FREED SLAVES

devotional for Sunday 10/28/12

Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...  I tell you the truth, 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 8:31-32, 34-36 NIV

While most if not all of us have no idea what it feels like physically to be a slave, we know what it is like spiritually.  All people sin.  So when Jesus says, "everyone who sins", that means everyone who lives and breaths on this earth.  We are all slaves to sin.  There is no way that we can NOT sin - we are forever trapped in sin on our own.  

The great news is that there is a way out of our condition of slavery to sin.  We must "hold to the teaching" of Jesus and "know the truth."  The truth is that Jesus has paid sin's price for us, and that is what sets us free. Because of his great love for us Jesus is the one who gives us freedom from the punishment for sin and helps us to turn from our sinful ways.  We are no longer slaves to sin with Satan as our owner, but rather we are children of God and belong to his family forever.  We are free indeed through Jesus' death on the cross and his glorious resurrection.  By his sacrifice we are saved.

Now, because of this freedom, we have a serious responsibility - to spread this good news to others!

written by Jan Andersen