Are 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, ‘I tell you the truth, 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 you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready 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 do what you have heard from your father.’

“‘Abraham is our father,’ they answered.

“‘If you were Abraham’s children,’ said Jesus, ‘then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined 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 things your own father does.’

“‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested. ‘The only Father we have is God himself.’” (John 8: 33-41, NIV)

The conversation goes on, but I want us to stop here today. Jesus seems now to be addressing those who had not truly believed. Certainly those who had believed would not be set on killing him. He would not be suggesting, as they clearly understood him to be saying, that they were illegitimate children.

The ‘they’ in verse 33, then, must be the Pharisees who started the argument that led to this point. Their hatred of Jesus is recorded repeatedly throughout the gospels. They were jealous and wished for nothing more than our Master’s death. A little while later in the book of John, Jesus says of the devil: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10, NIV) The actions of these Jesus-haters, proves that they are not God’s children, nor even Abraham’s, but rather Satan’s. They are acting like their father.

Still, Jesus’ words to them are filled with longing for their salvation. He tries, unsuccessfully, to point the way to the Father. He tells them plainly that they are slaves to sin and offers to set them free, but they refuse. Remember true disciples repent when confronted with their sinfulness. These men, though religious, know nothing of sorrow over sin. They do not repent. They get defensive. They argue. They let their self-righteous pride get in the way.

I hope none of you is like these men, depending on religious performance or good deeds or family connections to get passed the pearly gates of Heaven is sheer foolishness.

There is no way to gain eternal life except believing, that is putting your trust in, Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV)

Paul agreed: “…it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

No one gets in on their own merit. No one! You must believe on Jesus. You can get in only on his merit. He alone is righteous. He alone can save.

True believers do what Jesus commands. They repent of their sin. They believe on Jesus. They are set free by the Son.

Are you free? If the son has set you free, you are free indeed. Trust in him today. Those who believe are adopted into God’s family.

“…to all who [receive Jesus], to those who [believe] in his name, he [gives] the right to become children of God…” (John 1:12, adapted from NIV)

Children, I would add, who act like their Father.

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