Protestors vs. Pursuers
Be Free Indeed!

Scripture Reading: John 8:31-36

Key Verse: John 8:32

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Many Jews rejected Jesus and all His teachings.  But some Jews did believe and followed Him, as our scripture reading tells us today.  Jesus challenged these Jews to “hold to His teaching.”  That is the key, not only to receive His teaching as truth but then continue in it throughout life.  When we hold to His teaching, consistently living it, Jesus promised that we would know “truth and this truth would set us free.”

            Being a believer doesn’t mean we never have questions.  These Jews who had believed didn’t understand Jesus’ talk of freedom at first.  They asked Jesus: We have never been slaves, how can you say that we shall be set free?  Jesus pointed them to the truth that they were able to see: Anyone who sins is a slave to sin!

            Our world has this same blind spot; they don’t realize the slavery of sin.  Sin is a slow boil.  Sin is pleasurable for a season but then it turns on us and wrecks our lives.  The drugs that make a person forget about their problems for a few moments but then drag their victims into horrible addictions; the sexual pleasures, outside or marriage, can seem so good at the moment, but afterwards leave a sting of ruined lives in its trail.  Pursuer, keep looking for truth, you’ll find it in Jesus.

Father, thank you for your steadfast love and truth that sets a captive free!  I praise you for Jesus and the life I’ve found in Him!  In Jesus’ name, amen.