John 8:34
“ Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.”
James explains the process of sin,
James 1:14-16
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”
The gist of what he is saying is, while sin promises to bring pleasure, it can only produce death. We have all found that to be true. We all face temptations, and those temptations make promises, but when sin gets its hooks in us, we find that it really destroys. We find that instead of serving us, we are the slaves of sin. One of the worst elements of slavery is the hopelessness it produces. When a person is bound up in sin, they see no way out. They may have resolved over and over to quit, but the grip of sin is too great, and they find themselves bound to it once again.
Into this hopeless scene, Jesus enters with a message to liberate captives. Earlier, He declared He came to set the captives free.
John 8:31-32
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”
Jesus promises, what resolve, counseling, even incarceration have been unable to do, He will accomplish through His Word. The process is in two parts. First, believe in Him. When you do, He will come into your life and wash the guilt, and penalty of your sins, away from you. Second, abide in His Word. The same Word that spoke the world into existence, healed the lame and the blind, and even raised the dead, is the same Word that can transform your life. It can unloose the grip sin has on you, giving you true freedom and a fresh start.
Today, if you find yourself enslaved by sin, I am sure you have lost a great deal in life because of it. You have given up personal freedom, and both negatively and drastically, impacted those who you love. I am sure you have also tried everything to be set free. You may even feel like the Pharisees who said;
“How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” John 8:33
Rather than question the promises of Jesus, how about obeying them? Let’s determine together that we will receive Him and daily dive into His Word, trusting that He will transform our lives.
Pastor Jim
Questions for John 8
- What was the Pharisees purpose for bringing the woman caught in adultery to Jesus?
- Interestingly, there is no mention of the man that she was committing adultery with. Why do you think he was not also brought to Jesus?
- What qualification did Jesus say a person had to meet to be the first to throw a stone at the woman? Was there anyone present who met that qualification? If so what did they do?
- What is the singular remedy that is provided for removal of sin? (verse 24)
- In verse 29, what guiding principle do we see that governs Jesus’ life and actions? Are you also governed by this principle?
- Read verses 31-37. Freedom and slavery are discussed. What must a person do to be free? What will cause a person to be a slave of sin?
- Although all people are God’s children in the sense that He is their maker and Creator, not all people are God’s children in the sense that they are born again, forgiven of sin, and adopted into his family. Read verses 38-47. According to the text, what are some evidences that God is your Father?
- Notice that this chapter begins and ends with an attempt to stone someone. What similarities are there between these two instances? What differences are there?
Old Testament:
Numbers 33- Abundant Life
Numbers 34- Innumerable Promises
Have you ever heard someone ask, “What’s in it for me?” As if they will not consider the cost of doing something, unless they can understand the personal benefits they will derive. In light of that, notice how Solomon goes to great lengths to express the benefits of living a godly life.
Sin is a killer. It is guilty of taking the spiritual life from all of us. God warned Adam that if he disobeyed the command of God and partook of what was forbidden, he would die. While many years transpired before his physical death, the moment Adam sinned, he experienced spiritual death, or separation from God. Since we are sons and daughters of Adam, we have all joined him in his sin and its consequences. The remedy for that condition is faith in Christ. The moment we put our trust in the work of Christ on the cross, our sins are forgiven, and we who were dead in sin, come alive to God. Jesus called that being “born again.” Paul calls it being raised with Christ. Since this is such a miraculous event, it should have tremendous impact on the way we live our lives. Paul goes on to give a series of exhortations, all predicated on the fact that, we who were dead have been made alive.
Jim Gallagher 