“Really Free” - John 8:31-36 (NASB)

KCCBR Combined Worship

July 2, 2023

 

Introduction: No Greater Love

 

On July 4, 1776, after much bloodshed and sacrifice, we adopted the Declaration of Independence which announced the American colonies’ separation from Great Britain. There has been both good and bad in our nation’s history since then. At this time freedom is on many of our minds and we all have different perspectives on America’s freedoms. As we approach Independence Day, I think it is a good time for us to think a little more deeply about what it is to be really free. From the time of the Revolutionary war until now, over one million servicemen and women have given their lives in battles and wars for the sake of the freedoms we have. More than a million also suffered battle wounds for the same cause. This is not to mention the mental challenges that linger in war veterans the rest of their lives. This is what it means when we hear “some gave all, and all gave some.” In John 15:13, Jesus tells us: 13 Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. Those who died in battle, died for all of us, regardless of our race, our politics, or our religion. Their sacrifices gave us the freedoms we have. I think the greatest gift we have in that freedom is what we are doing here today. Our country provides Christians freedom to worship which I think we take for granted sometimes. On the negative side of the freedom that we have is freedom that leads to crime, hate and freedom to live immorally or to please ourselves. So the freedom given to us by the great men and women I mentioned made us free in a sense, but it didn’t make us really free. The One who laid down his life for us so that we could be free indeed is Jesus alone! In our text, Jesus will address people described as believers. Jesus puts their belief to the test. They seem to think they are free, but Jesus would show them that something was mastering over them. Many of us think we are free, too. To be “really free” for Jesus to be at the control of our lives. Is the reality for all of us here today?

 

If you continue verse 31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” One verse earlier (v. 30), it said that many believed in Him. Here, John specifically identifies Jesus speaking to the Jews who had believed Him. He starts speaking to them with the word “If”. That word deserves our attention. “If” is important for anyone who wants to be really free. He makes 3 promises that apply only “if” you continue in my Word: 1. We will truly be His disciples. 2. We will know the truth. 3. The truth will make us free. Variations of the Greek word meno are seen frequently in John (6:56, 15:4, 15:10). The word means to remain, to continue, to abide. In order to be really free then, Jesus is saying that time will tell the truth. In John 6:66 it says: 66 As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him. Time will tell what kind of belief we have. In that text it showed a time when many disciples stopped following Jesus. This happens because the belief was never genuine in the first place. That will eventually produce resistance against the truth. Remember the Parable of the Soils. Those who received the seed in rocky soil and thorny soil did not continue even though there was a form of belief in the beginning. True disciples were those who not just followed their rabbi but wanted to follow him to the point that they became just like him.

 

The key point is “If you continue”. We can only be those who continue by grace alone. I think that is crucial in understanding our ability to persevere. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. We all walk on two different paths in life. The first path is our way. On that path, all we can do as we go along is get dirtier and dirtier by our sin. The other path is the path Jesus made by His blood. If grace puts us on that path as we accept Christ, our lives will get cleaner and cleaner by His righteousness washing our sins away.

 

As we walk on that path that Christ provided for us, we will easily brush off the lies of the world because we will know what is really true. You can believe God’s truth is being challenged today. It is being challenged on every front. From our educational systems, to the media, to lying politicians, and even within those who profess to be a part of the church. But thank God, we have the truth and we know what it is to be really free.

 

We are Abraham’s Descendants. 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus said in Luke 5:31-32: 31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.” Jesus knew their hearts and what they thought. Being Abraham’s descendants made them free is what they thought. They told Jesus they had never been enslaved to anyone. Really? What about the 430 years that they were enslaved to Egypt? What about the 70 years of captivity in Babylon? Even now they were under the rule of the Roman government. A Roman soldier could ask a Jew to carry his burden for a mile. The most important factor in becoming really free is to acknowledge you are in bondage to something. This attitude prevents many from the freedom of Christ. So, Jesus will reveal to them their bondage.

 

There are many that profess to be Christians but they are still in bondage to sin. This is evident because of the pattern of their life. They are still walking on the path that makes them dirtier and dirtier. There are two extremes that often result from professing Christians that will reveal that they are not really free. One extreme comes in the form of legalism. The best example of this can be seen in the book of Galatians as Paul rebuked the legalistic Judaizers. They taught that you not only had to have faith in Jesus, but to follow the Mosaic law and traditions and be circumcised. The other extreme of professing Christians is antinomianism which is the extreme opposite of legalism. One Bible teacher calls it anti-lawism. That belief thinks Christians can live however they want and the law, in no way, is binding for believers. Both extremes think they are free, too, but they aren’t. They are like the Jews Jesus is addressing. “We are Abraham’s descendants” condemns them as they speak. That gives Jesus the opportunity to reveal to wear their bondage lies.

 

You Really will be Free 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. When Jesus had said, “Truly, truly,” the repetition of "truly” meant He was about to say something very important and certain. The next important word for us to see is “everyone”. By saying everyone, the Jews could not exclude themselves. In the context of John’s writing, Bible teachers say that these Jews had recently acknowledged their sin on the Day of Atonement. These Jews that Jesus addressed were on that dirty path. Committing sin was the pattern of their life. They thought they were free, but now Jesus is telling them they are slaves of sin. When Jesus spoke about the slave not remaining in the house forever, the Jews would have thought of Ishmael and Isaac. We know the story well. Ishmael was born of Hagar, and Isaac of Sarah. In time, Sarah asked Abraham to cast out the bondwoman (Hagar) and Abraham did. Isaac continued God’s promised blessing of descendants that eventually brought forth the Son of God, Jesus. This Son was the son speaking to the Jews in today’s text. So, we remember as we started, Jesus was speaking to the Jews that believed. It turns out that they didn’t really believe and therefore weren’t really free. Their belief is like many others today. If we would read in John 8:44 that we could see that Jesus said these professing believer’s father was the devil and in verse 58 of this same chapter that they wanted to stone Jesus. If the Son sets you free, you really will be free. Free from self, free from the sin that easily entangles us and free to walk on the path that Jesus made for those who are really free.

 

Conclusion: It is for Freedom that Christ Set us Free

Years ago, several of our members frequently visited Seong Ju Kim in the prison in Harrisonburg, La. It got me to start thinking about being a prisoner, yet still being really free. That would define Seong Ju. Think about a prisoner. A prisoner is in a cell, guarded by guards, being watched by cameras and monitored by different sensors. They are not just in a cell, but in a building, inside a compound and sometimes there are several fences around the compound. Now even if a prisoner were to escape such a prison, he would still be a prisoner of “fear” and ultimately of ”sin”. No one can ever be really free but through Jesus. In America, in a couple days, we will celebrate our freedom as a nation. Paul said in Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Paul spent some time in prison, too. He knew well that a prison could not take away the freedom he had. In Galatians, he called for the church not to be subjected again to the yoke of slavery. Know your Christian freedom. As we think about freedom, let us remember all those who gave themselves to enjoy the freedom we have. Let, let us think of the One who gave Himself to make us really free.