Thursday, October 30
John 8:31-36
31 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
“… “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” …”
There’s a lot of talk about freedom these days. Whether it’s individual freedom, like the right to bear arms, or corporate freedom, like the right to assemble peacefully to protest grievances – the word freedom is bandied about regularly in the media. But what exactly is freedom.
The Constitution of the United States offers many examples of freedom, especially through the Bill of Rights. These rights outline various freedoms afforded to people within the nation. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are foremost among them. However, while they may define civic freedoms, they don’t come close to the freedom Jesus offers.
The Word of God offers unlimited freedom. Through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are set free from bondage to sin, death, and the devil. In other words, our freedom extends throughout time into eternity. That freedom, however, is not a license to do whatever we want. Instead, as the Scriptures tell us, we are set free precisely so that we may bind ourselves to others in humble service. This is the ultimate freedom.
To hold ourselves accountable to others is to live within the most free society ever. Just as we are free to bind ourselves to others, so too they are free to bind themselves to us. This creates a completely free society dominated not by rights but by grace, humility, and hope. That, my friends, is the freedom of which Jesus speaks.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for setting me free to serve others as You have served me. Teach me the ways of Your freedom that I may freely bind myself to others, sharing Your love and peace with all. Amen.