Set Free by Christ — Lynsey Bock

I feel like I used to be better about remembering things, but something about regular sleep interruptions and living with a tiny, adorable tyrant makes me feel like my mind is about as sharp as a cotton ball, not a tack. I spend an inordinate part of each day searching for my lost keys, cell phone, or chapstick.

Recently, one of the things I’m most forgetful about is turning the hose off. My husband set up this nice irrigation system for our garden so we can just leave the water on for about 15 minutes and all our plants are watered. I usually just set a timer to remind me to turn the hose off when it's done. It’s been really awesome, except for the part where I’m busy when the time is up, so I stop the timer and then forget to actually turn the hose off. I think the longest I’ve left it on for so far is about...3 hours. Now, it’s been unusually hot here for the last few weeks, so the plants haven't been complaining about the extra moisture! Our water bill, on the other hand, is probably not going to be pretty. We will, quite literally, be paying the price for forgetfulness.

Spiritual forgetfulness is another problem that's easy to slip into as a believer, and it comes with a price. When we don't meditate on the promises of God's Word, we lose sight of the core doctrines of who Jesus is and live as slaves when Christ has set us free.

When we’re struggling with sin and feel discouraged that we’ll never have victory over it, we’ve forgotten that Christ has set us free from sin so that we’re free to obey God. When we allow other people, or our successes or failures, to define our identities we’re buying into Satan’s lies and forgetting that Jesus has freed us from such deceptions so that we can believe the truth of God’s Word. When we live only for today, or in fear of tomorrow, we’ve failed to remember that Christ has set us free from finite lives that end in death so that we can live for eternity.

We’re continuing our series on the “I am” statements of Jesus from the Gospel of John. Today, we’re looking at John 8:30-59, where Jesus declared, “Before Abraham was, I am,” to remind ourselves of the freedom we have given because of who Christ is.

Free From Sin

30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

This passage begins with a group of people who had heard Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees in the temple from v. 12-29. They found Jesus’ words compelling in some way and “believed” him, but, as we’re going to see, their belief was incomplete. It wasn’t the responsive, transformative faith of salvation. These people who “believed” began to question Jesus and quickly became just as antagonistic toward him and his teachings as the Pharisees had been:

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

These Jews couldn’t see that, although they weren’t enslaved to people, they were still enslaved to their sin. They were descendents of Abraham, but they lived like children of the Devil because they were trapped in their unrighteousness.

Being united with the Son allows us to remain in the house of God as his adopted children forever. Believers who have been saved and received the Holy Spirit live according to the teachings of Jesus: our lives are transformed by the truth of who he is. We are seen as blameless before God and are free to obey him. We no longer have to live as slaves to sin, so we are free to obey God. We still live in a fallen world and will struggle with temptation, but the Holy Spirit is always at work, transforming us into the image of Christ and changing our hearts to desire to obey God.

Free From Deception

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

The Jews were proud to be descendents of Abraham, but their physical heritage was not enough. They were drawn in by Satan’s lies, so they could not receive Jesus as the Son of God,. They persecuted him instead, making pointed comments about his possibly illegitimate parentage, and, eventually, carrying out a plot to have him killed. If they were Abraham’s children, they would have loved Jesus and received his teachings.

As believers, we have the Holy Spirit at work in us so that we can see the truth, Satan will still try to deceive us with lies. We could be tempted to believe that God doesn't care about us, or that we're better than other people. We might feel the pull to live for whatever makes us happy, regardless of what God calls us to. These are evil lies, and, because we've been set free by Christ, we don't have to believe them. We no longer have to be deceived, and are free to believe the life-giving truth contained in God’s Word.

Free From Death

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

If you got to the part of this passage where the people pick up stones to throw at Jesus and were confused about why they were so angry, you need some context from Exodus 3:13-15. There, God called out to Moses from the burning bush and told him he would use him to save the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt:

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

When Moses asked, God told him that his name was “I am” (which is also sometimes translated as “I am what I am” or “I will be what I will be”). This is God’s most holy name, the meaning of which is meant to represent God’s eternal nature: he has and will always exist without beginning or end. When Jesus said “...before Abraham was, I am” (v. 58) he was claiming the same eternal existence that God had revealed about himself to Moses. God the Father, Son, and Spirit have always existed in perfect oneness: before Jesus’ incarnation, before God appeared to the Jewish patriarchs like Moses and Abraham, and even before the creation of the world. But the crowd did not receive what Jesus taught them and were filled with rage because of what he said. They believed he was blaspheming against God, so they tried to stone him to death.

In Genesis 12:2-3 and 22:17-18, Abraham heard and received the promise from God that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his offspring, and he was filled with joy at the thought. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of that promise that was made to Abraham. Through Jesus, all believers, from all nations (not just Israel), can become a part of God’s family and receive eternal life. Because Jesus is the Son of God and is God, he is able to offer a path to eternal life to those who believe in and follow him. The Son knows the Father and keeps his commands with perfect obedience.

When we receive Christ as our savior, we believe in Him and receive Christ’s perfect righteousness and the hope of eternity with God. We no longer have to fear death, so we are free to live for eternity. We are given a purpose: to live in obedience to God to love, honor, and glory him. We serve others, not just our own desires because we know that rewards will await us in heaven. We have hope because we know that Jesus will return to right the wrongs and make all things new.

It's all too easy to fall into a season of spiritual forgetfulness. We can slide back into enslavement to sin, deception, and death without even realizing it. If you've been stuck in one of those seasons, take a moment to thank God for the freedom you have because of Christ. Ask God to give you a desire to meditate on and be transformed by his Word, so that you can live joyfully as his beloved child.

Father, thank you for sending your Son so that we can live, not as slaves, but as your beloved children. Thank you for freeing us from our captivity to sin, deception, and death. Help us to remember Christ's sacrifice in our place, and to live like we are truly free. Please give me a desire to meditate on your Word, and transform my heart through the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen.