If you recall last week, the Jews to whom Jesus was speaking claimed that they had never been enslaved to anyone, denying the plain fact that the Jewish people had been enslaved to many different nations during they existence, and that they were currently occupied by the Romans. Jesus went on to say,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).
It was noted last week that the verb in the phrase “everyone who commits sin” is in the present tense, indicating that a person living a perpetually sinful lifestyle is actually a “slave to sin.” Furthermore, we see that in Jesus’ own words, “…if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” And so, just what does it mean to be “free indeed?”
There are three important aspects of being “free indeed” that I’d like to share with you. But first, the Greek word for “indeed” is used elsewhere in the New Testament to indicate the thought of “truly” or “undeniably.” So, what does it mean to be “Free Indeed?”
1) To be “Free Indeed” is to be freed from the PENALTY of sin.
Remember Jesus’ words spoken to Nicodemus:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
It was Jesus Himself who said that the fate of those who do not “believe” in the Son would be to “perish.” On the contrary, the true gift of God is “eternal life,” which comes from putting one’s faith and trust in a person, namely Jesus Christ.
In addition, the Apostle Paul said,
“There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
In other words, those who are “in Christ,” will never be condemned, and will never perish, just as Jesus said.
2) To be “Free Indeed is to be freed from the POWER of sin.
Here are the words of the Apostle Paul:
Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin (Romans 6:6-7).
Paul’s argument is that a dead person can no longer sin. Therefore, if we have “died” with Christ” (setting aside our own agenda for His), then we are no longer “slaves” to sin. Thus, if we are spiritually dead to sin, then sin no longer has any power over us.
3) To be “Free Indeed” is to be freed from the BURDEN of the Law.
Once again, the Apostle Paul weighs in on the idea of sin no longer having a hold on us,
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:2-4).
Interestingly, Paul says that the “requirement” of the Law might actually be fulfilled in us if we learn to walk according to the spirit and not according to the flesh (our old sinful nature). In other words, if we allow the Spirit to guide and direct our paths, we can live godly lives without feeling condemned for not being able to keep the Law. We simply need to “get out of the way” so that the Spirit can work in and through us.
Paul goes on to reveal one of the most important keys to living the Christian life:
For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are living according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:5-6).
Paul is telling us that we need to get our mind focused on “God stuff,” not on the distracting and alluring stuff of the world. That is such an important element in living the fruitful and abundant Christian life. The mind that is focused on the Spirit, that is, on spiritual truths, is really alive and at peace with God and with others.
SOME CLOSING THOUGHTS:
I love what the Apostle Paul said about living in the freedom that Christ gives us:
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).
We are set free by Christ from the penalty and power of sin, and having also been set free from the burden of sin, we are free to use our creativity to bless others. So, if the Son has set you free, then let’s go out and use our freedom to bless others in amazing and creative ways. God bless you all.
