The Greatest Freedom Series

The battle for freedom of some kind is being fought around the

world. Here in our own land there are constant battles for freedom

of religion. Minorities all over the world are fighting for freedom.

Years ago Heine said, "Freedom is the new religion; the religion of

our time." The possibility of freedom is becoming known to all

people because the world has gotten smaller and people everywhere

can see that some other people have attained it, and they want it

also. Once they have seen what can be, what is becomes intolerable

to them. The words of Patrick Henry in 1775 expressed the feelings

and minds of millions. He concluded his address by saying, "Is life

so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains

and slavery? Forbid it, almighty powers! I know not what cause

others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

Moore puts the same idea into poetry.

Better to dwell in freedom's hall,

With a cold damp floor and moldering wall

Then bow the head and bend the knee

In the proudest palace of slavery.

Men everywhere are recognizing they were made to be free,

and they want to be able to sing with the patriots of America, "My

country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing." They want

to boast with the patriots of Columbia, "And ne'er shall the sons of

Columbia be slaves, while the earth bears a plant, or the sea roles

its waves. Men want to be free and stay free. Lord Acton said,

"History is the record of man's struggle to be free." What is of

interest for us to notice is that in this struggle men are

concentrating on only the lesser of two kinds of freedom. There is a

freedom of external restraint, and a freedom from internal

bondage. Man is giving himself to battle for the first, but is hardly

even aware of the second kind of freedom.

It is the second kind of freedom that brought the Son of God

into the world to become the great Emancipator and Liberator

from sin. Jesus would not think lightly of political freedom, but this

was not the freedom He came to give. The Apostles would not be

indifferent to man's political oppression, but this was not the

message they proclaimed. Man is in a greater bondage than that

which man can make. He is in bondage to sin, Satan, and his own

fallen nature. What can set him free from these tyrants is the

greatest freedom. Jesus stands alone as the one who is able to lead

men into this greatest of freedoms. This means the church is the

most relevant body of people in the world, for it alone has the

answer for escape from the bondage to sin. We want to look at

three aspects of Christ's teaching concerning this greatest freedom.

I. THE CONDITION NECESSARY TO RECEIVE IT. v. 31

Jesus had been speaking to a crowd of Jews who were not His

followers, but as He was speaking some of them believed, and so He

addresses those who had just made their declaration of

independence from the crowd, and Jewish leaders. Jesus made it

clear to them that it is not the start that counts, but the continuing.

Anybody can make a commitment on the basis of a good sermon or

idea shared, but the real test comes when you continue on and

discover truths that you didn't agree with at the time of the

commitment. This happens to so many people. They get started,

but they do not keep going. Israel was happy to leave Egypt and

escape their bondage. They were off to a wonderful start, but it

didn't last, for soon they were longing to return.

Someone has said that if all the Christians who looked back to

their sinful life with a sense of longing to return were turned into

salt, like Lot's wife who looked back, there would be a great many

more pillars in the church, and they would be literally the salt of the

earth. Jesus came to make us free, and free indeed, but if we do not

fulfill the condition of pressing on, and of continuing in His Word,

we will forfeit the goal. Jesus says that only those who continue in

His Word are true disciples. A disciple is defined here as one who

continues in the Word of Christ.

He is no true follower of Christ who only follows when the

Master walks where the follower wants to go. He is no true believer

who only believes when the Lord teaches what he agrees with.

Jesus did not encourage any superficial discipleship. He told those

who believed right on the spot that when they made a commitment