John 8:21-36 "Then said JESUS again unto them, I go MY way, and ye shall seek ME, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will HE kill HIMSELF ? because HE saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And HE said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I AM from above: ye are of this world; I AM not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM HE, ye shall die in your sins. Then said they unto HIM, WHO art THOU ? And JESUS saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but HE that sent ME is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of HIM. They understood not that HE spake to them of the FATHER.
Then said JESUS unto them, When ye have lifted up the SON of MAN, then shall ye know that I AM HE, and that I do nothing of MYSELF; but as MY FATHER hath taught ME, I speak these things. And HE that sent ME is with ME: the FATHER hath not left ME alone: for I do always those things that please HIM. As HE spoke these words, many believed on HIM. Then said JESUS to those Jews which believed on HIM, If ye continue in MY WORD, then are ye MY disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered HIM, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest THOU, Ye shall be made free ? JESUS answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the SON abideth ever. If the SON therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain unalienable right; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Those words, as set forth in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, beat in the heart of every American patriot. Freedom is described as: "The ability to make choices and to carry them out." The greatest freedom of all is deliverance from sin; JESUS CHRIST speaks of this spiritual freedom in today's text. In John chapter eight, the LORD JESUS reveals HIMSELF to mankind as the great LIBERATOR. HE frees believers from death and from slavery to sin, and the basis for that emancipation is Calvary's cross. All through the Gospel of John, the LORD had the cross before HIM, and today's passage reveals that deliverance from death and from slavery to sin was based on the fact that JESUS was going to die in order to pay the penalty for the sin of the world (vv.28,36 cf. John 1:29).
"When ye have lifted up the SON of MAN, then shall ye know that I AM HE" (v.28a) - the cross work of CHRIST enables the lost sinner to find salvation and the saved believer to find true purpose in life by becoming a "disciple indeed" (v.31). Those who continue in the WORD of GOD can experience freedom from the powerful grip of sin in their daily life: "If ye continue in MY WORD, then are ye MY disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (vv.31-32). Sin is a cruel taskmaster, but JESUS CHRIST offers mankind freedom from sin's captivity. Because of the cross, we have the unalienable right to possess spiritual life, liberty, joy and peace. JED
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
Used with permission. www.feastoday.org
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