The truth will set you free

read: John 8

John 8 is a rather long chapter. We could spend the next 2 months in this alone breaking it down; so in many ways I feel I am doing a great disservice to the chapter by rushing it. However, for the sake of the study I am wanting to draw two key points out of it today.

We are in the midst of a conflict it is the Pharisees verse Jesus in a question and answer format. They are looking to trick Jesus that they might stone him. These were highly respected religious Jewish men; who would have known the books of the Torah inside and out and lived to the letter of that law with zeal and a self boasting pride.

V. 31 Jesus is teaching that if you abide in  His word, you are truly His disciples; and if you know the truth, the truth will set you free. This leads to confusion for the audience. They say we have never been enslaved. and Jesus responds, "truly truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin...if the Son sets you free you are free indeed. We are all born sinners. We are born into a curse that we ourselves cannot overcome. But there is one who came to do just that. Jesus says in John 16:33 "But take heart! I have overcome the world!" Jesus Christ came that we might be redeemed. The problem for the Pharisees is that they saw no need for redemption because they were doing it for themselves through their works. They were following all the religious rules- how dare someone call them a sinner. Is that not where many of us can fall even today? We try to come to the cross with proof we don't need it. A checklist of the things WE do. "I am basically a good person," that should not be punishable by death. God will weigh my good and my bad. That is not how it works. There is none righteous, no not one. We need the atoning blood of the Messiah to close the chasm between us and the Holy One. We cannot do it ourselves, and we never will be able to. No list of works, or virtues, not in dress or empty prayer. We need Jesus. He is the one who came to take away the sins of the world; by placing them on Himself and bearing the wrath of His Father. Only Christ will ever understand the full penalty of our sins; because only the Son understood in full measure the wrath of God- simply because He is God.

v37 "I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father." They are born into religious families yet have no understanding of God. They serve their father who Jesus will identify later as the Father of Lies- and call them children of Satan- rather than what they hold as their heritage. So stuck in religion they are blinded to the fact that the Anointed One was standing in front of them. The Seed who had been promised was an arm distance away- and they were so blinded by pride and arrogance they could not see Jesus.

I wonder how often this can happen to those who grow up in Christian households. You can get so easily swept into a pattern of behaviors and rituals and traditions that you end up serving a building rather than the Architect. And dare someone question your salvation- you have a list of things to point to. The problem is- we find ourselves pointing to ourselves- our own saviors- our own mini-gods. So lost is what has become habitual we either no longer or maybe never even have looked to Christ. If you have lost your love of the Savior- or do not have a love of Christ, pause even this day. Examine who you serve. Is it a denomination, a building, a blog? Or is it the Messiah- the Promised One, who came to take away death and give us life!! Jesus came to set us free!

*Please do not get me wrong. Those who know me well know I am passionate about a healthy local church, solid preaching and a healthy church body. But Christ must be the reason behind that passion. It must be all about HIM.

Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

We cannot imitate what we do not know. Spend time with the Savior through His word. Be saturated in the Gospel. I am attaching a sermon today by Derek Thomas. I think it goes well with the need to know through the Word.

A book in his hand

Worship Songs of the day:
Not in me
Yet not I