John 8:31-36

What does Freedom mean?

  • When asking someone this in our culture you can expect an answer similar to this one: Being able to do what I want when I want.

  • Oxford Languages defines Freedom as: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

  • But as believers this definition should make us pause and question. We know that we’re free, but we can’t just go around and do what we want whenever we want. There are things Jesus commands us to do and not to do.

  • Well then maybe knowing what the opposite of Freedom is can help us understand better.
    Obviously the opposite of Freedom is slavery. In this story that’s what the Pharisees identified as the opposite of Freedom when they asked “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?”

  • But again as believers that should make us pause
    Romans 6:18 says
    18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

  • And not just that, throughout the New Testament we see church leaders such as Paul, James, Simon Peter and Jude all refer to themselves as “Slaves to Christ”

    Well then…

What is Biblical Freedom?

  • To understand how the Bible sees freedom here is an analogy:
    There are two children both with a piano, one child banging on the keys randomly attempting to play it, the other child follows an instructor that disciplines and guides him in the purpose and use of a piano.

  • Who is more free?

  • Obviously the child with the instructor, the instructor teaches the child the purpose and discipline that is needed to play the piano.

  • In this analogy the piano is our lives and Jesus is the instructor.

  • When we accept Jesus to be our instructor he will teach us the discipline and purpose that he created for our lives and as we understand the truth we become free. This allegory helps us understand 2 things…

    1. Freedom is derived from understanding the truth of God’s purpose for us

    2. We are not our own

  • The irony of Biblical Freedom is that who we’re a slave to is what determines whether or not we’re free
    Romans 6:16 says

    16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?

  • We were born into slavery. Owned by our own sinful desires, a cruel master. And Jesus set us free from that! We now belong to him and we choose to obey him! And because we’re a slave of whatever we obey we’re now slaves to Jesus and righteousness.

  • Paul, James, Peter, Jude they all were free! And they were slaves to Christ. The same as us because we choose to obey him!

  • Biblical Freedom is a paradox, and its true nonetheless!

  • A rough definition of Biblical Freedom is this:
    The state of no longer being subject to sin by entering into the family of God through the son, subject (slave) to the will of God.

  • This is Biblical Freedom! But we know Freedom isn’t Free so…

What does it Cost?

To answer this lets finish the rest of the story in John.

John 8:33-47

  • In this story we see a repetition of the Pharisees making claims of what they perceive to be true and Jesus responding, correcting them while revealing truths about their spiritual state.

  • Biblical Freedom will cost us what the pharisees in this story were unwilling to give up… our preconceived notions of truth.

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