The Truth Shall Make You Free (Protestant/Evangelical Caucus and Devotional)

Ligonier Ministries ^ | 4/20/2017

[Gamecock]

Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (v. 34). - John 8:31-38

In our study of the Reformational view of divine grace, we have emphasized the power of God’s grace to save and the way in which His grace has been revealed in His covenants with His people. There is more to be said, however, particularly regarding grace and its relation to the nature of human beings and their wills. So that we might get a better grasp of the human condition and divine grace, we will now spend a few days considering the issues of grace, human freedom, and sin with the help of Willing to Believe, a teaching series by Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Scripture, we have seen, describes us as dead in sin apart from the grace of God (Eph. 2:1–3), meaning that we are unable to do any spiritual good unless the Lord intervenes. This is not a popular teaching in our day, but those who would resist our deadness in sin have an argument with Jesus Himself. As is evident in today’s passage, Paul’s view of our deadness in sin was not original to him. Jesus taught the same thing during His earthly ministry.

John 8:31–38 describes the umbrage that many first-century Jews took when Jesus told them they were enslaved. Hearing that they were slaves, many of our Lord’s contemporaries responded in astonishment, for they were children of Abraham who had never personally experienced slavery. They lived long after the days of Israel’s slavery in Egypt and dwelled in their homeland without being bought and sold by slave masters. But the slavery that Christ spoke of was not physical bondage; rather, He was talking about slavery to sin: “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (v. 34). Many first-century Jews saw themselves as inherently better than Gentiles. They took pride in their status as God’s chosen people and believed that they were not sinners as the Gentile heathen were (see Gal. 2:15–21, where Paul adopts this view for the sake of arguing against it). That understanding, however, had no basis in Scripture or the history of Israel. So, Jesus and the Apostles preached the radical message that all people are sinners and enslaved to wickedness until God acts to free them (John 8:36; Rev. 1:5).

It may not be popular to believe that all people are enslaved, but God’s Word tells us that everyone is a slave/servant either to sin or to Christ (see Rom. 1:1, for example). Sinners believe that they can be free without being a slave of Christ, but ironically, seeking freedom outside of Christ leads only to greater bondage to sin and death (Gal. 4:21–31)

Coram Deo

Sin is a harsh master, leading its slaves finally to death. Christ, however, is a kind master who gives us an easy yoke. His servants will not experience eternal death but eternal life. If we think that we can find freedom and life outside of Christ, we are fooling ourselves, so let us cast aside our sin and look for life only in Jesus. He alone can satisfy us this day and every day.

Passages for Further Study

Lamentations 1:1 How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave.

Romans 6:15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

2 Peter 2:19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

[Gamecock]

Ping

[Arlis]

“A verse taken out of context is a pre-text....”

Good word here from our brother Sproul, as usual.

Just would like to add one point about the use of “the truth will set you free”. This statement is almost always taken totally out of context.

Years ago I was asked to speak for a whole week on John 8:32 in a Christian conference.....what a challenge! Only time in my life where I was asked to speak on one verse.

As I sought the Lord for His mind and heart, I quickly saw that these words are PRECEEDED by a conditional clause: “IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD......” or “if you are those WHO continue in my word, abide in my word....” You cannot separate vs. 31 from vs. 32. It is this kind of practice from which all error comes.

It is error to think the truth - by and of itself - will set us free. It does not. By itself, it only holds us accountable - but we are not transformed by it - UNLESS we are those who are ABIDING IN His word!

What does “abiding in....” mean? It means that’s where we LIVE, where we DWELL - our HOME. Only when we are truly dwelling continually in His Word does the truth transform us - and set us free.

Just a thought........