THE TRUTH THAT MAKES YOU FREE
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:34-36 (NIV)
I used to think freedom meant being able to do whatever I wanted. No rules. No one to tell me no. But that kind of freedom is a trap. Every time I chose something I knew was wrong, it didn’t feel like freedom at all. It felt like a chain. I’d promise myself just this once, only to find that once had turned into a habit I couldn’t break. That’s because Jesus tells us a hard but liberating truth. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Think about that word. Slave. A slave doesn’t get to choose. A slave obeys a master. When sin is your master, you do what it says even when you hate it. You feel stuck in the same patterns of anger, lust, gossip or envy. You want to change, but your willpower isn’t enough. That’s the bad news.
But here is the glorious, good news. Jesus didn’t come just to forgive us. He came to free us. He said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” This is a freedom that goes deeper than just pardon. It’s a change of ownership. When we trust in Christ, we’re not just forgiven slaves. We’re adopted children. A slave lives in fear. A son lives in freedom and security. He has a permanent place in the family.
This means you’re no longer obliged to obey your old master. The power of sin has been broken. You have a new nature and the Holy Spirit inside you, giving you the power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness. You’re free to live as who you truly are—a son or daughter of God.
APPLICATION: Is there a sin pattern that feels like a slave master in your life? Bring it to Jesus today. Remind yourself, I am not a slave. I am a child of God. The Son has set me free, so I am free indeed. Rely on His Spirit, not your own willpower, to walk in that freedom.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for speaking the truth that confronts my chains. Thank You for not just forgiving me but for breaking sin’s power over me. Help me to live today in the reality of my true identity as Your free child. Give me strength through Your Spirit to walk in the freedom You purchased for me. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?