“From Slavery to Freedom”
John 8:12-59
Sermon Series: “Getting Acquainted With Jesus”
Introduction: Slavery is a horrible thing. It has to one of the worst things that evil men have ever invented. Can you imagine being under the control and ownership of someone else?
I think all of us would agree with the statements I just made. However, I think we forget there is even a worse type of slavery, which is spiritual slavery. It is worse because a person can be outwardly enslaved or imprisoned and be free on the inside, but many people are free on the outside and enslaved on the inside. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus speaks of at least three things that bring spiritual bondage to people. They are:
-Sin (v. 36)
-Satan (v. 37-44) [Ephesians 2:1-3]
-Self-righteous, works-based religion (v. 33, 37-40)
If we are enslaved to these things, how can we move from slavery to freedom? Well, the answer is found in verse 36. Jesus said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” How can we experience the freedom that Jesus offers? Here are three steps from this passage.
1. Admit our true spiritual condition. Of course, God has to open our eyes to see the truth. We’ll look at this more in the next chapter, but it is obvious that the Pharisees were blind to their true condition, so blind that they killed the Son of God. We tend to be the same way. The first step in being set free is to acknowledge our sin, our slavery, our inability to fix ourselves, and our need for a Savior. That prepares us for the second step.
2. Personally trust Jesus Christ. We must acknowledge and trust Him as our:
A. Authority (v. 13-30). In other words, we must acknowledge that He is the Lord instead of us thinking we are in control. He has the right to tell us what to do and to judge us.
B. God (v. 23, 48-59). Who is Jesus? That was a lot of the issue in the controversy that is recorded in this chapter. That is still the main issue today. Was Jesus just another religious leader or is He God in human flesh? To me, we have to either reject him as crazy or as a deceiver or accept him as God. There is no middle ground. Plus, if we really accept him as God, it means that we surrender to him and follow him. Lip service does not count.
C. The Savior because He died for our sins (v. 24). The gospel says that we have freedom because Christ took the wrath of God upon Himself and paid the penalty for our sins in order to end our separation from God and make us a new person. We do not religiously earn that freedom, but it is something that is given through the gift of salvation. Plus, so much of walking in freedom comes from knowing who we are in Christ and living in the acceptance that we have from God in Christ (Galatians 5:1).
3. Know the truth by abiding in the Word of God (v. 31-32). It is the truth that sets us free. This is a key to practically living in freedom day in and day out (see John 17:17, Romans 12:2, Romans 6:16, and Luke 6:46-49). We can be free but live like slaves if we do not abide in God’s Word. Jesus taught that abiding in His Word is proof that we are truly His disciples. No appetite for God’s Truth indicates a serious spiritual problem. In fact, it could possibly even indicate that a person is not truly saved. Don Pierson gives a practical way to apply this truth. If we claim the Bible is the Word of God; we should believe, obey it, and pray it.
Conclusion: Are you free or are you in bondage? Have you been honest about your true spiritual condition? Have you trusted Christ? Are you abiding in His Word?
