all to Jesus. He was set free from his bondage to sin.
Now that did change his situation of living as a convicted felon or having to register on the offenders list. But it turned him from a bitter man to a tender hearted man, it turned him from a salve to substance abuse to a man who is sober and addicted to his bible.
Follow Jesus may cost us all that we are, but we are given in exchange a freedom we could never know any other way.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
By becoming Jesus’ Disciple, at the moment of our salvation, the moment we say Yes Lord I surrender all, we become apart of His family. We become adopted.
37 I know that you are Abraham’s seed. But you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.
38 I am telling what I have seen with My Father, and you are doing what you have seen with your father.”
This goes to remind us that not everyone is our friend. By following Jesus there will be opposition, there will be folks that hate us just for being His disciple.
But we cannot let that stop us.
Jesus would go on to tell them in verse 44 that their father is the Devil.
Salvation without discipleship is ‘cheap grace’.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We cannot separate our salvation from discipleship.
Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have.
Billy Graham
Take Home question
Are You His Disciple?
