When the Son Sets You Free
by Rev. Kirby Williams
The Son alone offers freedom from sin and reconciliation with the Father.
Text: John 8:33-36
Date: 09/03/2017, the Traditional service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 63
Description:
As Jesus teaches in the Temple in Jerusalem many people are impacted by His words and express belief in Him. Jesus immediately probes the depth of that belief by telling them His true disciples will abide in His Word and thereby know the truth that will set them free. But the shallowness of their belief is revealed when they answer indignantly that as Abraham's offspring they are all ready free. Jesus then contradicts their error with a poignant discussion of how all people are slaves to their sin, and how even Abraham cannot remove those sins and reconcile them with the Father. He introduces an analogy of a household to illustrate how only the Son can truly accomplish this. We will analyze and expand this analogy to emphasize how when the Son sets you free-- you are free indeed!
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, John 8:33-36.
A. Context
B. Set free by the Truth.
1. An indignant response, vs. 33.
a. Abraham's offspring.
i. Trusting in the wrong thing.
ii. The errors exemplified, Gen 17:7, 15:5-6.
b. "Enslaved freemen".
c. Proof positive, John 8:25.
d. Belaboring the point, Amos 3:2, John 5:40,42,43, 8:42.
2. Slaves to sin, vs. 34.
a. The nature of enslaving sin.
i. Noting the grammar.
ii. Defining "practicing sin", John 8:28,29.
b. What it means to be a slave to sin.
i. The "unbelieving" slave to sin.
ii. The "believing" slave to sin.
3. The Son will set you free, vs. 35-36.
a. The analogy of the house, vs. 35.
i. Analyzing the parts.
ii. Finding its meaning, Matt. 8:11-12.
iii. An Old Testament illustration.
b. Freedom in the Son, vs. 36.
i. The solution.
ii. Finding true freedom.
III. Application
A. Expanding the analogy.
B. Finishing the story.
IV. Conclusion
