July 5, 2015
For many years (more than 40 years) one of my guiding verses comes from John 8:31-32. “To the Jew who had believed in him, Jesus said, ‘if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
Those who heard Jesus make this statement were affronted. “We are Abraham’s descendents and have never been slaves of anyone,” they challenged. We who live in the United States might reply in similar words, “We are Americans, we are already free.”
In response, Jesus made it clear that he was talking about a different kind of freedom, freedom from slavery to sin. Jesus claims that He can set us free from bondage to sin. AND, He can give us a permanent place in God’s family, the family of our Heavenly Father.
In John 8 Jesus’ discussion turned into an argument (at least a one sided argument) with the Jews who heard Jesus’ words, calling him demon-possessed and picking up stones to kill Him.
As I reflect on this story from the gospel of John, I see a lot of parallels to our time. God has given us His Word (including the things Jesus taught) and if we will live in the way His Word says, we too will be freed from slavery to sin. That freedom comes from Jesus’ forgiveness, but it also comes from making choices/decisions based on the truth in God’s Word (“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” II Tim 3:16). When we live our lives according to God’s Word, we can live freed from bondage to sin.
However in today’s American culture, we think freedom is to opportunity to do whatever we want, without consequences. We also think that we can take away many unpleasant consequences to our choices by simply changing laws and forcing silence on those who disagree with us. We think we can make our own freedom from sin, by simply denying that such sin exists.
While it might feel like freedom for a short time, in the end we will discover that calling slavery to sin “freedom” does not make it any less slavery. To find real freedom, we need to listen to Jesus’ teaching, seek His forgiveness, and then learn how to live in the true freedom of God’s family.
We do no one a favor by ignoring the reality of sin, nor by labeling sinful behavior as OK. But we also do no one a favor by condemning their sinfulness with indignation. Instead, we need to live and speak the GOOD NEWS. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory. But, our sins can be forgiven, we can become part of God’s eternal family. In that family, our feet can walk a new kind of life. A life that follows Jesus’ teaching and discovers true FREEDOM. Oh, may that be our message – true freedom.