True Freedom, in a World of Bondage

Introduction

If I asked each of you to define what it is to be an American, I can almost guarantee a word will come up again and again: freedom.

Interestingly enough, for many today, they don’t really even understand what freedom is, it’s limits, or it’s excesses.

In fact, for too many, freedom means that I can do whatever I want to do, and you can do whatever you want to…as long as what you want to do doesn’t offend me in someway, because if it does your freedom has now gone too far and we must put a stop to that!

Just this week I had a discussion with my daughter because her school is going crazy over the draft decision that was unethically leaked, which suggests that maybe Roe v. Wade will be overturned in the near future.

The irony is her school appealed to bodily autonomy or bodily freedom when it comes to abortion, when just a few months back she was forced to take both a vaccine and a booster shot in order to attend the school this semester! Talk about a convoluted understanding of freedom.

I bring all this up because this morning’s text deals with the question of freedom, specifically, how we can truly be freed from the spiritual bondage we were all born into and that as we experience this freedom (which is true freedom), how it will lead us to the truth.

Returning to John’s Gospel for the summer months...

Purpose Statement of John’s Gospel:

John 20:30–31 ESV

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Where we are picking back up...

Debating with the religious leaders during the Feast of Tabernacles about whether Jesus testimony about Himself was true; namely that He was both living water and the light of the world.

Focal Text: John 8:31-36

Key Question: How can I experience true spiritual freedom in a world of spiritual bondage?

You can only experience true spiritual freedom when you are a genuine disciple of Jesus.

To apply this principle, we must first understand that we are in bondage.

Verse 33 - Are we truly slaves?

Verse 34 - Yes, you are in spiritual slavery.

To practice sin is to be enslaved to sin.

There’s no real nuance to what Jesus says here. If you make a practice of sin, you are a slave to that sin.

What is it to practice sin?

So then, what are we supposed to do about sin?

A genuine disciple of Jesus is set free from the bondage of sin by Jesus.

Verses 35-36

Jesus compares the status of slaves in a household to the heir, or son, of the household.

Slavery was legal in Israel, but slaves needed to be set free after six years of service.

The slave didn’t enjoy special privileges. They were typically there to work off a debt.

The son, or heir, by contrast, was always in the home and he enjoys all the special privileges.

The point being, the son is uniquely in a position to set a slave free.

Focusing on Jesus, Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, is uniquely able to free those who are in bondage to sin.

Does this mean that a genuine disciple never sins?

No, of course not. However, a genuine disciple does all he or she can to not make a practice of sin.

We confess our sins; we repent of our sins; we seek help from spiritually mature people when it comes to the temptation to sin; we set up defenses for ourselves from the things that tempt us.

The genuine disciple is well aware that sin’s bondage is not just a danger for the non-disciples, but for all of us. Sin is constantly crouching at our door, looking to ensnare us; corrupting our testimony and polluting our walk.

What are we to do then?

A genuine disciple of Jesus abides in Jesus word.

Verses 31-32

Who is Jesus addressing here?

Believer vs. disciple...

What does it mean to abide in Jesus word?

Abide = to continue or stay

How does a person continue in Jesus?

Study Jesus teachings in the Bible (and the rest of the Bible, which all points to Jesus).

Obey Jesus teachings.

A genuine disciple of Jesus will know the truth as you abide with Jesus.

What truth will the disciple know?

Verse 32 is often used in an educational context, but that misses the point entirely. Jesus is talking about spiritual truth (revealed in the part of the passage we already looked at).

He’s talking about the greater truth, the spiritual truth; the only truth that can set us free from sin’s slavery.

Here’s the important connection:

As we abide with Jesus (studying His words and obeying them) we will become more an more aware of the spiritual truth. The more we know and practice that spiritual truth the more we are set free from influences of sins bondage, a bondage which Jesus alone has broken.

So What?

Are you experiencing spiritual bondage in your life or spiritual freedom?

Spiritual freedom is only found when we turn to Jesus and become a genuine disciple of Jesus.

Spiritual bondage can still entangle believers when we fail to abide in Jesus word.

Are you living as a genuine disciple of Jesus by abiding with Him through studying and obeying the Bible?

How consistently are you when it comes to studying God’s Word?

Are you putting into practice what you are learning?