John 8:33-36 “Freedom from bondage”

 

(John 8:33)  They answered him, we be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, ye shall be made free?

            Jesus has told these men that the truth would set them free.  The reaction of these men is typical of the Pharisee.  Nicodemus who had come to Jesus by night could only understand earthly things and not spiritual things.  These men thought Jesus was talking about physical bondage. 

            They make a statement that is not true.  They indicated that being of the seed of Abraham meant that they could not be in bondage.  They should have known that they had been in bondage in Egypt and they had been in bondage in Babylon.  They were currently in bondage to the Romans.  These men were not physically free for as a nation they were being ruled over with a heavy hand.  Had these men also forgotten that slavery was even at that time practiced by one Jew upon another?  Being of the seed of Abraham did not keep Joseph from being a physical slave of Potiphar. 

            Perhaps these men understand that Jesus is talking about the bondage of sin and the penalty that accompanies that bondage which is condemnation in Hell.  These men taught that for a gentile to be saved he must become a Jew.  These men were born Jews and thought themselves free from the law of sin and death.  They thought that being the children of Abraham made them free and proper possessors of the kingdom of God.             The children of men, whose children are born while they are in bondage are the possession of the master and thus are born into bondage.  Adam gave up his freedom and cast all of his descendants into slavery.  They are in bondage to sin.  They are born condemned to Hell.  It is true that the infant and child and such as are not able to reason are covered by the blood of Jesus until they reach an age of accountability but even this is by the grace of God.  Men are born sinners and thus are in bondage to sin by birth. 

            You are a sinner.  You did not cause yourself to become a lost sinner.  You inherited this from your father.  There is nothing that a man does that causes him to be lost.  He is born lost.  There is also nothing a man can do to cause himself to be saved.  Salvation is a gift.  Jesus saves you by His grace.  He saves all those who believe.  To be saved a person must believe that Jesus died for his sins.  He must put his trust in Jesus and go to him while believing He is the savior and ask Him to forgive and to save His soul.  This act does not cause one to be saved for Jesus does the saving.  He will save all those who repent and believe in Him. 

 

(John 8:34)  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

            Here Jesus clarifies His meaning.  He had just stated that those who continue in His word are His disciples indeed.  To know if someone is saved you must watch their lives for those who are saved will show evidence of it by obedience and showing a love for the commands and words of Jesus.  In the same way the one who is lost is also known by his behavior.  The one who is doing sin is the servant of sin!  This does not teach that the saved never sin.  This teaches that the one who is lost will continue in his sinful practices.  He will continually practice sin.  The saved man will sin but he will be punished for his sin and will repent of it and change his ways.  Those who are lost simply continue as they were and will not change.

 

(John 8:35)  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever.

            The servant does not always stay in the house of his master.  The Jewish slave was released at the end of seven years or at the Jubilee, which ever came first.  The slave who chose to remain a slave was marked and would continue until released by his master or until his own death.  Ether way his servitude in the house was temporary.  The son however would always be a son.  He will forever be the son of his father.  Once you are a son nothing can change your status. 

            When you are born into the family of God you will always be a member of the family of God.  You may be chastised and sometimes feel forsaken but you will always be a child of God.

 

(John 8:36)  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

            The son had the ability to set a slave free.  This was with the consent of the father if it was done before the son was of age.  Jesus is this son.  When He sets you free you are truly free.  There is no changing your status.  You are truly free. 

            In the physical realm the slave who was set free could sell himself into bondage again.  But in the spiritual realm the one set free by Jesus is free indeed.  He will never again be in bondage spiritually.

           

Conclusion: Freedom, What is it?  Is it having the ability to do as you please without repercussions?  Is it not having an impending judgment hanging over your head?  Jesus can free the lost sinner from the penalty of sin which is death.  He is the only one who can.  You can not cause yourself to be condemned and you can not cause yourself to be saved from condemnation.  Adam did the former for you and Jesus can do the later for you.  What will be your choice today freedom indeed or slavery in the bondage of sin?