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Sermon

Only Jesus Gives True Freedom

Speaker
David Capoccia
Scripture
John 8:31-36

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In this sermon, Pastor Dave Capoccia begins examining John 8:31-59, Jesus’ final public discussion with the Jews at the Feast of the Booths. John reports this discussion in his Gospel so that you will recognize your true spiritual state and turn to Jesus with perseverant faith.

In the first part of Jesus’ discussion, John 8:31-36, Jesus raises the question: are you experiencing spiritual slavery or spiritual freedom?

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Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

True freedom is not political or economic—it is spiritual freedom found only in Jesus Christ. John 8:31-36 teaches that unless we abide in the word of Christ with persevering faith, we remain slaves to sin, destined not for God’s kingdom but for eternal destruction. We are reminded that a one-time profession of faith is not sufficient evidence of genuine discipleship; rather, true disciples are marked by ongoing commitment to knowing, believing, and obeying Jesus’ teaching.

We are called to recognize our desperate spiritual condition apart from Christ and to receive the free gift of salvation that only the Son of God can provide.

Key Lessons:

  1. True discipleship is demonstrated not by a single profession of faith but by persevering in Jesus’ word—knowing it, believing it, and living it out over time.
  2. Everyone who practices sin as a characteristic pattern of life is a slave to sin, regardless of religious heritage, church attendance, or good works in other areas.
  3. Only Jesus, as the Son of God, has the authority to free slaves of sin and grant them an eternal inheritance in God’s kingdom.
  4. False or incomplete faith is exposed when people resist the humbling truth that they are spiritually needy and cannot save themselves.

Application: We are called to honestly examine whether sin characteristically marks our lives, to stop excusing ongoing sin through religious activity or family heritage, and to turn to Jesus with genuine, persevering faith—using all the resources God provides (His word, His Spirit, and His church) to fight against sin and walk in true spiritual freedom.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Jesus says the mark of a true disciple is abiding in His word. What does that look like practically in your daily life, and where do you see room for growth?
  2. The Jews in this passage were blind to their own spiritual slavery because they relied on their ancestry and religious practices. What are the modern equivalents we might rely on instead of genuine faith in Christ?
  3. How does understanding that “freedom isn’t free”—that Jesus paid for our spiritual freedom on the cross—change the way you view both your sin and your daily walk with God?

Scripture Focus: John 8:31-36 — Jesus teaches that true disciples abide in His word, know the truth, and are set free by the Son. Romans 6:23 — The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. John 2:23-25 and John 6:66 illustrate the reality of false or incomplete faith.

Outline

Introduction

Just a quick heads up. The sermon passage and title today will be a little different from what’s in the bulletin. Let’s pray.

Lord God, I pray that you’d open my mouth to speak your word to your people. God, that those that don’t know you would be saved today, and those that do know you, Lord, would be encouraged, instructed, and convicted to persevere in following Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Freedom in America and Spiritual Freedom

Well, tomorrow is Memorial Day. And we, especially after Greg’s prayer, we know what Memorial Day is all about now, right? It’s not about getting a day off and grilling. It’s about honoring and mourning the people who died while serving in our nation’s military.

A day of sober remembrance such as this is appropriate when we consider the precious gift that our dying countrymen have ultimately given us and protected.

Greg mentioned this too. What is that ultimate gift? It’s freedom. You’ve probably heard the slogan: “Freedom isn’t free.” And that’s a true statement. Freedom hasn’t simply cost our country time, resources, trouble. It has cost the lives of more than a million people—beloved sons and daughters, fathers and mothers.

We should be grateful to God, just as Greg said, for those who have sacrificed themselves to protect our country and preserve our freedom. But here’s a question for you: Are the people of America truly free?

“Are the people of America truly free?”

The answer, of course, depends on how you define “free” and “freedom.” From a military and geopolitical perspective, America is indeed free. By the grace of God, we are not, and since our war for independence, have never been conquered or put into subjection by another country.

We are not ruled over by a foreign power, but have been able to create our own Constitution. And we have a government that is ruled by our own people.

Furthermore, from the standpoint of economic opportunity and social rights, we Americans are also free. This freedom isn’t perfect. There are aspects of injustice, discrimination, and persecution that have waxed and waned over the course of our nation’s history and still exist today.

Nevertheless, we are blessed to live in a nation that fundamentally guarantees the personal rights of all its citizens, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to private property.

Growing up in America, we can sometimes take these rights for granted or think little of the economic abundance available to us in this country. But again, Greg and I are on the same page here. Those who immigrate from less fortunate nations to our country repeatedly testify of the amazing amount of freedom and prosperity that exists in America.

So clearly, all Americans are free in certain ways. But are all Americans free in the most important way? Are all Americans spiritually free? Are you spiritually free?

The answer to that question is going to come down to this: Unless you love and you persevere in the word of Christ, you are not spiritually free. You are, in fact, a slave. A slave to what? A slave to sin.

“Unless you love and persevere in the word of Christ, you are not spiritually free.”

You, in yourself, are compelled to serve sin. You cannot help but pursue sin, and you cannot ultimately avoid the consequences of sin, which right now for you are an increasingly destroyed life and poisoned heart.

But one day, the consequences will be both your physical and eternal death under the wrath of God.

Truly, most Americans are not truly free in the way that counts the most. But there is good news. God himself specifically sent someone to free slaves of sin, and that person is Jesus Christ, God’s own son.

Setting the Scene: John 8:31-59

And in our next passage, this son of God, Jesus, will teach you how you can enjoy a spiritual freedom in him. Please take your Bibles and open to John 8.

The title of the message today is: “Only Jesus Gives True Freedom.”

Only Jesus gives true freedom. We’re looking at John 8:31-59. Actually, we’re only going to focus on the beginning of the passage today, but I want you to see and appreciate how the full section fits together.

So John 8:31-59. Remember the context before we read. Jesus is still at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem, about six months before his crucifixion. He’s just finished his fourth round of debate with the Jews in the temple during the feast.

“Jesus is still at the Feast of Booths, about six months before his crucifixion.”

And while Jesus’ discussion with his Jewish opponents had plenty of contention, our author John has informed us that some Jews have also believed in Jesus. Some Jews at this feast have come to believe in Jesus.

If you glance back at John 7:31, we read: “But many in the crowd believed in him.” And John 8:30, which is right before our text, it says: “As he spoke these things, many came to believe in him.”

So before Jesus exits the stage of public discussion in the temple, he desires to say something to those who have so recently believed in him. Let’s see what he says. Let’s see what kind of response it generates.

Scripture Reading: John 8:31-59

John 8:31-59:

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed him, ‘If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say you will become free?’

Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. But the slave does not remain in the house forever. The son does remain forever. So if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

John 8:36: “If the son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I speak the things which I have seen with my father. Therefore, you also do the things which you heard from your father.’

They answered and said to him, ‘Abraham is our father.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.’

They said to him, ‘We were not born of fornication. We have one father: God.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and have come from God. For I have not even come on my own initiative, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear my word.

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

But because I speak the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason, you do not hear them because you are not of God.’

The Jews answered and said to him, ‘Do we not rightly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon, but I honor my father, and you dishonor me. But I do not seek my glory. There is one who seeks and judges.

Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.’ The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also. And you say, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste of death.” Surely you are not greater than our father, Father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too. Whom do you make yourself out to be?’

Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my father who glorifies me, of whom you say he is our God. And you have not come to know him. But I know him. And if I say that I do not know him, I will be a liar like you. But I do know him and keep his word.

Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw and was glad.’ So the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’

Therefore, they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

A Surprising Passage

I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty surprising passage. I mean, we’ve seen a number of surprises in the Book of John, but this one might be the biggest one yet.

What begins in verse 31 as a simple exhortation from Jesus to new believers to persevere in Jesus’ teaching and prove to be his true disciples ends in verses 58 and 59 with those same persons trying to kill Jesus by crushing him with stones. How could so much go so wrong so quickly?

“What begins as a simple exhortation to new believers ends with those same persons trying to kill Jesus.”

Seeing this extremely unexpected development, some interpreters suggest that Jesus’ conversation in this passage isn’t really with those persons described in John 7:31 and John 8:30—those who John told us believed in Jesus during the feast. Those verses were talking about genuine believers, but this passage is not that same group. These are fake believers.

Other interpreters suggest that Jesus starts out the passage by talking to true believers, even the ones who believed in him during the feast, but then some unbelieving Jews barge in and hijack the conversation and turn it into this hostile debate.

But grammatically and contextually speaking, neither of these interpretations can be valid. Verse 31 directly follows verse 30, telling us that Jesus is addressing those same Jews who came to believe in him during the feast. Even on the last day of the feast, furthermore, verse 33 indicates that those who reply to Jesus with resistance to his exhortation are the same group that he began to address in verse 31.

There’s been no interloper introduced. Really, if we’re being honest with the text, we cannot justly avoid the conclusion that what this passage reports is that many who believe in Jesus based on the words he’s taught during the feast quickly turn on him and even try to kill him.

False Faith in the Gospel of John

But perhaps you’re getting déjà vu, because didn’t something like this already happen in the Gospel of John? Do you remember John 6?

It began with Jesus producing this massive food multiplication miracle. The people were so amazed that some of them said, “John 6:14: This is truly the prophet who has come into the world.” But then do you remember how the chapter ended? After Jesus taught some things that the people didn’t like, “John 6:66: As a result of this, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore.”

So we have disciples who believe in Jesus, confess him to be God’s promised prophet, and then fall away.

Actually, we were introduced to the concept of false, incomplete, fickle faith as early as John 2. Remember there? Jesus boldly cleanses the temple during the Passover in Jerusalem, and he begins doing miraculous signs. And John 2:23-2:25 reports:

“John 2:23-2:25: Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed in his name. That is, they believed in him observing his signs which he was doing. But Jesus, on his part, was not entrusting himself to them. For he knew all men, and because he did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for he himself knew what was in man.”

Many believed in Jesus at that feast, but Jesus did not believe in their belief.

“Many believed in Jesus at that feast, but Jesus did not believe in their belief.”

See, the nature of true belief—genuine, saving faith—as opposed to false faith, which cannot save—that is one of the main themes of the Gospel of John. And we see it again on display in our new passage.

How this passage in John 8 begins and ends is ironic. In exhorting these Jewish believers to prove themselves as true disciples by persevering, Jesus in fact proves them to be false disciples because they will not endure his teaching anymore.

And don’t misunderstand. Jesus didn’t somehow blow it with some true seekers of God here. “Oh, if Jesus, if only you weren’t so demanding so quickly, well, you wouldn’t have lost all these new converts.” No.

Just as in John 6, the perfect son knows that the real issue isn’t pushing away souls who are almost saved. The real issue is leaving souls in the deception of thinking they are saved when they’re not. That’s the real issue to be avoided.

“The real issue is leaving souls in the deception of thinking they are saved when they’re not.”

And all of that is instructed for us, isn’t it? Because we also are those who would publicly confess we believe in Jesus.

The Main Idea and Outline

Here’s the main idea of this entire section in John 8:31 to 59:

John reports Jesus’ final public discussion at the Feast of Booths so that you will recognize your true spiritual state and turn to Jesus with persevering faith.

John reports Jesus’ final public discussion at the Feast of Booths so that you will recognize your true spiritual state and turn to Jesus with perseverant faith.

“Recognize your true spiritual state and turn to Jesus with persevering faith.”

This unexpected, this bonus round of debate is climactic, and it dramatically unfolds in three parts.

Part one is verses 31 to 36. Each one of these parts focuses on a certain question we could say. And the question of verses 31 to 36 is: Are you experiencing spiritual slavery or spiritual freedom?

The second part is verses 37 to 47, where the question is: Are you demonstrating a devilish parentage or a divine parentage?

And the last part is verses 48 to 59, where the question is: Do you give God’s sent one ultimate contempt or ultimate glory?

And my plan is not to try and look at this whole passage today. We’re just going to look at part one. Next two weeks, we’ll go over parts two and three.

Are You Experiencing Spiritual Slavery or Freedom?

That means we’re focusing on verses 31 to 36. And again, that first implied question from Jesus in this beginning part of the discussion is number one: Are you experiencing spiritual slavery or spiritual freedom?

If you’re going to recognize your true state and turn to Jesus in perseverant faith, you first need to consider this question: Are you experiencing spiritual slavery or spiritual freedom?

Now, I’m going to give you three subheadings as we move along, just to help organize this passage for you. Since this is the only point we’re going to do today, these will help structure our discussion.

Exhortation: Continue in My Word (vv. 31-32)

The first subheading covers verses 31 to 32, and that is: 1A. Exhortation.

1A. Exhortation.

As Jesus addresses this question, he begins with an exhortation. Let’s see it ourselves, starting with just verse 31:

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine.’”

John 8:31: “If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine.”

Notice the transition word that begins this verse and section. It’s the word “so.” This word indicates that what Jesus says here is based on something that just happened or that was just mentioned.

What just happened? Verse 30 again: “As he spoke these things, many came to believe in him.”

Jesus, the text shows us, is aware—probably by his supernatural knowledge—that some Jews have come to believe in him based on what he said during the feast. This realization causes Jesus to begin saying something new to these new believers.

What is this new message? What is this necessary message for those who have now come to believe in him?

In summary, it’s that they need to persevere.

What It Means to Abide in Jesus’ Word

Notice the specific way that Jesus phrases it: “If you continue in my word.”

The Greek verb translated “continue” here is more literally translated “remain,” “stay,” “abide.” Jesus says there’s something important for these new believing Jews to stay in or to remain in. And what should these believers remain or stay in? “My word,” Jesus says.

Which word do you mean? Jesus’ word is just the way to refer to his teaching—the revelation given him by the Father to speak to God’s people and to the world, even the good news of salvation by repentance and faith in Jesus alone.

So new believers need to abide in Jesus’ teaching, Jesus’ gospel teaching. What does that entail?

Well, certainly it means believing in Jesus’ teaching. But it also means learning, obeying, and holding fast to what Jesus says. After all, you cannot really be said to remain in Jesus’ teaching if you do not know it, or if you keep on forgetting it, or if you do not obey it or apply it, or if you abandon it when people make fun of you for it or threaten you over it.

“You cannot remain in Jesus’ teaching if you do not know it, obey it, or hold fast to it.”

Now, Jesus is telling these new believers—and old believers too—that they must seek out, treasure, hold on to, teach faithfully, and put into practice Jesus’ word, Jesus’ whole word, everything that Jesus says.

Jesus’ word today is what forms our Bibles. This is Jesus’ word now.

Notice this exhortation in John 8:31 is given in the form of a conditional, an if-then statement: “If you who believe in me fulfill the stated condition, which is if you remain in my teaching, then what?”

Notice the next phrase: “Then you are truly disciples of mine.”

True vs. False Disciples

Now, that short statement—that second part of the condition—it reveals a sobering truth. Just that little statement right there reveals that it is possible for Jesus to have false disciples.

If he says, “You’re going to prove to truly be disciples of mine,” it means that it’s possible to be a false disciple—a person who thinks or says that he’s a disciple when in reality he’s not.

This is one of the difficulties that comes with being a Christian. Trying to understand who is and who isn’t a real disciple of Christ.

We all know plenty of people who say they are disciples. They say they are followers or learners of Christ. That’s what a disciple means. But how do we know if they’re for real?

Parents, how do you know if your kids, who say all the right things and have the good answers from the Bible—how do you know if they’re for real in their love for God?

Kids, how do you know if your parents are for real? They say all the right things. They seem to know the Bible. But how do you know if they’re for real?

Perhaps for those of you listening today, you’re not sure that even you yourself are for real. How can you know?

Well, Jesus here gives us a fundamental indicator for discerning whether you or others are truly disciples of Jesus. And that indicator is continuing in or remaining in Jesus’ word.

A one-time profession of faith is not good enough evidence to tell whether a person’s for real. A one-time act of baptism is not good enough evidence to tell if someone’s for real. Neither is attending church, giving to the church, or teaching in church.

Jesus says the reliable mark of true discipleship is abiding in his word.

“The reliable mark of true discipleship is abiding in his word.”

Again, what does that mean for us? That means knowing the Bible, believing the Bible, and living out the Bible.

Now, note the tight connection here between Jesus and his word. You cannot say that you believe in Jesus if you do not believe in his word. You can’t pick and choose.

If you believe in Jesus, you believe his word. Furthermore, you cannot say you love Jesus if you do not love his word. You’re not abiding in it. And you cannot say you follow Jesus if you do not follow his word.

He’s too connected to his word.

Now, does a true disciple of Jesus abide in Jesus’ word perfectly? No. But abiding in Jesus’ word is a notable characteristic, and it is a growing characteristic of a true disciple of Jesus.

So for everyone here who professes to be a believer in Jesus, hear the word of Jesus directly to you: “If you yourselves—and the pronoun is emphatic in Greek—if you yourselves abide in Jesus’ word, then you are truly his disciple.”

That should be comforting for those of you who do walk with Christ. But that should be convicting for those of you who are not walking with Christ.

The Promise of Knowing the Truth

But there’s more. Because Jesus describes two blessings for the one persevering in his word. In verse 32: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

The truth and freedom are such buzzwords in American culture today. Every politician is talking about truth and freedom. But not just them—celebrities, media personalities, philosophers—all talking about truth. And even freedom.

Everyone today seems to be searching for truth—the truth, his truth, truth. Some claim to have found the truth, even truth that will set people free. Others despair of ever finding the truth, whether they’re wondering whether there even is such a thing as truth.

Lot of people talking about truth. But unlike many today who claim to offer freedom-giving truth but ultimately don’t know what they’re talking about and cannot deliver it, Jesus promises that those who remain in his word and prove his true disciples will know the truth.

What truth? Not merely scientific truth like E equals MC squared, or historical truth like Alexander the Great died of illness in 323 BC in Babylon.

What kind of truth, then? Divine truth. Universal truth. Saving truth. Truth that not only finally and reliably discloses to you the answers to the most fundamental questions of life—who are you? From where did you come? To where are you going? Why is the world the way that it is? What is God’s salvation? How do you receive it?—but also the truth that finally and reliably reveals God himself to you.

“Divine truth finally and reliably discloses to you the answers to the most fundamental questions of life.”

Because what is God in his essence? Truth.

The truth reveals God himself to you in Jesus Christ because he is God. Through the words of Jesus, you will not only come to know the most fundamental truths that you need to know, but you will know him who is the truth himself.

See, people are searching for ultimate, life-changing truth. But outside of Jesus, they will never find it. And that is because he is the truth.

Truth That Sets You Free

If you abide in Jesus’ word as his true disciple does, then you will know that truth. And knowing God’s truth in Jesus will have a noticeable effect on you.

For Jesus says at the end of verse 32: “And the truth will make you or set you free.”

Jesus promises his true disciples that if they will indeed continue in his word, they will experience a special kind of freedom that only comes from Christ’s truth. They will walk in the light of Christ and experience his eternal life. That’s another way to say it.

After all, knowing the truth of God is no mere academic exercise, though his truth does strongly engage our minds. To know God’s truth truly is also to experience God’s truth, even in a way that delivers you from all your worst enemies—namely, death, the devil, the judgment of God, the darkness of ignorance, the domination of sin.

This, then, is an incredible promise from Jesus: “You will know the truth, and it will set you free. You will know God’s truth, and it will transform you and fill your life with light and life.”

“You will know God’s truth, and it will transform you and fill your life with light and life.”

What a strong encouragement, then, to persevere in learning and obeying Jesus’ word. If you will do this, Jesus says, you will prove yourself my true disciple. You will know the truth, and you will experience true and lasting freedom.

Now, are you willing to respond to that kind of exhortation with obedience and persevering faith?

Objection: We Have Never Been Enslaved (v. 33)

One reason you might not is if you think you’re already experiencing true freedom without Jesus and without holding fast to his word. For this is the stance that Jesus’ supposedly new followers take in verse 33, where we see our second subheading.

We had 1A. Exhortation. One B. Objection.

Objection.

Look at verse 33: “They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and I’ve never yet been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say you will become free?’”

With just this one response, Jesus’ new disciples have already revealed they don’t have saving faith in Jesus. Their faith is incomplete.

“With just this one response, Jesus’ new disciples have already revealed they don’t have saving faith.”

How so?

Well, in this objection, they show that they’ve not understood—they have never understood—their own deep spiritual need or how Jesus is the only one who can fulfill it.

Notice Jesus has apparently struck a nerve by promising the Jews that they will become free if they stay in his teaching. Because this statement suggests that before or without perseverance in Jesus’ word, the Jews are not and have never been free. And that is a humbling idea that these Jews vehemently object to.

And notice how they do so by appealing to their status as descendants—or literally, the seed of Abraham—and they also connect that reality to the idea that they have never been slaves.

“Jesus, you implied with your exhortation that we have been slaves at some point, some kind of servitude. But we can tell you, as the seed of Abraham, we have never yet been enslaved to anyone.”

The Jews’ False Confidence

Now, if biblical history, this response from the believing Jews at first seems comical. Because how does Israel’s history as a nation begin? In the book of Exodus, with slavery.

Furthermore, in the Old Testament history and in intertestamental history, the Jews as a people are many times subjugated, enslaved, taken captive, taken into exile, or forced into a client kingdom relationship by a stronger power.

Even in Jesus’ day, the province of Judea is ultimately not under control of the Jews but under the control of Rome. So how can these Jews protest that they are not and have never been forced to serve anyone ever?

Likely, the Jews are not being stubbornly ignorant of their historical or political position. Rather, they are referring to their inward sense of freedom—like many Americans might do. They are even referring to their inward sense of spiritual privilege as Abraham’s seed.

After all, didn’t God declare to Israel in Exodus 19:5-6 that they—the chosen descendants of Abraham—were God’s own special possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation?

In other words, the Jews did not think of themselves inwardly, essentially, as slaves, but as royalty. “Whatever we may be on the outside, inwardly we have never been slaves. We are royalty.”

“The Jews did not think of themselves inwardly as slaves, but as royalty.”

Indeed, one first-century rabbi allegedly wrote that every Jew is a king’s son. Why? Because he’s a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Furthermore, a second-century section of the Jewish Talmud—which is the authoritative collection of oral tradition and biblical commentary in Judaism—asserts that hell has no power over the physical descendants of Abraham. Even this section bizarrely asserts that Abraham himself will come and rescue any circumcised Jew who inadvertently finds himself in hell because of sin.

Now, Jews today admit that this is a confusing passage and section of the Talmud. Even though it’s from the second century, we don’t know that the Jews in Jesus’ instance are believing that exactly. But its existence in the second century certainly gives some indication as to the kind of thoughts that may have been circulating even in Jesus’ own time.

Modern Parallels to False Confidence

Okay, then, these Jews who supposedly believe in Jesus are not conscious of any deep spiritual needs that they have that only Jesus can fulfill. They certainly do not see themselves as helpless, humiliated, pitiable slaves. And they make that clear to Jesus.

“Well, they descend from Abraham. With their commitment to keep God’s law from Torah, these Jews are confident that they are already acceptable to God. I mean, Jesus is a nice cherry on top. He makes a nice Messiah, especially if he’ll fulfill the people’s ambitions for political independence, miraculous prosperity. They can get behind that. They’ll believe in Jesus for that. But they don’t need Jesus to bring some soul-saving truth or deliverance from spiritual slavery. No, that’s just an offensive idea.”

Perhaps some of you are thinking something similar today. Perhaps you are confident that on your own you already are keeping God’s commands, or by your baptism, or taking communion, or association with the church, or a prayer that you once prayed, or maybe the prayers you pray every day, or you’re being raised in a Christian family—one or all those things are already enough to save you from hell.

Perhaps you think that Jesus will be a nice cherry on top. He’d be a nice perk if he can make your life go better, if he can relieve you from that naggy sense of guilt, he can deliver you from your constant anxieties. “Okay, okay, I can get behind Jesus. But you’re not really desperate for him because you’re not in desperate spiritual need.”

“You’re not really desperate for him because you’re not in desperate spiritual need.”

Perhaps you already, apart from Jesus, think of yourself as a child of God, a prince, princess in his kingdom. Definitely not a slave. Not a slave in eternal danger.

Well, if so, Jesus has the same clarification for you as he provides to his original listeners. Which is what we see in the last part of our text today, verses 34 to 36.

Clarification: Everyone Who Commits Sin Is a Slave (vv. 34-36)

1A. Exhortation. 1B. Objection. 1C. Clarification.

Clarification.

Start with verse 34: “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.’”

Notice here that Jesus pulls out one of his favorite phrases: “Truly, truly I say to you.”

Jesus pulls this phrase out when he’s about to say something shocking, but something that is particularly important for people to pay attention to and believe.

“I know this is going to shock you, but you got to believe it. What must people hear and believe? That everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

The Greek verb translated “commits” is a present participle. A present participle of the verb “to do” or “to make.”

Now, a participle is basically an “-ing” verb used as an adjective to emphasize continual or characteristic action of a person.

So we could translate this clause: “Everyone doing sin, everyone practicing sin, everyone who’s characteristically committing sin is the slave of sin.”

In other words, if sin is your practice, is your pattern, your habit, your characteristic behavior, then you are not religious royalty on the way to God’s kingdom. You are a sinful slave destined for eternal punishment.

“If sin is your practice, your pattern, your habit, you are not religious royalty—you are a sinful slave.”

Now, we sinners are really good at, or often are really good at, downplaying, excusing, ignoring our own sinfulness. “I’m not that bad.”

Examining Our Own Sinfulness

Let’s just meditate for a second. Let the full weight of Jesus’ startling pronouncement fall on you as you look at your own life and compare it to the standard of God and his law.

Any deviation from God’s standard or character is sin. That’s what sin is.

So think: Do you lie? Do you complain? Do you gossip? Do you use foul language? Do you tell or laugh at inappropriate jokes? Are you greedy for money or pleasure? Do you lust after other people’s bodies? Do you indulge in any form of sexual gratification outside of the marriage bed?

Do you often get angry? Do you fight? Do you seek vengeance? Do you unleash hurtful words? Do you give the silent treatment? Are you proud? Hateful? Judgmental? Are you always ready to critique and correct others, but very resentful if anyone tries to do that to you?

Are you consumed by discontent, jealousy, anxiety, hopelessness? Do you consistently blame God and others for failing to provide what you think you need? Are you an idolater? Is there something you regularly feel you cannot be happy without—whether it’s drugs or alcohol or video games or the approval of others or good grades or whatever?

Friends and brethren, if any of what I’ve just mentioned—and those are just examples, there’s more—if any of what I’ve just mentioned consistently marks your life, then realize you fit the category of Jesus’ statement. You are a doer or practicer of sin, which means you are the slave of sin.

“If any of these consistently marks your life, you are a doer of sin, which means you are a slave of sin.”

The examples I gave in comparison to God’s law are just the negative ones. There are positive commands too.

What about this? Ask yourself: Do you have consistent failure to love your enemies? To forgive? To be patient? To be generous? To work hard as unto the Lord? Because if not, that also marks you out as a slave of sin.

True Christians vs. False Christians and Sin

But “Pastor Dave, can’t true Christians, can’t true disciples of Jesus fall into seasons of sin or struggle to overcome certain sins in their lives for a time?” Of course they can. And of course they do. I’ve been there myself enough times in my life.

Don’t misunderstand me today. True followers of Christ do still sin. Jesus is not contradicting that.

What’s the difference, then, between those who know Jesus and those who only think they know Jesus when it comes to sin?

It’s this: True Christians don’t stay in patterns of sin. They are not content to do so. God’s spirit will not let them do so. They eventually break the habits of their particular sins. They put an end to those sins’ dominations in their lives. They make progress against these sins.

They use all the resources that God has given—his spirit, his word, and his church—to do spiritual battle against these sins. And eventually, little by little, sometimes they overcome.

Isn’t that what Jesus uses in the beginning of the book of Revelation when he’s promising all these rewards to those who follow him? He says, “He who overcomes.”

I also think of that passage in Pilgrim’s Progress when Christian is doing battle with the devil. He gets knocked down several times, but he doesn’t give up the fight. And eventually, he drives them off.

That’s the difference. True Christians never give up the fight, and they eventually overcome. Fake Christians don’t do that. Fake Christians are not motivated to do that, or they don’t believe they can do that.

“True Christians never give up the fight, and they eventually overcome. Fake Christians don’t do that.”

And perhaps that’s you today. Maybe you resonate with one of the examples of sin that I’ve shared, or maybe you have another example—a different sin pattern. And maybe nobody knows about it except you and God.

Even though you’ve tried to do right, you felt guilty, you’ve tried to get rid of this sin’s control over you, you find yourself unable to do so. You just keep going back to it. It’s like a master that you need to obey.

You’re seeing and feeling that this sin is wrecking you. It’s doing so much damage to you and to your relationships, even to your livelihood. But you just can’t seem to stop.

Why You Experience Spiritual Slavery

Why is this? Why is it that you are experiencing spiritual slavery?

It’s possible you simply don’t know or haven’t been willing to use the resources that God has given his believers in Christ to overcome. God has given you spiritual weapons that will help you win the battle. And you just keep leaving them on the rack.

You’re like, “But I don’t know how to use the weapons.” But you never ask anybody how. Maybe that’s it.

But maybe the explanation is what Jesus is talking about in our passage. The reason you experience spiritual slavery is because you are a spiritual slave. You are still walking in the original sin of Adam, his corruption passed down to you from the fall. It marks your life. And that’s why you keep going back to sin.

You may switch sins, but it’s just sin. Maybe from open sin to self-righteous sin. You are still a slave.

And one other explanation of it is that because you still love your sin and self more than God. After all, we always end up doing what we love deep down.

“You still love your sin and self more than God. We always end up doing what we love deep down.”

If you keep ending up doing sin, it’s because you still love it, even though it’s destroying you. You still love it. Don’t kid yourself.

If that’s the situation you’re in, don’t kid yourself like the Jews kid themselves here. They excuse their ongoing sins. They’re doing sin characteristically. They excused it by their good works in other areas. They excused it by their ancestry. They excused it by their participation in religious rituals like the Feast of Booths.

They thus held themselves in high esteem. They expected entrance into God’s dwelling place. But they were wrong. They were foolish.

Enslavement to sin is sure evidence that you are not headed to God’s kingdom at all.

The Slave and the Son: An Analogy of Inheritance

Yeah, notice now in the next verse Jesus is going to present a twist on the slavery metaphor. He’s going to alter it slightly to emphasize the predicament of anyone outside of Christ, but also the opportunity available to them in Christ.

Look at verse 35: “The slave does not remain in the house forever. The son does remain forever.”

What is Jesus saying here? He’s comparing the eternal inheritance situation of a sinner—of a practicer, a doer of sin—with the inheritance situation of a domestic slave in the ancient world.

After all, imagine if you were a slave, say, in a king’s household in ancient times. You would be foolish to expect that you would inherit your royal master’s wealth and position. What slave would do that? That’s not for you. That’s for the king’s son.

Furthermore, as a slave, if indeed you were a slave, even after years of service to your royal master, how much of what belongs to your master can you say you’ve earned or deserve and have a title to? You may desire it, but according to the standards of that time, you have no right to it. The king has no obligation to give you anything of his own. You’re just a slave.

The fact that the king wanted to sell you or get rid of you as a slave—that’d be hard, but that’d be his right. For as Jesus says, “The slave does not remain in the house forever.” That is, a slave has no lasting inheritance in his master’s house because he’s only a slave.

That’s a pitiable situation, isn’t it?

Jesus presents this as an analogy of the Jews’ and every sinner’s true condition before God. The Jews thought of themselves as royal sons ready to be brought in to God’s everlasting kingdom. But Jesus shows them—and us—by your disobedient, self-righteous living, you prove that you are not sons but in fact slaves. Slaves of sin.

“By your disobedient, self-righteous living, you prove you are not sons but slaves of sin.”

Therefore, you will receive no part in God’s coming kingdom.

But there is one of the royal master’s household who will receive the king’s inheritance and also has the power to free any slave and guarantee them an inheritance with them. Who would that be?

That would be the master’s son.

Jesus says, “The son does remain forever in the household. The son does have a lasting inheritance. He even has the authority to share that inheritance with freed slaves.”

What’s Jesus saying in this analogy? Jesus is describing himself in relation to desperate sinners like us.

On our own, not a single person in this room could do anything better than total slavery to sin all our lives, which means none of us could ever gain any expectation of eternal life with God. Rather, the opposite.

But if the son of God is willing to free us and give us a forever inheritance with his father, well, then how many of us here could be saved? All of us.

If the Son Makes You Free

This is Jesus’ point as he goes on to say in John 8:36: “So if the son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

How could it be otherwise? The son, with the authority given to him from his father, has the right to free, to give an inheritance, even to former lowly slaves to sin, which is what we all are or were outside of Jesus.

No one else in the household has the authority to contradict this intention from the son. Therefore, the son, Jesus, the son of God—anyone set free by him, and truly only those set free by the son—they will be, no doubt about it, truly free forever.

“Anyone set free by the Son—and truly only those set free by the Son—will be truly free forever.”

And the great news is this: This potential, theoretical situation that we’ve just described in John 8:35-36, Jesus has already told us that this is his intention for all his true disciples.

He’s already told us in John 8:31-32: What did he say? “If you will believe and persevere in my word, you will prove yourself my true disciple. You will know the truth. You’ll even know me who is the truth in himself. And the truth will set you free.”

That is a promise from God himself to anyone who will respond.

So what should you do? What should you and I do? Take him up on that offer. Amen.

You should heed Christ’s exhortation. You should take up his amazingly generous offer. And you should persevere in the word of Christ.

Doing this means you must first recognize what the Jews were not willing to recognize. You must first recognize that apart from Christ, you are a doomed slave of sin, destined not for heaven, not for God’s kingdom, but for eternal destruction in hell.

You are not able to do any good on your own. You fall far short of God’s standard. As Romans 6 says—the passage we read earlier—all you’ve earned by your slavery to sin is what? Death. You haven’t earned a place in God’s kingdom. You’ve earned death.

And the worst part is you cannot even hope to change your sinful, doomed condition.

But what’s the other part of Romans 6:23 say? “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Therefore, turn and receive that gift. Believe in Jesus. Recognize that only Jesus, the son of God, has the power to free you from your slavery. And this is what he does for all those who entrust themselves to him and trust themselves wholly to him.

When you give up whatever it is that you’re trusting in to bring you salvation, then you can receive the free gift of salvation that is in Christ.

As many a preacher has said, Jesus not only sets you free from the penalty of your sin, but he also frees you from the power of sin over you presently. And one day, he will free you from the presence of sin when he brings you into his kingdom. You will be free indeed if you will turn to Jesus.

But remember, as we saw, true saving faith is a persevering faith. It’s faith that makes a person stay in Jesus’ word, wanting to know it, believing it, doing it.

It means if you truly believe in Jesus, you cannot also hold on to your practices of sin. And why would you want to?

As Paul says again in Romans 6: “What true benefit were you gaining while you were serving sin as a slave? The outcome of that was death. But now that you’ve been set free as a slave to Christ and to righteousness, now you derive your benefit. Now you experience life.”

Bible commentator D.A. Carson well describes the state of the freed believer when he says: “True freedom is not the liberty to do anything we please, but the liberty to do what we ought. And it is genuine liberty because doing what we ought now pleases us. To be freed up to righteousness, to be freed up to follow God—that’s true freedom.”

Amen.

The Cost of Freedom: The Cross

But perhaps a thought now occurs to you, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it seem like it’s a little too easy? I mean, how can Jesus just suddenly grant me spiritual freedom and inheritance like with a snap of his fingers? Isn’t that arbitrary? Shouldn’t somebody somewhere have to pay some kind of cost?

Oh, but someone did.

After all, like we said in the beginning, freedom isn’t free. Someone must pay for your freedom. Yes, even die for it.

And that is what Jesus did on the cross for you if you believe in him.

Though he was the perfect, kingdom-inheriting son in God’s household, Jesus died in the place of sinful slaves like you, like me. And in doing so, Jesus supernaturally exchanged his perfect life of righteousness with the utterly sin-stained records of each one of us—each one of us who believe in him.

“Jesus supernaturally exchanged his perfect life of righteousness with the sin-stained records of each one of us.”

He suffered the hellish penalty for that record once and for all on the cross, paid off the whole thing, suffering to the point of death. And then he rose again three days later, which was incontrovertible evidence that his sacrifice on behalf of his true disciples was accepted by the Father.

And they are free.

Now, what does that mean? It means that if you believe in Jesus, all your sins—past, present, future—they’ve been washed away. There’s now no condemnation in Christ Jesus.

You can never be lost from God’s salvation, not only because your sins have been dealt with once and for all, but you are now clothed in the very righteousness of the Son of God.

Which means that when God looks at you as a true disciple of Jesus, he doesn’t see your record. He sees Jesus’ record. And he thus pronounces you righteous, justified, acceptable.

That one’s going into the kingdom.

With the work of Jesus on the cross, with his resurrection, John 8:36 proves absolutely true: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

Responding to Christ’s Invitation

This is an amazing message, an amazing invitation from the Son of God, which is given here to fake believers, shoddy followers.

Now, we’re going to see next time they won’t take him up on his amazing invitation. Jesus knows they won’t. But we today, hearing this word, we have the opportunity to respond differently.

How will you respond?

I pray that it’s with genuine trust in Jesus as the only savior, as your lord, even a trust that is demonstrated by your committed perseverance in his word.

“Genuine trust in Jesus as the only savior is demonstrated by committed perseverance in his word.”

Closing Prayer

Let’s close in prayer.

Lord, we thank you for this word. In many ways, it is an offensive word. Who wants to be told you are a slave of sin? The sin in your life marks you out as a slave of sin.

But God, if we will recognize that truth, then we can turn to where there is true freedom. And that is in Jesus Christ.

God, I pray for those who are indeed still slaves of sin but have heard this message, that they will respond as your heart desires, which is with repentance and faith, giving up the sin, embracing Jesus Christ, and saying, “He’s the master now. I want to walk in his freedom.”

I pray, God, for those who do know you and yet don’t experience the spiritual freedom that they will see what they have in Jesus Christ. Those sins that press upon them, those temptations that are all around them—they say, “I can’t resist. I can’t hold up. I can’t overcome.”

They would see Jesus says differently: “You are free indeed in the son.”

I pray, God, that they would use the resources that you’ve given them—your word, your spirit, the brothers and sisters in the church—so they will experience spiritual freedom.

And I pray, God, for those who are experiencing that spiritual freedom, that they would give you thanks, that they would not forget, Lord, where they came from and what they are. What we are, God, apart from your saving intervention, we are the lowliest, most despicable slaves who were never going into your kingdom.

But you freed us, and you gave us an inheritance.

Lord, cause us to live lives worthy of such an amazing reality. And God, give us that heart and that boldness that says, “This is a message too good to keep to myself. It must be shared.”

God, give us this message of freedom to those who are still not experiencing that in our country, right here.

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