JESUS SETS YOU FREE

Passage: John 8:31-36

Key verse: 32

NIV

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,(A) you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(B)

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants(C) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.(D) 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.(E) 36 So if the Son sets you free,(F) you will be free indeed.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Truth Will Set You Free

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, (A)“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will (B)know the truth, and the truth (C)will set you free.” 33 They answered him, (D)“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, (E)everyone who practices sin is a slave[a] to sin. 35 (F)The slave does not remain in the house forever; (G)the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

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Footnotes
  1. John 8:34 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; also verse 35
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Hold to Jesus' teaching (31-32) Believing in Jesus is more than merely knowing about him. True believers hold to Jesus' teaching. This means continually listening to Jesus' word, believing it and obeying him. Only then are we truly Jesus' disciples. The result is that we know the truth. We know the truth about life, sin and death. Most importantly, we know the true nature of God. God loves us and sent Jesus to die and raised him from the dead to set us free from sin and death. The gospel truth sets us free. 2. If the Son sets you free.... (33-36) Jesus' teaching implied that those listening to him were slaves. They objected and said that as Abraham's descendants, they were not slaves. They believed they were already free. However, Jesus said that whoever sins is a slave to sin. Sin has power over us that we cannot break free from on our own. A slave to sin cannot be in God's family. But Jesus the Son sets us free so that we can be a member of God's family forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for setting me free. Help me to hold on to your word and to teach your word so that others may also be set free.

One Word: You are free indeed