Freedom in Christ!
Scripture Reading: John 8:25-38
Scripture Text: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (V. 32) And, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (V. 36)
In one translation, “The Bible in Contemporary Language, “Jesus said, ‘I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The son, thou, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the son sets you free, you are free through and through.’” (V. 35-36)
He Touched Me
Bill Gaither
Shackled by a heavy burden, 'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.
(Shackled—Fettered, chained, bound)
In our Scripture reading, Jesus had been speaking to some religious leaders. They were in the dark spiritually speaking. Jesus is the Light of life, and they had not accepted Him. Because of that, they did not understand the Father, nor did they understand what Jesus was teaching them.
These religious leaders were in bondage to Rome, the law, and sin. They were bound, also, by ignorance, error, and superstition. However, they professed to be free. Jesus came to bring freedom—freedom from sin; the greatest freedom man can ever experience.
A Christian is free from the Old Testament Law; however, he has come under another law, and that is the law of Christ, a law of love. He is not lawless! He has become a servant of Christ’s, committed to a life of godliness and righteousness.
Peter wrote of these people, “While they (false religious leaders, and teachers) promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” (II Peter 2:19)
“They promise freedom to everyone. But they are merely slaves of filthy living, because people are slaves of whatever controls them.” (The Bible for Today’s Family)
Since freedom comes through Christ, we need to look to Him for our needs and problems that would bind us and keep us in unrighteous spiritual servitude. He delivers from sin with its bondage.
The truth makes us free; therefore, we need to read the Word of God, study it, believe it, and obey it. If we do these things, we will enjoy the greatest freedom anyone could ever have. Those who yield to Him are walking in the light are controlled by the Holy Spirit. They enjoy a freedom the world knows nothing about.
The Psalmist David wrote, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)
An English minister once said, “Sin may be likened to a mathematician: it adds to a man’s troubles, subtracts from his energies, multiplies his aches and pains, divides his mind, takes interest from his work, discounts his chances of success, and squares his conscience.”
The enemy, or the devil, promises freedom as we read in Peter; however, he imposes great bondage and servitude. In the book of John, Jesus says, “. . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” (8:34)
Jesus was speaking to these religious leaders about the freedom He came to bring. These hypocritical leaders were dishonest; eventually, they were out to murder Jesus.
The freedoms that Jesus came to bring are:
- Freedom from sin and the devil;
- The demoniac man is an example of an individual in great, terrible bondage. (Mark 5) Jesus set him free!
- Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (V. 36)
- Romans 8:2,“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
- Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
- The song: “Sin Shall Not Have Dominion Over You!”
Sin Shall Not Reign
C. W. Naylor
Once by sin our souls were bound
And no helping hand we found,
And we struggled for our freedom but in vain;
Till our blessed Savior came,
Washed away our guilt and shame,
Gave us grace and help o’er sinfulness to reign.
(Chorus)
Sin shall not have dominion over you;
For the Lord hath spoken
And its pow’r is broken;
Sin shall not have dominion over you;
For he causeth us to triumph day by day.
- Freedom from prejudice (partiality, preference, favoritism);
- Jews, and others have the same ideas today, feel that they are the preferred people.
- God had to deal with Peter concerning his prejudice. Peter then concluded that all people were equal in God’s sight.
- (Acts 10:34-35) “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, ‘Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.’”
- Some religious groups exclude other races. For instance, in some religions, the Afro-American people are cursed.
- Freedom from self.
- This is one of the greatest kinds of bondage—pleasing self.
- Romans 15:3,“For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached you fell on me.”
- Since Jesus was devoted to pleasing His Father, when individuals insulted His Father, He took it as a personal insult. He took the slur, offense or slight against God Himself.
- When we live to please ourselves, we are not following the example of Christ. Jesus lived to please His Father and others.
- Do not live to please yourself!
- Live to please others!
- Try to do good to everyone!
- Work to build others up!
- Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”
- To the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” (I Corinthians 9:19)
- We, as children of God, have been called unto liberty. It is truly a priceless possession!
- This freedom is a “responsible freedom, not to license.” (William MacDonald) (license-freedom to behave as one wishes especially in a way that results in excessive or unacceptable behavior)
- Certain liberties are not healthy:
- such as the violations of the rules of the home.
- marriage vows must be kept to enjoy a healthy relationship between husband and wives.
- Restraints (certain limits) and responsibilities are healthy.
- The safety of children and happiness of the home are all contingent upon certain rules and regulations.
Jesus came to bring freedom from sin, prejudice, and self. Seek Him in His Word; follow the principles of His Word and you will experience real, true freedom.
I Am from Sin Set Free
John Newton
- Let worldly minds the world pursue,
It has no charms for me;
Once I admired its trifles, too,
But grace hath set me free. - Refrain:
Free! free! free!
I am from sin set free!
This world has now no charms for me,
For Christ hath set me free. - Its pleasures can no longer please,
Nor happiness afford;
Far from my heart be joys like these,
Now, I have seen the Lord. - As by the light of op’ning day,
The stars are all concealed,
So earthly pleasures fade away,
When Jesus is revealed. - Creatures no more divide my choice,
I bid them all depart;
His name, His love, His gracious voice,
Have fixed my roving heart.
Let us take heed to the words of the Apostle Paul; he wrote, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)