“Free Indeed!”
John 8:31-32,36: “To the ones who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Thomas Jefferson, writer of our declaration of Independence, was reminiscing about how it all started and said,
“Nothing of particular excitement occurring for a considerable time, our countrymen seemed to fall into a state of insensibility to our situation. The duty on tea, not yet repealed, and the Declaratory act of a right in the British parliament to bind us by their laws in all cases whatsoever, still suspended over us. But a court of inquiry held in Rhode Island in 1772, with a power to send persons to England to be tried for offences committed here, was considered at our session of the spring of 1773 as demanding attention.”
There was a subtle taking away of freedom. Most people didn’t notice. Most people were too busy to be bothered. It didn’t affect them directly – so they were ‘complacent’ – or in a state of “insensibility”, as Jefferson put it. But this lack of freedom had become intolerable, to some. And as a result, a group of godly men got together and wrote up the “Declaration of Independence”. And we are here today celebrating what those brave men did. July 4th is the Independence Day celebration and there will be parades, singing, cheering, fireworks – and all the hoopla. But it begins today. Day in the Son is the “invocation” for the celebration, so to speak.
There is something inside of us that demands freedom. We were not meant to be in bondage. We were not created to be slaves. God created us to be free. And in each heart is a cry for freedom. In each soul is a yearning for freedom. In every person God created He put this instinct; this desire; this hunger - to be free.
Contrary to some people’s belief’s – we were not born free. We were ‘created free’ – but we were not born free. Due to the fall of the first man, Adam, we are born in slavery. We are born in sin. We are born rebellious. No child has to learn to rebel against his parents. No child has to learn to be self-centered. He has inherited from his parents ‘the sin nature’. Theologians call it ‘inherited depravity’. But whatever you call it – the result is slavery. We are each born a slave to sin and are not free to live and do as we wish.
You have experienced slavery, haven’t you? Maybe it was drugs or alcohol or pornography. Maybe it was gossiping or cursing or overeating or pride. But we all are addicts. We all know the pain of bondage – of slavery to sin.
Let me tell you the true story of a duke who lived during the fourteenth century named Raynald III. Raynald III lived a life of indulgence and was obese. His Latin nickname was Crassus, which means, “fat.” One day Raynald and his younger brother, Edward, got into a vicious fight and Edward planned and executed a triumphant revolt against Raynald.
Edward overpowered his older brother and took him into custody - but he didn’t take his life. Edward decided to build a room around Raynald in the Nieuwkerk Castle and promised his brother that he would enjoy freedom once again - when he was able to leave the room.
Now for the average Joe this wouldn’t have been much of a challenge, because the room Edward built had a number of windows- and a door of near normal size. Neither the door nor the windows were locked - - they weren’t barricaded. So you’re getting the picture by now: In order to experience his freedom again Raynald needed to loose weight.
But his brother Edward was no dummy, because he knew just how to keep Raynald imprisoned. Every day he would send Raynald an assortment of tasty foods. And what took place is very sad. Instead of dieting his way to freedom, Raynald grew more overweight and he stayed in that room for ten years until his brother died. But by that time his health was so awful that he died within a year.
We can say that Raynald III was a prisoner of his own appetite for food. So many people today are prisoners to their appetite for lust. Like good ole’ Raynald they may appear to be free, maybe even on cloud nine. They know what they like and they know how to get it. They are doing what feels good to them. But the fact is that every bite they take into the tastiness of their own personal lust -only makes them more of a prisoner. When you and I indulge in a life of sin and do whatever feels good, we are anything but free. We are, according to God’s Word, slaves to sin. Paul, in anguish prayed, “O wretched man that I am! Who can rescue me…!” He admitted his slavery to sin. He said,
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
Romans 7:18-19
You know what he’s talking about, don’t you. You’ve been there. Maybe you’re there right now. Maybe with Paul you scream in aguish, “O what a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me!”
I have Good News for you. Paul discovered freedom. Paul discovered release from his bondage to sin. He tells us the secret. He says, “Thanks be to God. It’s through Jesus Christ our Lord!” He went on to says,
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4
Jesus has set us free from the sin nature that we were born with. The righteous requirements of the law are fully met in – WHO? In those of us who do not live according to the sinful nature – but according to the Spirit.
Who’s in charge of YOUR life – the flesh or the Spirit? Paul says,
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” Romans 8:5
Is your mind set on what the Spirit desires – or is your mind set on what YOU desire? Jesus has won our freedom. He paid the price. Someone said, “Freedom isn’t free”. And it isn’t. We enjoy our freedom because of the sacrifice of every veteran; Those who didn’t come back from serving – and those who did. We have our ‘spiritual’ freedom because of Jesus dying for us in our place on that old rugged cross. Freedom isn’t free. And if we forget that, there is a slow eroding of our freedom. We can see that in our country. When I was a boy, we were unapologetically a “Christian Nation”. We prayed in school. We had a Christian Chaplain to minister to our nation’s lawgivers. On public property we put out nativity scenes and Easter scenes and the Ten Commandments. We were a “Christian” nation. No more. And our freedoms are slowly eroding away. If we want them back – we will have to fight for them – and not complacently go about business as usual. We must not “fall into a state of insensibility to our situation”.
The same is true of our spiritual freedom. It’s been won! That battle has been fought – and Jesus won our freedom. If that is true – why are so many, that call themselves Christian, still in bondage to sin? It’s because we walk after the flesh and not after the Spirit.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Are you hungering and thirsting for more of Jesus? Do you hunger for freedom from the sin that binds you? Do you wanted to be filled with the Spirit of God? Do you want your mind set of what the Spirit desires – instead of your own sinful desires? You can have it all. Jesus said,
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:9-13
God wants you to have the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a Christlike life. You goal as a Christian is to become more and more like Jesus. You may have discovered that you can’t do that in your own Strength. You need the power of God. You need the power of the Holy Spirit. To receive that power, Jesus said – just ask. Just ask. Could it be that simple? Yes, it can.
And when the Spirit comes upon you, it may be subtle or it may be spectacular. But the tongues of fire and the sound like a rushing wind and speaking in unknown languages – wasn’t really important at Penecost. It was pretty cool – but not really important. The important thing was the power; Power to go out and turn the world upside down; Power to break the bond of sin. Power to become Christlike – and help others do the same.
That’s YOUR need – isn’t it? And it begins by believing – and asking. You simply need to pray a little prayer like this:
Dear Jesus,
Thank you so much for loving me. Thank you so much for dying for me – in my place. Thank you for providing freedom through your death – and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for living in rebellion. I confess my sin and ask your forgiveness.
Lord, I need your power to live as you want me to. I ask that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit. Give me the power to break sin’s hold on me. Give me the power to serve you. Give me the power to be transformed in Your image.
In Jesus, Name
