These familiar words were spoken by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. But to understand them correctly, we need to hear the context in which they were originally spoken. Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32). Notice that this is a conditional promise. To be free you must know the truth. To know the truth you must be His disciples. To be His disciples, you must abide in His word.
To abide in His word means that you must listen to what He says, believe it to be true, and respond appropriately. Then you will be a disciple or follower of Christ, and this promise of freedom will be yours.
But possibly your response is like those of old who said, “We have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free?’” (v. 33). The Lord Jesus told them: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (v. 34).You see, the freedom that the Lord Jesus offers us is freedom from sin.
This raises two issues. Firstly, do you believe that you are a slave to sin? And secondly, do you want to be free from your sin?
Recovering alcoholics will tell you that the first great hurdle they had to face was to admit they had a problem. Most alcoholics or drug addicts will tell you they can quit any time they want. In reality, they are enslaved to their addiction. But the same is true of every sin. If you think you can stop sinning, just try. Of course, you might be in such denial of your sin that you cannot even admit you are a sinner, and perhaps you are offended by the suggestion that you are. But actually, that is God’s evaluation of your life, not ours. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
The problem for many people is they don’t want to be free from sin. They want to be free from restraint, free to do whatever they want to do, free from the consequences of their actions, and free from God’s judgement. As Jesus said, men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).
Yet the warning of the Bible is clear: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). You might get away with things for a while, but the Bible warns, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Maybe you will get away with it your entire life, but again, the Bible says, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27).
If you don’t think you are a sinner, you are deceiving yourself (1 John 1:8). If you love your sin and don’t want to be free from it, then you will face the unavoidable consequences of your decision in hell for all eternity.
But if you do want to be free, then the Lord Jesus is the only One who can help you. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Believe what He says about your need of a Saviour, and believe that He is the only One who can save you from your sin. “Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
This freedom from sin happens in three phases. The moment you believe on the Lord Jesus, He will save you from the penalty of your sin. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 6:23). Then through the gift of the Holy Spirit, He will help you overcome the controlling power of sin in your life. “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter,” (Romans 7:8). And He promises that one day He will save you from even the presence of sin when He takes you to the home He is preparing for those who love Him. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city,” (Revelation 22:14).
Do you want to be free? Then you must know the truth. To know the truth you must be His disciples. To be His disciples, you must abide in His word. The choice is yours.
DNW
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Public meeting on
Sunday 5 September at 8 pm
at Dooley’s Hotel,
The Quay, Waterford