Title: Bondage or Liberty
Text: John 8: 31-36
Date: February 27, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
As the Lord preached the gospel, John 8: 30: says that "many did believe on him”.
John 8: 31: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed 32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free
But as soon as he said this those who did not believe, protested what he said, it was an offense to them:
John 8: 33: They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
By this answer they manifest they were in bondage more than they knew.
John 8: 34: Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35: And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36: If the Son therefore make you free then are you free indeed.
Divisions are our title: Bondage and Liberty
I. WHAT IS BONDAGE?
A. Christ said Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
John 16:9: Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 3: 19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Those who do not believe on the Lord are the “servants”—slaves of sin: “he that is the servant of sin, abides not in the house for ever;" (See Galatians 3: 40—the bondman is cast out)
Bondage to sin is being under the curse of the law, under the power of the law of sin and death. A sinner has no power to escape this bondage of the curse of the law. He is under the threats of the curse constantly
You may consider yourself moral or obedient to the law of God. Paul said, “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?” (Ga 4:21). Do you hear the law? To all who yet under the curse the law says: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." (Gal 3: 10).
This is true of not only to the sinner who lives a profane life, but even to those who are the straightest—
· However strict you may observe the law
· However perfect your outward obedience to the law may be
· However moral and upright you think you are
· The law says, “Cursed, cursed, cursed!”
James 2:10: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
The law puts all men on the same ground—
Romans 3: 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 ¶ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
The only way not to be under the law and its condemnation is to be under the blood,under grace, in Christ by faith. Outside of Christ there is one common verdict of all men:
Romans 8: 23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
II. THEN WHAT IS FREEDOM? WHAT IS LIBERTY?
Liberty is spiritual freedom.—freedom by being born of God’s Spirit. Every person made free by Christ, is freed from the law so that the law cannot and must not pronounce one curse against him.
The believer sins—sin is mixed with all we do—yet there is no curse. No threats of the law shall ever be executed upon one for whom Christ died. Why not?
Galatians 3: 13: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Isa 53:6…the LORD hath laid on Christ the iniquity of (all his straying sheep.)
1 Peter 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
Therefore in perfect harmony with absolute justice, with the iniquity of his children on him, bearing the sins of his children in his own body on the tree…
Isa 53:5…he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
1 Peter 2:24:…that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Illustration: King David—committed adultery, murder—the LORD promised correction for David’s sin—it resulted in much harm to his house. To one not redeemed from the curse of the law, for the same offense the law says, “Cursed!” But to David: 2 Samuel 12:13: And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”
Liberty! This does not make a believer desire to sin, it breaks our heart and draws us nearer to the Lord. Listen to David,
Psalm 51: 1: «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.» Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Romans 6: 1: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
No believer—truly made free by Christ—has any desire to live in sin. We hate sin. Sin breaks our heart and makes us flee to our Redeemer.
It is not that we are without transgression in our flesh, but there is no condemnation, not even the remembrance of sin by God.
Romans 8: 1: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3: For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Wherefore the Spirit bears witness in the heart of the believer promising:
Hebrews 8: 12: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
1. By his blood atonement, Christ has delivered us from the penalty of sin.
2. By the application of his atonement to our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, our consciences are purged from the guilt of sin.
3. In regeneration, we are delivered from sin’s dominion.
4. When we die, we shall be freed from the body and being of sin into“the glorious liberty of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:23).
Liberty in Christ means that because Christ has done all our work for us, his Spirit shall abide with us and be our strength all our days.
Isaiah 26: 12: LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. (the margin reads “for us”)
Will this make a man cease to serve the Lord. No, it is the only message that makes the believer truly obedient from the heart—it makes men glorify God in their body and in their spirit because they are not their own but bought with a price—the precious blood of Christ Jesus the Lord. Whatever God calls us to do—we glory in Christ, because the Holy Spirit, is our ever-present strength. His Spirit refreshes, revives, guides, holds us up. He says to the believer--"My grace is sufficient for thee, and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness."
Application: How do I obtain this freedom?
Christ came to where they were and spoke into their hearts.
John 8: 30: As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Has he spoken his word reconciliation into your heart by the Holy Spirit?
· “Justified” replaced “condemned”?
· “Righteous” replaced “cursed”?
· “Peace” replaced “torment”?
· “Redemption” replaced “bondage?”
Has he created new life to spring up in you? How do I know? Do you find yourself believing on him? Has his word come with power making you want to forsake all your vain refuge and be found in him. If so then confess him and continue in him!
John 8: 31: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free….36: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
You shall abide in his house forever!
Amen!