Freedom In Jesus

John 8:12“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:24  I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.

John 8:30  Even as he spoke, many believed in him.  (Jesus in the Temple)

 John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching (If you abide in My word), you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Truth=Freedom Truth is the foundation of our faith and the cornerstone of our existence.

John 8:33 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?” This is a remarkable statement. The Jewish people had been in bondage under Egypt and the Philistines; under Babylon and currently Rome. John 8:34-36  Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, 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.

If we are set free from slavery to sin, set free by The Son, set free by abiding in Jesus’ word and being His disciple — then we are free indeed.

John 8:37-40 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” ³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. (Abraham-listened-trusted-faith)

John 8:41-42 You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me.

John 8:43-47 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! ⁴⁶ Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? ⁴⁷ Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

This section is addressed to those who believe, but clearly, they do not have faith that will save them. This is the most dangerous place to be. A place where you believe- but don’t have a belief that will save you. James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching (If you abide in My word), you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

This is a powerful statement about the importance of not just hearing or reading God’s word, but truly living it. It’s about making God’s word a part of who we are, letting it guide our actions, our decisions, and our very lives.

SO: This isn’t a casual, surface-level knowledge. It’s the kind of knowledge that comes from living something out day by day. It’s the kind of knowledge that changes us, that shapes us, that sets us free.

This means more than just reading the Bible. It means studying it, meditating on it, praying over it. It means seeking to understand not just what God’s word says, but also what it means, and how it applies to our lives……

As we do this, we begin to see the world through God’s eyes. We begin to see the truth about who we are, about who God is, about what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

There is nothing like the freedom we can have in Jesus. Money can’t buy it, Status can’t obtain it, Works can’t earn it, and nothing can match it. Tragically, not every Christian experiences this freedom, which can only be found by holding on to Jesus’s teaching, (abiding in His word) and being Jesus’ disciple. FREEDOM METER       Anxiety-Worry-Anger-fear of death

 In the heart of our text, Jesus is speaking about freedom. But this isn’t the kind of freedom that the world offers. It’s the freedom from the power and penalty of sin.

Jesus tells us that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Sin is a cruel master, (who takes you further than you want to go and keeps you longer than you want to stay) promising pleasure and fulfillment but in the end only delivers pain, emptiness, and death.

But there’s good news. Jesus didn’t just diagnose our condition; He provided the cure. He said, Vs36 “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” This is the promise of divine deliverance. Jesus, the Son of God, not only has the power to deliver us from the penalty of sin, but the power to break the chains of sin and set us free.

The path to true freedom is only found through faith in Jesus and obedience to His teaching. It’s about trusting in His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, then surrendering every aspect of our lives to Him.

 Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

It’s not a freedom that allows us to do whatever we want, or a freedom to indulge the flesh, but a freedom that encourages us and gives us the desire to be who we were CALLED to be……

This freedom comes from knowing we are loved by God, forgiven by God, and that we are held in the safety and security of the hands of God.

John 8:48-59 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” ⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” ⁵² At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. ⁵³ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” ⁵⁴ Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. ⁵⁵ Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. ⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷ “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” ⁵⁸ “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” ⁵⁹ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

“Before Abraham was born, I AM!” In using the phrase I AM, Jesus used a clear divine title belonging only to Yahweh. The words God used from the burning bush to describe himself, when Moses asked God, “Who should I tell them sent me”?

With this dramatic statement, Jesus was telling them that He was the eternal God, and not only did He exist during the time of Abraham, but before Abraham He was. Speaking of eternity past.

John 8:31b-32“If you hold to my teaching (If you abide in My word), you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:36 “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

John 8:51 Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” Will never experience death, and of course, Jesus is talking about spiritual death.