The Truth Will Set You Free

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Hymn - LORD, YOU LEFT YOUR THRONE (400) - EMILY E S ELLIOTT 1836-97

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Psalm 81:8–10 “Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

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Hymn - GIVE THANKS TO GOD, FOR HE IS GOOD (107) - Emma Turl

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Hymn - WONDERFUL GRACE (752) - John Pantry

Sermon Search

Reading

John 8:30–38 ESV

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Sermon

world of hardened hearts, they speak of

freedom of speech

freedom to choose

Then they present the idea that their choices are all natural

and they finally they state they have no choice

many proclaim a gospel which appeals to the listener

God Loves you

God will solve all your problems

God will make you wealthy and important

You just need to accept Jesus

John 8:30–31 ESV

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ...

Was this conviction genuine faith?

Was it merely a mental persuasion or was it a wholehearted personal surrender?

After these verses the discussion takes a swift change from belief to violent hostility

V30 describes who had not made a full surrender of faith, and do not have genuine belief

Jesus’ response is to express what genuine belief is

John 8:31–32 ESV

... “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“Abide in my word”

abide = obey

make it rule your life

To know Jesus’ word is to know the truth

“The Truth will set you free”

John 8:33 ESV

They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus’ implication that they are not spirirtually free, shocked and angered them

The protest shows that they are not thinking of their political condition

Having previously been enslaved in Egpyt, Babylonia, Medo-Persia & Syria

Now under the bondage of Rome!

They clearly saw themselves as spiritually free

God had made a convenant of grace with Abraham

His descendants enjoyed a unqiue priveledge

They are an elect race, Royal Priesthood, holy nation, people for God’s own possession

Yet they conveniently forgot: Amos 3:2 ““You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Their reasoning was that Gentile are in bondage; they serve idols

surely they are not in bondage

“How is it you say, ‘you will become free?’”

John 8:34 ESV

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

Jesus immediately wipes out the distinction between Jew and Gentile with respect to their standing before God

“everyone who practicies sin is a slave to sin”

behaviour/conduct

attitude

“The Truth will set you free”

You are free when sin no longer rules over you

Slavery

you cannot do what your master has not permitted

the master is sin -

you cannot chose to do what is right

you cannot enact what is right

you are bound to evil and prevented from doing right

Amos 3:10 ““They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.””

1 John 1:8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Example of Slavery to Sin

William Carey in India - Body Piercing Suspension

Love of Money - Example of Slavery to Sin

Matthew 6:24 ““No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

1 Timothy 6:9–10 “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” Freedom:

not when you can do what you wish to do

freedom to choose to and to act in the way you know you should

John 8:35–36 ESV

The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

A slave only enjoys the priviledges for his masters house for a while

sold or dismissed

A son enjoys freedom and the priviledges of his fathers house

When a slave has been emancipated he is free

When an accused man is declared not guilty he is free

The judge does not as a rule adopted the freed individual

When The Son makes one free, they are adopted.

John 8:37 ESV

I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

That they claimed to be the People of God and desired to murder was itself shocking

But when considering the special relationship they had and their increased responsbility as God’s People

But they seek the kill the one to whom Abraham looked forward with joyful anticipation!

John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.””

Jesus begins to show them that Abraham is not their father

Only true believers are the True Believers and children of Abraham

Why do they seek to kill him?

Because His “Word finds no place in them”

Their hearts are so full of sin their is no room for the Word of God

John 8:38 ESV

I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Jesus begins to introduce the key point he is about to expound upon

Briefly

Your behaviour and attitude reflects the relationship with your father

You do as your father requests - whispers in your ears

Jesus points to his Words coming from God

And that their actions are part of the slavery to sin, and their relationship not being with God

Next time … “You Are of Your Father the Devil”

Hymn - AND CAN IT BE THAT I SHOULD GAIN (776) - CHARLES WESLEY 1707-88

Closing Prayer

Doxology