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FREEDOM IN CHRIST (Pt. 4)

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Mobile Suit Gundam is often regarded as the godfather of mecha anime and manga, but it also addresses significant social issues. In one series, orphans, referred to as “Human Debris,” are captured as spoils of war and forced into a lower caste system. Even after they are freed from this system, they remain poverty-stricken and emotionally scarred, making it challenging for them to lead normal lives.

In life, there are several ways to repay our debts to society. We have diets for those struggling with food issues, relationships for those dealing with depression, and financial resources for those burdened by boredom. How you pay your debt determines how free you are. Unfortunately, not all payments guarantee true freedom. Guilt can’t pay for sin, shame can’t pay for addictions, and good behavior can’t pay for pride.

Jesus tries to get that message to his listeners. They trusted him as a good teacher, thus far, but Jesus needed to set the record straight. No amount of family tree tracing or religious upbringing can free you from the captivity of sin. There’s only one remedy. First, Jesus urges his audience to trust his words as a reality. If they could rely on him for the truth, they would be on the path to freedom (32). Next, Jesus invites his audience to be saved by entrusting themselves to him (36). He guarantees freedom to anyone who listens. But even with such a clear recipe for salvation, most of his audience will opt to condemn him (37).

The path to freedom begins with accepting Jesus as a reliable guide and allowing Him to work within you. No matter how many shortcuts or methods seem like the way to freedom, Jesus is only confident in his way.

FIGURE IT OUT:

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[b] 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.” (John 8:31-38)

  1. Circle any words or phrases that stand out to you. What is their significance?
  2. Jesus is speaking to an audience that “believed” him. Why is this teaching such a hard pill to swallow?
  3. If the listeners had accepted Jesus’ offer of freedom, what would their lives have been like from this point onward?

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