MADE FREE IN CHRIST
JOHN 8:31-37
John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
Introduction:
The premise here spoken by the Lord is: “If the Son therefore shall make you free,..” That is, if you have received or will receive Jesus Christ as Savior then you may claim the promise of freedom from the curse of sin. The AVERAGE BELIEVER has difficulty in learning how to avoid the CONTROLLING, DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF SIN in his life. SATAN REJOICES in our IGNORANCE of God’s Word which enables him TO INFLUENCE the believer much more.
Consider the following thoughts regarding freedom from the condemning power of sin, of works, and of death.
I. WE HAVE BEEN MADE FREE OF THE CONDEMNING POWER OF SIN
A. Sin is NOT to be ALLOWED TO DOMINATE the life of a believer, Romans 6:12, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”
1. Sin is NOT YOUR MASTER is it? Romans 6:16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
2. DETERMINE NOT TO ALLOW SIN TO CONTROL your life because it will make life bitter, Numbers 33:55, “But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.”
B. The believer has the POWER TO RESIST temptation to sin, 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
1. There is NOTHING UNCOMMON about temptation; everyone is tempted, James 1:13-14, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
2. Blessed is the man that ENDURES temptation, James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
II. WE HAVE BEEN MADE FREE OF THE CONDEMNING POWER OF WORKS
A. BEFORE salvation the external suffering, misfortune, evil, and affliction for sins, WORKED TO BRING US to death, Romans 7:5, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”
B. RELIGION teaches man TO WORK for his salvation CONTRARY to Scripture, Romans 4:3-5, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
1. Abraham ENJOYED FREEDOM FROM WORKS for salvation by BELIEVING the Word of God, John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
2. Works ENSLAVE man while FAITH FREES him, John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
III. WE HAVE BEEN MADE FREE OF THE CONDEMNING POWER OF DEATH
A. Death came BY THE SIN of man, Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
B. FREEDOM from death came BY the SECOND MAN, Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:21, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”
1. In Adam ALL DIE, 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
2. In Jesus Christ ALL WHO BELIEVE are made ALIVE, Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
C. In Christ we are FREE OF THE STING of death to enjoy Christ’s VICTORY OVER DEATH, 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
1. Death is swallowed up in victory, Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”
2. It is the “final overthrow of the king of Terrors,” Hebrews 2:15, “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
3. The real freedom from death and the privilege to enter the New Jerusalem, is to have your name written in the Lamb’s book of life, Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb‘s book of life.”