The Truth That Set You Free
Chasing Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsJesus’ teachings centered on what is truth. Being the author of truth, there was no one better to teach on this subject. Jesus confronts the teachers of the day as He explains that truth is rooted in who God is. God is truth. As we into relationship with Christ, we move into knowledge of the truth. This knowledge moves us to respond by following the One who is truth. We walk in His truth and in His ways. This brings glory to the One who is truth. To stand in opposition to this following is to be outside of the truth.
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Life in Bondage
Life in Bondage
John 8:31-38
To the Jews who had believed 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.”
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?”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 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. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”
Jesus came to give to us the truth, the truth that sets us free. This truth is very simple, a restored relationship with God is the only way to life.
Jesus has been confronting the Jews at the Feast of Tabernacle seeking to correct their view of their relationship with God. The Jews of the day proudly strutted with the belief that they alone knew God. This view caused them to believe that they were without real need.
Jesus has been walking them through the Feast and showing the people that the things of the past that they have placed their faith in can not save them. Jesus points us to the basic fact, we are all slaves to sin.
The Jews did not believe that they were in need of a Savior because they were the people of God. God had delivered them and they were a free people. They said this in the face of the truth. Israel had been enslaved in Egypt. In the Book of Judges, Israel is enslaved by seven different nations. The 10 northern tribes were held captive by the Assyrians and the two southern tribes were enslaved by Babylon. Even in this moment, the people were enslaved to Rome.
Jesus points them to the truth that even if they were a free nation, they were enslaved to their sin.
Jesus is the Only Way
Jesus is the Only Way
“Abraham is our father,” they answered.
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 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. You are doing the works of your own father.”
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”
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. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 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. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
The claim to fame for the Jews was Abraham. Abraham was God’s chosen to whom righteousness had been credited. The Jews of the first century believed that because of Abraham, they were destined for eternity with God. They believed that Abraham had gained such merit that this merit was sufficient for not only him, but all of his descendants as well.
Many of us have fell into the same trap. The merit of our parents, the merit of our pastor, the merit of our church does not give us life. These past achievements are just that, in the past and dead.
Jesus is very clear, the day of judgment is coming and whom or what your faith is placed in is the only thing that matter.
When we place our faith in things apart from God, we are deceiving ourselves and those around us. We are children of the great deceiver, Satan. We deceive ourselves into believing that we do not need God or that we are in good standing. We deceive ourselves to spiritual deafness.
But if we open our ears, we will hear God’s truth. We will see our need for Him and the relationship that is in front of us. We will move from death into life, from lost souls to children of God.