In John 8:34 Jesus tells His disciples, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” This reminds me of one of the mantras from Game of Thrones, “valar morghulis, valar dohaeris.” Translated into English, these phrases mean “all men must die, all men must serve.” There is an undeniable truth to these words. Each one of us will serve, and here Jesus makes the two masters clear. We can be slaves of Christ, elevated to the status of sons, or we can be slaves of sin. Sin (mistakes, shortcomings, bad choices, evil) always draws us into a downward spiral, in many ways it becomes like an addiction. When we practice sin, we are very much enslaved. We cannot escape on our own, we have no choice in the consequences that follow, and we are constantly forced to do things we do not want to do. In Christ alone we have freedom, through His death and resurrection we are freed from this slavery. Even though we consistently fall back into it, Christ always extends Himself to pull us out again. Jesus proclaims this message to His disciples, this message that is yours today, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”
Today’s B.I.B.L.E. Takeaways:
Blessings from God
In Christ, we are free from sin, death, and the devil!
Instructions for Us
In John 8:31, Christ explains that “if you abide in [His] word, you are truly [His] disciples.”
Biblical Connections
The idea of slavery to sin recalls Paul’s words in Romans 7:15, “for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Laborious Understandings
Nothing in these verses strikes me as particularly difficult to deal with.
Enjoyable Passages
John 8:31-32 is a great passage to have in your mind, where Jesus says “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Topics to Pray About:
Thank God for setting us free from our self-imposed slavery to sin
Confess to God the times you have not sought to abide in His word
Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in relying on God’s grace and living in His will.
Slaves
John 8:31-9:41
In John 8:34 Jesus tells His disciples, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” This reminds me of one of the mantras from Game of Thrones, “valar morghulis, valar dohaeris.” Translated into English, these phrases mean “all men must die, all men must serve.” There is an undeniable truth to these words. Each one of us will serve, and here Jesus makes the two masters clear. We can be slaves of Christ, elevated to the status of sons, or we can be slaves of sin. Sin (mistakes, shortcomings, bad choices, evil) always draws us into a downward spiral, in many ways it becomes like an addiction. When we practice sin, we are very much enslaved. We cannot escape on our own, we have no choice in the consequences that follow, and we are constantly forced to do things we do not want to do. In Christ alone we have freedom, through His death and resurrection we are freed from this slavery. Even though we consistently fall back into it, Christ always extends Himself to pull us out again. Jesus proclaims this message to His disciples, this message that is yours today, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”
Today’s B.I.B.L.E. Takeaways:
Blessings from God
In Christ, we are free from sin, death, and the devil!
Instructions for Us
In John 8:31, Christ explains that “if you abide in [His] word, you are truly [His] disciples.”
Biblical Connections
The idea of slavery to sin recalls Paul’s words in Romans 7:15, “for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Laborious Understandings
Nothing in these verses strikes me as particularly difficult to deal with.
Enjoyable Passages
John 8:31-32 is a great passage to have in your mind, where Jesus says “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Topics to Pray About:
In His Service,
J. LeBorious