John  8:34-37

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 

35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 

36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

“Am I a Slave to Sin or a Daughter of God?” 

Why do people in the world claim that they are free? They believe they are free, because Satan has convinced them that they can do whatever they want to do, say whatever they want to say, and live however they want to live. This is what the world tells people today…”You do you!” That phrase has people fooled into thinking they are free. Satan has deceived them into believing that doing what makes their flesh happy is true freedom. Are they in a physical prison? No, their physical bodies are free. They can do whatever they want in their physical bodies. What they don’t realize is that they are in spiritual bondage. The Jews to whom Jesus is speaking don’t understand the bondage that they are in. But Jesus tells them in verse 34, paraphrasing, “Truly, if you commit sin, then you are a slave to sin.” The Jews back then, along with people outside of Christ today, are slaves to sin, Satan, and the world. The Jews thought that because they were Abraham’s descendants, they were automatically following God and would be in heaven someday, but in reality, they were slaves to sin. The sad part is that most people today don’t realize it. When someone outside of Christ dies a physical death or when Jesus comes back the second time, whichever comes first, their souls will not be free to go where they want to go. Every person will want to be with God when his/her life is over. They certainly won’t want the alternative. It won’t matter whether they believed in and followed God or not while in their physical bodies. They will ultimately fall on their knees and beg God to save them. At that moment, they will realize they were never really free when they were physically alive. They will realize that they were slaves to the sin that they loved, and then they will realize the sad truth… that they will be enslaved for eternity in a place that no one would ever in a million years choose to be. It is not something that I like to think about or write about. I don’t like to think about people I care about being lost. But it is a reality that I have to face. This is why it is so important that we spread the Word and try to teach as many people as we can. If we believe and obey Jesus, then we are free. What does this mean? It means that we are free from the bondage of sin. It means that we no longer serve our own fleshly desires. We serve Jesus and live for His purpose. If we are truly His disciples, then we won’t want to be involved in those sinful behaviors anymore. Will we mess up sometimes? Yes, most definitely, but Jesus’ blood will continually cleanse us of those “mess ups” if we are truly penitent. What if we sin and don’t realize that we have sinned? Jesus knows our hearts, and He will cleanse us of those sins as well. Now, that is freedom! If our allegiance is to Jesus in our physical lives, then He will advocate for us before God on judgment day, and He will tell God these words, “Yes, Father, she is mine”, or “Yes, Father, he is mine.” God will not argue with Jesus, because the Father and the Son are in complete agreement in their judgment. It will be a done deal for us. Then our souls are free for eternity. On judgment day, there will only be two situations for us to be in. We will be allowed the freedom to go to the place where we want to be, with God, or we will be enslaved in a place where we don’t want to be, with the devil and his angels…..separated from God forever. It is ultimately our choice. 

In verse 35, Jesus makes a wonderful comparison to illustrate the point He is trying to make. He says, paraphrasing, “Slaves are not members of a household/family. They are property and can be sold at any time. Sons and daughters are permanent members of a household, and can never be taken away from the family.” In the spiritual sense, this means that slaves of sin are not members of the family of God. They are the property of Satan. Satan owns them and cares nothing about their well-being. He only wants pain and suffering for them. If we believe and obey Jesus, then we are children and heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus, because we are in the family of God (Romans 8:17). 

In verse 36, Jesus confirms His authority to make us free. He says, paraphrasing, “If I (the Son) make you free, then you truly will be free.” Jesus refers to Himself as the Son… the one and only Son of God. If He says you are free from sin, then you are, and no one else can change that. The only person who can change our status as a child of God is us, if we make a conscious decision to stop following Jesus. 

In verse 37, Jesus says, paraphrasing, “I realize that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me, the Son of God. Your actions contradict everything Abraham stood for, and prove that My words and teachings are not in You.” How can they claim to be God’s chosen people and heirs to the promises of God, yet plot to kill God’s son? How can they claim to be “of God” because of their heritage, and reject the words of Jesus? The answer is they aren’t God’s chosen people. They aren’t heirs to the spiritual promises of God. Their heritage has nothing to do with their salvation, just as ours doesn’t. Listening to and following God’s Son is what salvation is all about now, and these Jews are missing this point. How many people today are missing the point of what salvation is all about? It is about belief in and obedience to Jesus. It is about abiding in the words of Jesus. The Jews of Jesus’ time were hypocritical by calling themselves God’s chosen people and the descendants of Abraham, all the while plotting to kill the Son of God. 

Question for myself: Am I hypocritical? Do I say that I follow Jesus, but crucify Him all over again by putting my worldly desires ahead of Him? Am I abiding in Jesus?

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)