John
8:31-38 (NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold
to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free."
33 They
answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of
anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"
34
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it
forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you
are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no
room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's
presence, and you do what you have heard from your father."
NOTE: They are
really two groups here, a group that believes, and a group that does not
believe. The promise of the Word's effect is given to believers. In my own
life, when I was religious, I read the bible at times but saw little effect on
my life. When I became a believer, reading the bible completely transformed my
life. The word is powerful both in a believer and in an unbeliever's life. But
transformation and freedom from the slavery to sin is only promised to the
believer who diligently seeks God in His word. The unbelieving crowd, to a
certain extent, prove the limited effect of the word on their lives. They
misinterpret Jesus' words and get angry at the thought that they could be
slaves to anyone. Their argument, while aimed at the wrong thing, doesn't even
make sense. They have been slaves at multiple times in their lives to a variety
of countries (Assyria (for some), Babylon, Greece, and Rome). But Jesus is not
talking about physical slavery, rather his focus is on spiritual slavery. Only
belief and daily intake of the word of God can free us from spiritual slavery
to sin.
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