One of the greatest events in biblical history is the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It was then, about 3,500 years ago, that God called Moses to lead the children of Israel out of 430 years of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land. Historians tell us that during their years of slavery, the Israelites provided most of the labor for building the pyramids and many of their impressive temples. They did it through “blood, sweat, and many tears.”

With this backdrop of Jewish history in mind, Jesus said to many who believed in Him,

“If you abide in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). 

Because Jesus is the embodiment of Truth, He is the One who sets us free. But more on this later. But something Jesus said caused those listening to begin to fuss. But what could they possibly be fussing about? Here’s how they responded to Jesus,

“We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, you shall become free?” (Jn. 8:33).

Never been enslaved to anyone? I’m sure that they never heard of “denial!” How quickly they had forgotten that their ancestry spent over four centuries as slaves in Egypt! Not understanding what Jesus was saying, He had to get them focused on the real issue at hand,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (Jn. 8:34).

I’d like to draw your attention to a few things in this short verse. First, Jesus went right to the heart of the issue and focused on “sin,” which has been described as “missing the mark,” and “falling short of God’s expectations.” In essence, sin is anything that we say, do, or even think that is outside of the will of God. Sin begins with an attitude of indifference toward God which leads to actions that are contrary to His will. All sin is displeasing to God, and lest we are tempted to think that we are  “not guilty,” let’s see what Paul had to say,

“We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Secondly, the word “commits” is in the Greek present tense (the New Testament was written in Greek), and indicates “continuous action.” For many, sin has become a “pattern of life,” and that pattern places them in bondage, and they become slaves to sin. That person thinks that he/she is in charge of their life, when in reality, sin is in charge. In short, they are held in bondage to sin, and enslaved to it.

And finally, the word “slave” (doulos) refers to one who is owned by a master and has become the property of that master, with their ultimate purpose of fulfilling the will of their master. Anyone who has sin as their master is in total bondage and servitude.

But Jesus did not end here. He went on to say to those who were questioning the issue of slavery,

“And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever” (Jn. 8:35).

Of course, in Roman society, the son of the master of the house remained in the house at the end of the day while the slave went to his or her own living quarters. Unlike the slave, the son of the house was “free.” And then Jesus concluded by saying,

“If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36).

The message of Jesus is clear: Only the Son, the One who embodies truth, can set you free, and if He does that, you are really free. But free from what? Freedom from both the penalty and power of sin. Regarding the penalty of sin, Paul writes,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

Paul is saying that the “wages” that we earn for our sin is actually “death,” spiritual death. We are probably not going to “drop dead” physically whenever we sin, but the pattern of persistent sin in a person’s life leads to an empty soul, devoid of all things of God. It leads to spiritual death.

Furthermore, Paul says that it is absolutely “free” to be “set free.” In other words, there is no amount of good works or religious ritual that you need to do in order to be set free from the penalty of sin. It is a free gift given to us by Jesus when we acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord, and turn to Him in repentance and faith. Jesus said,

“I have come that you might have LIFE, and have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).

The gift He gives us is the gift of LIFE, and the quality of that LIFE is both “abundant” as well as “eternal.” But we must not only deal with the “penalty” of sin, but also the “power” of sin. Are you struggling with the power of sin in your life? Here is what Paul had to say,

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and 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, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:2-4).

Paul is saying to the Church in Rome that we can be set free from trying to live according to the Law (which is a “killer”) and begin living according to the leading of God’s Spirit (which brings life and peace). Remember what Jesus said,

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36).

Yes, Jesus sets all of us free from both the penalty and the power of sin. It’s not about religion or good works, it’s about a Person, and His name is Jesus. If you haven’t yet been set free, just ask Him to do it. Confess your sin of indifference to God and ask for His forgiveness, and you will experience the freedom that millions of Christians have experienced for two thousand years.

But the cycle of slavery is not quite done. We need one more week to complete the cycle. Hope to see you then. Have a blessed week!