True Freedom
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30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my
disciples indeed;
Continuance
There is a great difference between claiming to be a Christian and really being a Christian.
It is a simple thing to say, “I believe in Jesus”. But that doesn’t make you a Christian. That doesn’t get
you to heaven. That doesn’t impress God.
You must do more than SAY that you believe. You must live like a believer.
I once heard of a man who claimed he was a dog. He thought he was a dog. He walked like a dog. He
ate like a dog. He even barked like a dog. But he was not a dog. Claiming to be a dog does not make
you a dog. Claiming to be a believer does not make you a believer. You must RECEIVE Jesus in order
to become a Christian. And then you must FOLLOW Him.
Jesus said that you must CONTINUE in His Word. To continue means to stay in it, and let it stay in you.
Many HEAR the Word and it goes no further than that. But it does little good to hear it if you do not live
it.
James said, “Be doers of the Word and not just hearers.”
Jesus used the word DISCIPLE. If you continue in his Word, you will be his disciple.
I have been learning the Albanian language for almost a year. I know most of the rules of grammar of
the Albanian language. But recently, I have started becoming a disciple of the Albanian language. I
have started speaking Albanian more.
You see, there is a great difference in ‘learning’ the language and ‘speaking’ the language.
It does little good to learn it if you don’t speak it.
Wouldn’t it be foolish for me to tell someone, “Oh yes, I speak Albanian.” It might be more convincing if I
were to say it in Shqip.
That is just the point here. Jesus said you must continue in His Word. Then, you will be a disciple. A
disciple is a person who lives under a DISCIPLINE. It means you live according to certain guidelines.
Those guidelines are The words Jesus spoke.
Truth
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
What is truth? Truth is something that does not change. Truth is something that you can count on –
and trust in – because it will stay the same no matter what else happens.
When you know the truth, it removes a lot of fear and uncertainty.
Sailors used to think the earth was flat. So they were afraid that if they sailed too far, they might fall off
the edge. What a relief when they discovered that it was round. Now you can just sail as far as you
want in any direction and you don’t have to worry. What a difference the truth made!
There was a time that Albanians thought that America was going to attack. The truth is, most Americans
at that time didn’t even know there was an Albania.
When you know the truth, you become free from all the uncertainty.
In the spiritual realm, the truth is that God loves you and sent a Savior to die for your sins. What great
freedom there is in that.
Dictators and devils control people with lies and deceptions. But the truth makes you free.
What is truth? Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” When you know him, you know the
truth.
And He said that the truth sets you free.
Freedom
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?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
What is freedom? Is it being able to do anything you want to do? Is it living without restrictions, rules
and responsibilities? Is it living without a dictatorship? Is it not being in jail?
No! Freedom is much more basic than that. Freedom is ‘not being in bondage’! Now maybe you are
like these Pharisees. They said, “We are in bondage to no man”. That shows how truly blind they
were.
- They were under the rule of the Roman Empire at the time
- They were weighed down with the Jewish laws and traditions, which had gone far beyond the 10
Commandments. There were so many rules no one could keep up with them all.
- And they were in bondage to sin.
If you were truly free, you would not sin. Sin is against the nature God created you with. Adam was not
created with sin in him. He was created perfect. Sin found it’s way into his life and spoiled his perfection
and took away his freedom. Sin is addictive. It starts in you and will not let you go. Sin drives you –
pushes you – makes you do what you do not want to do until you start wanting to do it. Sin traps you
and holds you – and ultimately, it will kill you.
Is that freedom?
Man was not created to sin. Sin is unnatural. Freedom means you don’t have to sin anymore. You don’
t have to be driven by it.
Are you free? Not if you sin! Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you lie, cheat, or steal? If you do, you
are in bondage.
Ro 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone [or something] to obey him as
slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death,
or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (NIV)
The same chapter tells us that if we are ‘in Christ’, then we are dead to sin – and therefore free from sin.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free –
and if the Son sets you free, then you are really free.”
The Son is Jesus. He is the truth. He sets us free.
31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my
disciples indeed;
Continuance
There is a great difference between claiming to be a Christian and really being a Christian.
It is a simple thing to say, “I believe in Jesus”. But that doesn’t make you a Christian. That doesn’t get
you to heaven. That doesn’t impress God.
You must do more than SAY that you believe. You must live like a believer.
I once heard of a man who claimed he was a dog. He thought he was a dog. He walked like a dog. He
ate like a dog. He even barked like a dog. But he was not a dog. Claiming to be a dog does not make
you a dog. Claiming to be a believer does not make you a believer. You must RECEIVE Jesus in order
to become a Christian. And then you must FOLLOW Him.
Jesus said that you must CONTINUE in His Word. To continue means to stay in it, and let it stay in you.
Many HEAR the Word and it goes no further than that. But it does little good to hear it if you do not live
it.
James said, “Be doers of the Word and not just hearers.”
Jesus used the word DISCIPLE. If you continue in his Word, you will be his disciple.
I have been learning the Albanian language for almost a year. I know most of the rules of grammar of
the Albanian language. But recently, I have started becoming a disciple of the Albanian language. I
have started speaking Albanian more.
You see, there is a great difference in ‘learning’ the language and ‘speaking’ the language.
It does little good to learn it if you don’t speak it.
Wouldn’t it be foolish for me to tell someone, “Oh yes, I speak Albanian.” It might be more convincing if I
were to say it in Shqip.
That is just the point here. Jesus said you must continue in His Word. Then, you will be a disciple. A
disciple is a person who lives under a DISCIPLINE. It means you live according to certain guidelines.
Those guidelines are The words Jesus spoke.
Truth
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
What is truth? Truth is something that does not change. Truth is something that you can count on –
and trust in – because it will stay the same no matter what else happens.
When you know the truth, it removes a lot of fear and uncertainty.
Sailors used to think the earth was flat. So they were afraid that if they sailed too far, they might fall off
the edge. What a relief when they discovered that it was round. Now you can just sail as far as you
want in any direction and you don’t have to worry. What a difference the truth made!
There was a time that Albanians thought that America was going to attack. The truth is, most Americans
at that time didn’t even know there was an Albania.
When you know the truth, you become free from all the uncertainty.
In the spiritual realm, the truth is that God loves you and sent a Savior to die for your sins. What great
freedom there is in that.
Dictators and devils control people with lies and deceptions. But the truth makes you free.
What is truth? Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” When you know him, you know the
truth.
And He said that the truth sets you free.
Freedom
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?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: [but] the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
What is freedom? Is it being able to do anything you want to do? Is it living without restrictions, rules
and responsibilities? Is it living without a dictatorship? Is it not being in jail?
No! Freedom is much more basic than that. Freedom is ‘not being in bondage’! Now maybe you are
like these Pharisees. They said, “We are in bondage to no man”. That shows how truly blind they
were.
- They were under the rule of the Roman Empire at the time
- They were weighed down with the Jewish laws and traditions, which had gone far beyond the 10
Commandments. There were so many rules no one could keep up with them all.
- And they were in bondage to sin.
If you were truly free, you would not sin. Sin is against the nature God created you with. Adam was not
created with sin in him. He was created perfect. Sin found it’s way into his life and spoiled his perfection
and took away his freedom. Sin is addictive. It starts in you and will not let you go. Sin drives you –
pushes you – makes you do what you do not want to do until you start wanting to do it. Sin traps you
and holds you – and ultimately, it will kill you.
Is that freedom?
Man was not created to sin. Sin is unnatural. Freedom means you don’t have to sin anymore. You don’
t have to be driven by it.
Are you free? Not if you sin! Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you lie, cheat, or steal? If you do, you
are in bondage.
Ro 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone [or something] to obey him as
slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death,
or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (NIV)
The same chapter tells us that if we are ‘in Christ’, then we are dead to sin – and therefore free from sin.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free –
and if the Son sets you free, then you are really free.”
The Son is Jesus. He is the truth. He sets us free.