Tuesday, October 27, 2015
John 8:31-36 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." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
THE TRUTH THAT SETS SINNERS FREE (2)
What Dr. Luther was writing and fighting about in the Reformation was not just cold doctrine. It was all very practical, with down-to-earth meaning for each of us.
Think of freedom. What is more precious than freedom? Patriotic Americans take pride in living "in the land of the free and the home of the brave." Wars have been fought and lives lost in defense of freedom. In courts and voting booths battles are regularly "fought" in defense of this or that civil right or freedom.
If freedom is a special commodity in the area of the political or secular, it is even more so in the realm of the spiritual. In our text 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."
You see, Jesus knew the desire of all people -- including the Jews of that day -- to be free. He wanted them, and all of us, to learn that sinners by nature are not free. Rather, they are "sold under sin" (Romans 7:14), "the servants of unrighteousness," "the children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), thus children of Satan and candidates for hell.
Enter the wonder of God's gospel! It teaches about a gracious and merciful God who so desired sinners to be FREE from the curse of sin, death, Satan, and hell that He had His unique Son shed His innocent blood on the cross. Thus did Jesus win forgiveness of sin for all; thus did He purchase our eternal freedom.
A familiar Christmas hymn of the Reformer captures the "freedom" thrust of the Lutheran Reformation in words such as:
This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free.
Knowing that truth sets souls free -- free indeed! Hallelujah!
