Evidence of Having Been Born Again

Transcript

GR 364
6/22/1980
Evidence of Having Been Born Again
JOHN 8:31-36
Gil Rugh

John’s Gospel and the 8th chapter in your Bibles. John’s Gospel, chapter 8. Much of the material in the 8th chapter of John is familiar to us— we've heard it many times on different occasions. Jesus' discussion of Himself as the light of the world, in verse 12 and the section we looked at in our previous study. "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." The setting where He is presenting His own person and character to the Jews and particularly to the Jewish leaders, and yet they are insensitive and unresponsive to what God has to say to them. We noted the danger that exists in religion, that here those who are to be religious leaders leading people to God are totally insensitive to the truth of God. They have no knowledge of God. They are unfamiliar with Him. Jesus says in verse 19, "You know neither Me nor My Father." Amazing. Religious leaders who do not know God the Father or God the Son. They cannot but lead those who are following them on a path contrary to what God would have for them to know and be.

Jesus has made several claims in the sections we’ve already looked at. In verse 24, He made that basic claim that is foundational to everything else. 'I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins.' "For unless you believe that I am, you shall die in your sins." Down in verse 28, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am..." And we noted that it ought to be left that way. I Ml is the complete idea, coming over from Exodus chapter 3 and verse 14 when God sent Moses to the children of Israel and He told Moses that he should tell the children of Israel that I AM has sent you. Moses had asked ’What name should I give them for you?' When they say, Who has sent you, who should I say? God says, I AM has sent you. There is nobody else when you talk about deity. You don’t have one name to keep this god separate from this god like we as human beings so we can distinguish one another. But there is only one God—He is the I AM. That’s all there is to be said. The one and only eternally existent God has sent you. Now this one God has three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And these three persons comprise the one God. That’s why the link is inseparable. When Jesus says, I AM, and you don't know Me nor do you know My Father. Since there is only one God, if you are ignorant of the Son of God, you are also ignorant of the Father. And if you are ignorant of the Father, you are ignorant of the Spirit. Ignorance of one person in the Godhead means ignorance of all. Since there is only one God, you either know all three persons comprising the one God or you know none of them, and thus these Jews are found to be in a position of being ignorant totally of the triune God, having no knowledge not only of the Son of God but not of the Father either. And keep in mind, Jesus says, You don't know My Father, but that does not mean they could not quote and refer to the Old Testament Scriptures.
They could very well. They used the Scriptures in their discussions with Him, but they did not know the God who is the author of the Scripture they were using and they were quoting.

Now that section which we looked at last time ends with verse 30. "As He spoke these things, many came to believe in Him." So not all the response is negative. Many came to believe in Him. And in all probability, many of these referred to in verse 30 actually experience salvation; but as verse 31 and following indicate, not everyone who believed in Him was saved. The context will indicate whether they have really trusted Him as their Savior. I use the word ’trust’ and ’believe' synonymously. They mean the same thing. Sometimes the Greek word is translated by trust as well as believe, but they mean the same thing. And many of those who believed in Him did not actually believe in Him. Sounds like double talk. But what we’re saying is that they have responded to Him. They are positive towards His ministry. They are willing to believe that He might be the Messiah, but they have not really come to grips with their own sinfulness and their need for Him as their Savior. And when we really get down to it, they are still in the dark. Just like we use the word today. We talk about a group of people all who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ, but we could distinguish between all who claim to be believers, marking out those who truly have come to believe in Him as their Savior from sin and those who have simply come to believe certain facts about Him. And there is a marked difference, and Jesus is going to say in the section we're going to look at, that the way you tell is the character of the life. It is not basically what a person says or claims, but it is basically what a person does. Now you have to be careful, I don't want you to misunderstand so I'll say it at the beginning and hopefully several times through our study—I am not saying that a person is saved by what he does. But rather, that a person evidences the fact that he has been saved by what he does. The proof or evidence that a person has come to believe in Jesus Christ, receive forgiveness of sins, brought into a personal relationship with God, is that his life is totally different. There is a change that takes place and Jesus says that without that change, you don't really belong to Him.

He picks up in verse 31, "Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him..." picking up with the group from verse 30, many came to believe in Him. Jesus addresses Himself now to this group who had believed Him, believed what He said about Himself as the Messiah, believed those claims but they ate not saved at this point. At least many of them are not, many of them may have been. "If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine." Making a distinction. You all claim to believe in Me. "If you abide in My word, you are truly disciples of Mine." We've been talking about discipleship on Sunday evening. Did last Sunday evening and we will again this Sunday evening. We noted that the word 'disciple' (ma-tha-tase) and related words carried the idea of a learner. And it becomes basically synonymous with a Christian. Acts 11:26 says it was an Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. And what we have in verse 31 is Jesus saying, those who abide in His word, demonstrate that they are truly His followers. They truly belong to Him. They are truly His disciples. So we are not dividing between Christians. There are those who are just Christians—lukewarm, nominal Christians, believers in Jesus Christ, saved but not really turned on by the Lord and those who are really disciples and all out for Jesus Christ. But that's not the distinction being made. Rather, the distinction is being made between those who claim to believe in Jesus Christ and those who really have believed in Him as their Savior. And the acid test, the bottom line, is if you abide in My word. This is not what we call a first class condition, and we've referred to this in a number of passages. You can translate a first class condition with the idea of 'since.' It assumes something has happened. That is not the case here. It is what is called a third class condition—it simply tells you what will be true if something happens. If you do abide in Me, this is true of you. You are My disciples. Before we look at the concept of abiding, note He says 'You are My disciples.' Present tense. He does not say, If you abide in Me, then you will be My disciples. But rather, If you abide in Me you are My disciples. In other words, here is the test which will demonstrate the reality of what you claim. You claim to be My disciples, that is true if you abide. So we're talking about the evidence of discipleship. The evidence of being saved, having a true relationship with Jesus Christ and that is to abide. The word means to remain, to abide. If you stay in My word, which is another way of saying, If your life is conformed to My teaching. If you continue to adhere to what I have taught, to live what I have taught, you really are My disciple. And as we'll see before we're done, this short section some of those who are listening are going to indicate they are not really His disciples even though they have claimed to believe in Him. This concept of abiding is developed in numerous places in the Scripture. We’ll go into detail with it in John chapter 15 where Jesus discusses the Vine and the branches, and the relationship of abiding.

Let's look at some other passages outside the Gospel right now. Look over in Romans chapter 8 for the same idea. Romans chapter 8. The stress again is on how you live. How you live indicates what you are, and we’ll just pick up with verse 12. "So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." The contrast—those who live in the sphere of sin, the flesh, are destined to death, separation from God. But those who have the Spirit of God conforming them to the character of Christ, putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, life characterizes them. You note verse 14, "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." So you note, the indicator of a son of God is that he is being led by the Spirit of God. I take it that is saying the exact same thing as if you abide in My word. Those who abide in His word are living their lives in conformity to the revelation Christ has given in the Scripture. Those who are being led by the Spirit of God are having their lives conformed to Jesus Christ. And the two blend together. Being led by the Spirit of God is not what people are making it today. I had an experience like this when I was on the west coast on one of my visits. I went to the bookstore and wanted to buy something. And all of a sudden the person waiting on me said ’Are you a preacher?’ Well, a religious bookstore, that didn't seem like a strange question. So I said, Yes. And then this person went on to elaborate on how they just felt led by God to ask me that question. I still haven't resolved the importance of it! I just felt led by the Spirit of God. She even called someone on the phone! I just felt led by the Spirit of God to ask this man if he was a preacher! Still haven't figured it all out! But that’s what many people conceive of being led by the Spirit of God. How the emotion moves them at the time, and how I feel. I believe that God moves us, but basically being led by the Spirit of God is having our lives conformed to the Word of God. The Spirit of God leads us through the Word of God. This is the ministry of the Spirit, to open the Word of God to us, to conform us to the Word of God. Passages like 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 2 Corinthians chapter 3 So they are saying the same thing. How do I know if you're a son of God? How do you know if I'm a son of God? Am I being led by the Spirit of God? How do I know if you're being led of the Spirit of God? How do you know if I'm being led by the Spirit of God? Does my life conform to the Word of God? That is the test!

Look over in 1 John chapter 2, you have the other side. 1 John 2, verse 19 In verse 18, John talks about Antichrist, those who oppose Jesus Christ and His ministry. Verse 18, "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us." You see what John is saying? There were some who had professed to believe in Jesus Christ and belonged to the body of believers. But they had departed from that. They had abandoned John and the other believers. They had renounced what they formerly claimed to believe. John says that simply proves they never really had any relationship with us at all. He doesn't said they have lost their salvation. He said they were not really part of us at all. And they went out, simply demonstrating the fact that they really never belonged to us. That's a shocking concept when you think of it. There is no time limit put on this. Jesus does not say, If you abide in My word for three months, then I will know you are
My disciple, or you are My disciple truly. Abiding is endless! Everyone who is a true believer in Jesus Christ abides in the Word of God forever. And if a person quits abiding in the Word of God, quits being led by the Spirit of God, ceases to adhere to the truth of the Word of God, it simply indicates that you never belonged to God at all. Now we can all think of amazes instances.

We were talking amongst the staff about some occasions that we are familiar with where people who have been part of this body—one who recently passed through this area, been excited for Jesus Christ and the work of God, was growing, moved away. Came back after an absence of a couple of years and has renounced everything he claimed to have believed. No, I don’t believe that. I don't believe that about Jesus Christ. I don't believe that about salvation. Well how could you say what you said? I was just going along at the time, but now I realize I don't really believe any of that at all. All he is saying is,I never really belonged to you at all. I was never related to you at all. I never had any relationship with Jesus Christ at all. I wouldn't want to say it's a scary concept, but it's unnerving in many ways. John says we ought to be alert. There are people like this. The test of true faith in Jesus Christ is, does a person abide? This is the problem I have with the canned approach, and often we in reaction to those who have added to the gospel become so canned in our approach that we give a misidea, misimpression. We say, you believe Jesus Christ died for your sins according to the Scripture that He was buried, rose from the dead, if you believe that you're saved! Period! That's true, but there is more to be said. Jesus could have very simply said that in John chapter 8 verse 31. But He says, If you abide in My word, that is the test. I talked to someone about Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for their sins. They say, I believe in Him. Maybe they cry, maybe they pray, maybe they do a number of things. I'll go home and someone will say, Did they trust Christ? All I can say is that they professed to trust Him. Time will tell! Because with the passing of time, we'll see if they abide in the Word of God. Are they truly a person being led by the Spirit of God? That’s the evidence of whether they are a child of God.

While you’re in 1 John, look at chapter 3. He opens in the first three verses about the hope of the believer. A believer is not only one who has trusted Christ as His Savior, a child of God is also one who has his hope fixed on the coming of Jesus Christ. And a person who does not have his hope fixed on the coming of Jesus Christ, I take it from what John says, is not really a child of God. Note verse 3. "Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." Note the emphasis on purity. Being purified. By what? By knowing I am going to see Jesus Christ face to face. That is a governing factor in how I live my life. I am going to see Him just as He is. And that determines how I live. Verse 4. "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness." Basic character, his rebellion against God. "You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him." Now this concept has often been misunderstood. "No one who abides in Him sins..." and the idea being stressed is living in sin. If you abide in Him, which is the same as abiding in His Word which is the same as being led by the Spirit, you cannot sin. Now that has caused some misunderstanding. There are some groups who hold to a doctrine of sanctification which means you reach a point where you don’t sin. And I have had some contact over the years with some people who adhered to this doctrine, but I never met one of them who didn't sin yet. And I don't expect to. That’s not what John is saying. "No one who abides in Him sins." The idea of the present tense is that he does not continue in sin. He does not live in sin. The character of his life is not sin. Present tense denotes the sphere in which you live, the habitual lifestyle that characterizes you. John knows that Christians sin. In chapter 2 and verse 1, he talks to Christians and says, If we do sin we have the advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. That’s how the sin of a Christian is taken care of. A Christian does commit acts of sin, but a Christian does not live a life of sin. That is contrary. A person who lives a life of sin is not a child of God. It does not matter that they make a profession—you know, July 10th, 1953, I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and I am living a life of sin now but I know I’m going to heaven because I trusted Him that night. John says you’re a liar. You never trusted Him because the one who has trusted Him, abides in Him, doesn't sin. Well what happened to me that night? I don't know. Maybe you had too much to eat before you went to the meeting! I don’t know. Now I don't want to make light of a serious thing. But I want to be sure to put the emphasis where the Scripture puts it. John says the one abiding in Him does not live a life of sin. And we’ll see when we get to John 15 that the Scriptures teach that every Christian always abides all the time. There is no such thing as abiding Christians and non-abiding Christians.

Going on in 1 John 3. Last part of verse 6, "No one who sins has seen Him or knows Him." Has no knowledge about Jesus Christ if he’s living in sin. Now he may have heard His name, but he has no knowledge as far as having a relationship with Him and an understanding. "Little children, let no one deceive you..." Now, we all want to listen. Here, John the Elder, addresses us under the inspiration of the Scripture and says "Little children, don't let anyone deceive you." Now what does he tell us? "The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He (referring to Christ or God) is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil." There is the dividing line. The one who lives a life of righteousness, is a child of God. The one who lives a life of sin is a child of the devil. This is the very point that Jesus is moving toward in John chapter 8. John is simply discussing the points that Jesus is making in John chapter 8 as he writes this letter, his first epistle.
In John 8:44, Jesus will say to these Jews, You are of your father the devil because you do not abide in My word. This is what John is saying. The one who practices righteousness is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil; "for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." That does not mean he cannot commit acts of sin. In John’s use of the present tense, it makes that clear. We lose a little bit in the translation. The idea is of continually living in sin. You cannot do that. "No one who is born of God lives a life of sin." Why? "Because His seed abides in him, he cannot sin because he is born of God." In other words, birth determines what you do. You note. You do not become born of God by doing good deeds, but because you are born of God you will do good deeds. It’s so obvious. We are born human beings so we do certain things. An anteater was born an anteater. It is markedly different than one who is born a human being! Now an anteater is not an anteater because it goes and sticks its nose in anthills! An anteater (could have picked a better illustration!) is an anteater because it was born an anteater, so it manifests all the characteristics of that species—whatever the special name for an anteater is. And we were born human beings so we do those things characteristic of human beings. Now all John is saying is that those who are born of God do the things that are characteristic of the children of God. They manifest God’s character. They cannot live in sin because they were born of God and the seed of God indwells in them. They partake now of God’s character so they cannot live a life of sin. You say, what about all those who profess to be believers who live lives of sin? Well, I accept what John says. Verse 10. "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious." People sometimes get upset because you are judging. How can you say that he is a child of God or not a child of God? Well, you don't have to be super-intelligent to be able to note the obvious, and John says it is obvious who the children of the devil and who the children of God are! Doesn’t say that when you’ve reached the tenth degree of spiritual maturity, then you will be able to discern. He says it's obvious. The one who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. There it is. Those born of God manifest the character of God. Those born of the devil manifest the character of the devil. That’s it! Now I realize some people dress up, so to speak, like Christians and they look like they are Christians, and they look like they are righteous and they’re not. But the pattern still holds. Those whose lives are characterized by righteousness are children of God. Those whose lives are not are not the children of God. So that's what Jesus is talking about in John 8. If you abide, you are My disciples. If you do not abide, you are not My disciples. That’s it. True believers are true believers are true believers. They are born into God's family. I am not afraid that you are going to turn into an anteater next week. Why? You were born a human being. Well, I am not afraid that a child of God is going to turn into a child of the devil next week. Why? Because you were born into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work. That’s the point that Jesus is making. And I think that we as believers today ought to be careful that we adhere to that. We are so taken in—well, they claimed to be Christians. What else can we say? Look at their life and determine whether they are liars or not. I claim to be a believer in Jesus Christ. You can look at my life and
tell whether I’m a liar or not by the character of Christ being manifest in what I do.

Back to John chapter 8. We’ve come into a very hard section beginning with the 31st verse where Jesus confronts in a very direct and open way even those who claim to believe in Him. Because He is not interested in claims. He is interested in reality. "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." One who is a disciple, who is truly a believer, knows the truth. Comes to know the truth. Truth here involving Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 Jesus will say, I am the way, the truth and the life. He is the truth. In John 17:17, He will pray to the Father and say Thy word is truth, and they both blend together. The Scriptures are the revelation of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the living word. The Scriptures testify of Him, so you will know the truth. You will know Him and the truth concerning Him as God has revealed it.

"The truth shall make you free." This is why we know that all those who believe are not free, all those who claim to believe that Jesus is addressing. Because freedom comes through the ministry of the Son, down in verse 36. The Son must set you free to have freedom, and some of those who claim to believe in Him did not have this freedom. That's why those who are the children of the devil lived in sin—they are not free to do otherwise.

Verse 33, "They answered Him, 'We are Abraham's offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to any one; how is it that You say, 'You shall become free?'" Now you see what is happening? These who have claimed to believe in Him? They have not really grasped the basic issue. They do not even know what He is talking about when He talks about becoming free. They have not grasped the concept of sin. And you cannot be saved until you have come to recognize and realize that you are a sinner and then trust Jesus Christ who died to pay the penalty for your sin. They don't grasp the concept. We're Jews, how can you say we should be set free—we've never been enslaved to anyone! Minor point, but they've been enslaved to the Egyptians, then the Assyrians, the Babylonians the Greeks, now the Romans! But we've never been enslaved to anyone. They are the children of Abraham. At least in their minds they haven't been. But you see what they've done? They've associated freedom with a physical relationship We belong to Abraham. We are physical descendants of Abraham, therefore we are not slaves. Just like people today. Have you been forgiven your sin? Are you going to heaven? Yes, I go to such and such a church! I have been baptized.
I have been confirmed. I have—whatever I had done. What are we saying? I have a physical tie, a physical relationship. Therefore, my sin is taken care of. What Jesus is going to drive home is that has nothing to do with being set free. You claim to be a descendant of Abraham and they were physically, but He is going to tell them they are a slave to sin. We look at the Jews and say, My what a foolish mistake. But how much more foolish is it when we’ve had 2,000 years to study what Jesus said about it and people are still relying upon their physical relationships as though being a Lutheran or Baptist or Presbyterian or an independent or anything else would get you to heaven, any more than being a descendant of Abraham. If anything physical could get you there, it ought to be being a descendant of Abraham! But it wouldn’t. Note what Jesus says in verse 34.

"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.'" We move into an important realm here. He is developing, now, to show them the sphere they live in. If you abide in My word, you are My disciple. But the one who abides in sin, commits sin, who lives in sin—present tense—the habitual characteristic of their life is sin, they are slaves of sin. We’ll see in a moment there are two kinds of slaves in the world. There are the slaves of righteousness in Jesus Christ, and there are the slaves of sin and the devil. So even though they claim not to be slaves, Jesus says, You don’t understand. The one living in sin is a slave. And they were religious people living in sin, so they are slaves.

Look over in Romans chapter 6 for a full development of this by the Apostle Paul. Romans chapter 6. This is the point that Jesus is driving home to the Roman believers, that we cannot indulge in sin because we are not slaves in that realm any longer. Note verse 14, "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Meg-a-noito! May it never be!" Such a thought is repulsive! Because of grace now we’re free to sin? NO! That is not liberty! That is not freedom! Freedom is not the ability to do what you want to do. Freedom is the liberty to do what you're supposed to do. We have Christians who still don't understand this today. They think that Christian liberty and Christian freedom is the ability to do what they want. And in their immaturity they are constantly flaunting their freedom. How repulsive! You know, they're just like children and it grates on me because they think it's maturity. You tell your children not to go and play in the street, and what do they say? Can I play on the curb? Not on the curb either! Stay away from the street. Course you don't shout! But what? It's a mark of immaturity. They want to see how close to the street they can get! And it's just like baby Christians. They are constantly seeing how close to the world they can get. I'm free, that means I can do this. You are free now to be like Jesus Christ. That's what freedom is—free to be like Jesus Christ. Free to have the character of God produced in your life. Not free to go live as close to the world as you can. It's amazing how much time we as Christians devote to questionable activities. Is it alright for me as a Christian to do this? In other words, can I go walk on the curb? I don't think it's sin. Well, if it's questionable, why do you have to go play on the curb? Why do I have to go as close to the world as I can? There is to be a difference. I'm a child of God. Look how Paul develops this. "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" That's it. You note, there are two kinds of slaves. There are slaves to sin and there are slaves to righteousness. You say, Wait, I thought I was set free. Right, and you're free when you can do what you're supposed to do. When you can manifest the righteousness of God in your life. That's freedom—being a slave to righteousness. Functioning as you were created to function. "Thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." Jump down to verse 22.

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." You look at verse 21, I can't leave that one out. "Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death." You see? We've been moved into a totally new sphere. A totally new realm. I now function in a relationship of abiding in the word of God. I'm a slave of His, a slave of righteousness. What in the world am I doing wondering how close I can get to the slavery of sin? As far as I am concerned, Christians ought not to have any questionable activities in their lives. Stay off the curb! There are many Christians who think they can dabble down there, but they'll find themselves being drawn in. It's a mark of immaturity. It disgusts me.

I was talking with a Bible teacher—I won't say who he is—not too long ago. We were talking about certain Christian leaders. A man who is very prominent, talking about two men in particular, he was sharing. The great problem with these men is that they have to flaunt their Christian liberty so that they have been asked to leave a number of their positions. Because to them liberty is flaunting, doing certain things. What a tragedy, that that is what they would be characterized by. Instead of saying liberty is for me the privilege of being as much like Jesus Christ as possible, not the ability and freedom to be as much like the world as possible. You ought to engrave that on your mind. Write it in your Bible if you can. FREEDOM IS THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING LIKE JESUS CHRIST. Christian liberty is the liberty to be like Jesus Christ. What an opportunity! Can you imagine the privilege that I have of being like Jesus Christ! And I should be out here playing word games? Could I
do this as a Christian? Can I play over here as a Christian? I could be like Jesus Christ—that’s freedom! That's privilege.

Go back to John chapter 8. Now as He develops slavery, the one who is living in sin is the slave of sin. Note what He says about slaves. "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever." In other words, a slave is not part of the family. He uses the word not to denote a servant who would be almost family, who would have great responsibility. The word here denotes a slave and he is not part of the family. So a slave doesn't belong endlessly. You might sell the slave tomorrow. You might give the slave away tomorrow. You might free the slave and send him away. The slave does not belong in the house forever, but the son does. If you had a slave, you might get rid of him tomorrow but you won't get rid of your son. That's a permanent relationship. But the point here is that Christ as the son abides forever. He is a permanent part of the house, the family of God. And He then has the prerogative, the authority of sonship. And in verse 36 He says, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." There are those out here who are slaves, and the Son has the right to free slaves. And when the Son gives freedom, you are really free. What does He say? To these Jews who are part of the family of Israel in the physical sense. But they are part of the household as slaves. Jesus says, I'm the Son and I can free you from your slavery, free you from your slavery to sin. That's an exciting concept. Because every single person in the world is enslaved to sin. And the only One who can free is Jesus Christ. The only one. But you know, it's exciting that there is one. So we can proclaim a message of hope, that you are a slave to sin. You may be here this morning and not know it. You may be in the exact position as these Jews in verse 33. I'm not a slave—but you are because God says you are and there's nothing more pathetic than a slave who does not even know that he's a slave. God says that we are all enslaved to sin. Until we come to that point of recognition that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died to pay the penalty for our sins and we rely upon Him alone. At that point we are freed from our sin. Can you imagine that?! Freed from our sin! Free to be all that God intends me to be, to live in a permanent relationship with Him, in which His character is produced in my life day by day. That's freedom. So Jesus confronts these who claim to believe in Him, and said If you abide in My word, that will manifest if you are truly My disciple. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Well, I think I believe. What is your life like? Does it really indicate and manifest the character of Jesus Christ? Is righteousness the dominate characteristic of your life? It will be if you're a child of God. We who have believed, we have to take to heart what Jesus is saying. We have been set free from sin. We are to be abiding in His word. His life, His character ought to be seen in us, in all that we do, in all that we are. That is the testimony, the evidence that I have come to know and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for the greatness of the truth that Jesus Christ was presenting in this passage. Father, for the overwhelming greatness of the forgiveness that He has secured for those who have believed. Freedom from the slavery of sin. Lord I pray for those who are here this morning enslaved to sin. Maybe they did not even recognize that when they came. Lord, may the Spirit open their eyes, give them understanding, to see themselves as you see them that they might believe in Jesus Christ for themselves.

May those of us who have believed recognize how imperative it is for us to be allowing the Spirit to manifest your character in all that we do. Lord, make us a people who are living in light of our freedom, desirous of being all that you intend us to be, of being conformed to Jesus Christ in every way. Lord, keep us from the immaturity and babyhood of dabbling in those things which are questionable. Father, but desiring those things which are profitable, which are edifying which will work to conform us to character of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.