A Different Kind of Free
John 8:31-36
July 3, 2005
Morning Service
Introduction
I believe that we have been blessed to live in the greatest nation in all of the world and we have been given, by God, almost matchless freedom. No other nation on earth enjoys the kind of nation that we have and tomorrow we will celebrate the freedom we so greatly enjoy and so often take for granted.
Freedom was without a doubt one of the cornerstones that this country was built upon. We see it continuously in the writings and speeches of the national leaders from founding of our country.
We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations and will raise up friends for us. The battle is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave...! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! Patrick Henry
We also see this same thread of freedom etched in the words of our current President in our more recent history.
A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining... None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. George W. Bush
Freedom is one of the ideals that has been ingrained on our American conscience and it one of the things that I believe we most often fail to understand. As Americans we often talk about freedom without truly understanding what it means to be free. We live in a free country without a true understanding of what freedom is.
As we move closer to Independence Day I feel obligated to ask you a serious question. What does it mean to have freedom?
I believe to understand this question we have to apply knowledge of our primary citizenship, not in America but in the Kingdom of Christ. Jesus answered this same question about freedom with some of His followers 2,000 years ago.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, "We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:31-36
I. The Foundation of Freedom
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples
The gospels are filled with the teachings of Jesus and we are meant to hold to them.
• You are the light of the world
• Love your enemies
• The Great Commandment - Love God with all your heart, mind and soul
• The Great Commission
• I am the way, the truth and the life
• Take up your cross and follow me
The word disciple literally means follower. It would seem to be impossible to be a true disciple of Jesus and not make a conscious effort to follow Him. What Jesus is saying here that in order for us to follow Him we must hold to His teaching.
We can only truly follow Jesus when we make the intentional effort to know His Word and then do our best to live in obedience to His word. Even our best efforts sometimes fail and that is why Jesus includes forgiveness for the times when we blow it. The Bible is our handbook for living our lives for Christ.
Knowing the Word of Christ is the beginning of following Him.
The Bible is the rock on which this republic rests - Andrew Jackson
If one of our Presidents recognized the need for the Word of God to be a part of the nation, don’t you think it is high time that you apply this same philosophy to your life.
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free
When Jesus speaks here of knowing the truth, He is not speaking of something merely being known like a set of facts and figures. Instead Jesus is speaking of knowledge as something being done. The truth that Jesus speaks of here is a life changing and transforming experience. In order to know truth you must first know Jesus Himself. Knowing truth is found in having a deep, personal relationship with the One who is the Truth.
When we know the truth it impacts every area of our lives: mind, heart and spirit.
• Mind: The means of our logical understanding
• Heart: The mean of impacting the emotions
• Spirit: The means of impacting eternity
II. The False Assumptions about Freedom
The teaching in the day of Jesus was essentially that if you were never a slave, you were proclaimed as always being free. This created the difficulty that Jesus had communicating that freedom was far more than just never having been a slave. Jesus is speaking of a spiritual freedom that can only be found in forgiveness with God.
Through Christ and His shed blood we have been set from the Law of sin and death. We have been set free through Him. Our freedom is not for us to live however we please.
Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16
The teaching of Jesus flows out of a surrendering of self and a giving up of who we are to become all Christ wants us to be. It is allowing Jesus to have His way with our lives and realizing our freedom comes at a great cost - Jesus Himself.
III. The Fullness of Freedom
34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Jesus states clearly here that anyone who sins, in a manner of continuous lifestyle, is in bondage to sin. Jesus is literally telling His disciples that living in sin is a matter of personal choice. People who live to please their sinful nature, their desire to do what God forbids, are living with chains on their soul.
In the Ancient Near East, it was customary for many people to own slaves. In fact, slave trading was so common that the Roman government regulated nearly every aspect of the slave trade. When a slave was purchased they became a part of the household but were not members of the family. The slaves could be treated in any manner that the owner deemed appropriate and could be expelled from the house at any time.
There was one way that a slave could become a member of the family. The eldest son had the right to free any slave they chose, whenever they chose it. The eldest son also had the right to ask the father to adopt the freed slave into the family.
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
The phrase that Jesus used and John quotes here repeats the word free twice and at first glance it doesn’t seem so important. However, in the original Greek language there is a significant distinction. These two words are similar but they are far from being the same.
The first word free meant to set free or to be given liberty. This was used often in reference to slaves being set free or prisoners being released from sentence. This kind of free was a positional or political freedom making the person free to make choices and to be separated from their former owners.
The second word free meant to be free in a permanent way. This was a freedom that gave the person the right to be a member of society. It was a granting of citizenship. This word was also used in making a freed slave a member of the family.
Jesus sets us free from the chains of sin and He gives us citizenship in His kingdom. Our primary citizenship is not in the United States but in heaven. Jesus is not satisfied with this level of freedom for us. So, He goes before the Father and asks Him to adopt us into the family. It was never enough for Jesus to give us freedom, His goal was to make us part of His family.
The deepest desire of Jesus for your life is to give you a different kind of free.
Conclusion
As we celebrate Independence Day and celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy; I want you to remember that our true source of freedom does not come from the government or the constitution. Our freedom flows from the blood that Jesus shed on the cross over 2000 years ago. Our freedom comes from being followers of the man with the nail scars. Our freedom comes from the one who died and rose again. Our freedom is a gift from God sealed with the blood of Jesus, wrapped in grave clothes and revealed through an empty tomb.
This morning do you truly know what it means to be free? Have you been set free from the bondage of sin?
Jesus wants to set you free. He offers forgiveness for your sins, all you have to is ask. He offers the Holy Spirit for your struggles, all you need to do is surrender.
This morning you can know the reality of freedom, Jesus is waiting here for you at the altar.
