Uncommon Freedom

Sermon: Uncommon Freedom

Sacred scripture: John 8:21-37 “Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.”22 The people[a] asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?”23 Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” 25 “Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message.”

Introduction: “Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered.” Jesus assures believers that God alone can give real freedom. John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Jesus Christ is the source of real freedom. If you were to ask anyone on the streets whether they are free they would say yes! But are they really free? Like it or not, there is no such thing as absolute freedom. Freedom from one thing commits us to another.

We may live in a free society, given the right of freedom by our constitution and protected from outside intervention by other nations but the fact is we never really free without Christ. In a free society, men, women, boys and girls are able to move about and do what they want to do. Sadly, within each of us, there is a heart that chases after the bondage of sin. Sin, rebellion against God, brings us into the awful bondage of darkness. It places us under the condemnation of the Law of God. It sentences us to eternal punishment. The truth is we are free to commit our sin but our sin then determines our destiny and our freedom is gone.

These Jews trusted in their bloodline, rather than in obedience to the God of Abraham. Their proud response to Jesus was false. Their nation had been in bondage for over six hundred years to Egypt, to Babylon, to Persia, to Macedon, to Syria, and to Rome. They were also in bondage to sin. They fail to realize that Satan does not allow you to have freedom. He does his best to blind you to your bondage, steal your joy, life, and your ability to pursue happiness. Satan will take your home, job, family, soul and leave you bound and afflicted every time. He doesn’t give you a choice of what you will do next. He takes your ability to choose away and leaves you with only one course to follow. We are powerless within ourselves to get away from his grip and to change our own heart. These Jews and all mankind were slaves to our own desires; slaves to our sin; slaves bound by sin and condemned by sin. Slaves powerless to free ourselves and totally blind to our spiritual condition. Like many who claim to have no one controlling their lives. They claim to have all the money in the world. They claim to have the ability to control every circumstance around them. But they are blind to the fact that they are controlled by the Satan. Jesus promises uncommon freedom to those who believe.