Scripture:
John 8:31-36 ESV
[31] So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [33] They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” [34] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. [35] The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Observation:
This scripture kept me up all night. I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. So i figured GOD wants me to big into it. John is an amazing writer. Although some of his stuff is a little hard to understand. I believe that’s because GOD has vailed it from us for a time. But let’s talk about what we do understand, and that’s the truth. Jesus is talking to a group of jews that believe in HIM, explaining what that means, and how to tell if you are truly HIS disciple or not. HE points them to HIS word and what it means to follow it. It’s the plumb line to whether or not you are a follower of Jesus. If you live your life lined up against HIS word to the best of your ability… you are HIS disciple. The truth is inside HIS word, and that truth will set them free. The jews he was speaking to didn’t really understand what HE was saying. Because HE was talking about freedom, and they had never considered that their sin had made them a slave. The truth is that sin had control of their life. Although they had a sacrificial system. It was not sufficient. They were still bound by the system. Sin had held them to a set of rules. That became a heavy burden, too much for anyone to carry. It was a system that was insufficient. Jesus goes on to explain how the practice of sin makes you a slave to it. The lies and deceit that go along with it. The enemy is very crafty. By referring to themselves as offspring of Aberham, they were referring to the fact that they had the law, and the more we read the bible, the easier it is to see that the law was never ment to be a means of salvation. It was only a mirror so they could sii their sin. Paul says, “How would I know not to covet if it were not for the law saying thou shall not covet?” So the law only exposed the fact that we were all slaves to sin at one point. As Jesus continues to explain the purpose for HIM being here on earth. HE makes a statement that HIS purpose is to set them free from slavery to sin and a sacrificial system. By HIS sacrificial death. Setting them and us free… and who the son sets free is free indeed.
Application:
I am no longer a slave to sin… in fact, I am a blood bought child of GOD. The days of being a slave to sin and it demands are over. GOD’S grace has set me free. You see, the power of sin is found in the guilt shame and fear that it produces. GOD never wanted our lives to be full of those things. Have you ever noticed how when you do something you know you’re not supposed to, this feeling comes over you that what was just done was wrong. One of two things will happen at that point. You will either lie and cover up what was done, or you will expose the truth. Here is the thing. If you choose to lie. The sin will get bigger and bigger. You will have to tell more and more lies until, at some point, the truth is exposed anyway, causing more damage than just telling the truth from the start would have ever created. But that’s how the enemy works. Guilt shame and fear. It’s keeps us bound as a slave to sin. But the truth now… even though in our mind the enemy will tell us we can’t tell the truth. It will destroy everything we have built… the truth will set us free. It takes away the power of sin. I love to chase everything back to the beginning of the book when it all started. Adam had fallen short. Fear had set in and shame, and guilt told him he needed to hide what he had done…. GOD, come down to walk with him in the cool of the day, and Adam was hiding. A very simple question was asked. Where are you, Adam? By that time, Adam had made some clothes out of fig leaves. Trying to cover what he had done. However, GOD made Adam naked. HE knew him worts and all. My point is this… the power of sin is guilt shame and fear. When you take that power away. You extinguish all the firey darts the enemy shoots your way. So here is the way to freedom from the bondage of sin. Accept the final sacrifice. Christ paid the price for your sins. HE laid down HIS life so that you could be set free. The bible says confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed. Confession sets you free. Find someone you can trust to confide in and tell them who you were. There is freedom in disarming the enemy. The lies will just compound, and the enemy will eat you alive with guilt and shame. Trust me, I know. I have experienced both sides. I know how the lies will destroy what GOD is doing, and I know how the truth has set me free. I am no longer a slave to sin. I am a blood bought child of GOD.
Prayer:
Father, we trust in the sacrifice. That put an insufficient system to rest. You gave your son to set us free from the power of sin and death. We long longer have to be held captive by shame guilt and fear of exposure. You took away our fig leaves and covered us with the blood of your son. I pray that anyone who reads this would be brave enough to expose the lies of the enemy and walk in the true freedom that your son died for. I put to rest the shame guilt and fear that used to hold me captive. You have set me free, and I am free indeed. Thank you, Father. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.