Title: Lent Dawn Prayer (11) Eternal One...
Contents
Lent Dawn Prayer (11) Eternal free man (John 8:31-36) 2002.3.14.
Jesus Christ died on the cross to set us free. In the latter part of verse 34, <Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin> We were slaves to sin, slaves to the law, and slaves to the world's lusts. Our Lord came to this earth and took up the cross to set us free from slaves to sin, the law, and lust, and to give us true freedom. Verses 31 and 32, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
You said the truth will set you free. What is this truth?
First, Jesus Christ,
The second is faith in Jesus Christ,
Third, it is the conviction that we have become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
We are no longer slaves to sin, but children of God this is the truth the Bible tells us. This truth has set us free. It will set us free from sin, the law, and lusts.35,36) <A slave does not remain in the house forever, but the Son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you will truly be free.> A slave is a slave after all. But the son is the heir. Jesus Christ came to us and took up the cross to transform us from the position of slaves to the position of sons. <If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free> This is the truth.<You will know the truth. That the truth will set you free - the truth that sets us free> That truth is Jesus Christ, faith in him, and that faith changed from the position of a servant to the position of a son - this is the truth of the Christian truth we believe in That's the key.
As we spend this Lent, we need to look back on ourselves. Is there true freedom in our hearts and in our lives? Or are you still living as a slave to sin, unable to break free from the bondage of sin, the law, and lust? Looking back on what we are doing, we should pray like this. [Lord, you who came to this earth to set us free, grant us true freedom. Since you said the truth will set you free, help me to understand the truth, and allow me to find true freedom with the truth, let me live the life of a son, not a servant, Amen>
Among the works of Russian writer Dostoevsky, there is a famous novel called 'The Great Judge'. It's called The Great Inquisitor. The scene unfolds in such a way that Jesus, who has come back into the world, is arrested and the Great Judge points out Jesus' fault here. In the words of the judge, there are these words: "You are overestimating human beings as being too precious. Humans are like childish children, hoping to be led by authority and miracles. If you gave bread to humans, you would have easily succeeded. Humans obey anyone if you give them bread. "Why does freedom have any value? If you give freedom to humans, it's obvious that in the end they will throw it under their feet and beg for slavery again. A very meaningful word.
"People obey anyone as long as they give them bread. When they give freedom, they don't know the value of that freedom, so they immediately become slaves to something else." There are sayings that accuse humans of being fundamentally enslaved and helpless humans. Guys, how free do you think you are? How free do you think you are? Political freedom is very important. But more important than this is economic freedom. The poor are not free. You have to sell your conscience for a bowl of bread. Also, those who do not have freedom of knowledge are not free.
In today's text, there is a content in which Jesus Christ directly rebukes the folly of the Jews who do not know what freedom is. They were thoroughly enslaved mentally, culturally, morally and theologically. to a very pitiful extent. This is the way Jesus is now pointing out their thorough slavery.
The Jews say, "We are Abraham's descendants. We have never been slaves, so why do you say you set us free?" How funny is this? Oh, you lived as slaves in Egypt for 400 years, and you also lived in captivity in Babylon for 70 years. Oh, how many times we have been slaves in history, we are free people, we have never been enslaved, this is an illusion, and we are already immersed in the narrowness of ourselves, our chosen people, and our own national superiority, and we are culturally, mentally, and enslaved. It's a miserable life of slavery and, more importantly, a theological issue. They became slaves to legalism, and as a result became hypocrites, and they are immersed in illusions, lies and hypocrisy along with many religious ceremonies. They are unaware of the miserable appearance of living in trembling by that law and living as a slave to so many precepts.
Is that all? It's an obsession with vested interests. You cannot accept Jesus. He couldn't accept Jesus because he was clinging to his present situation, right here, and finally crucified him. Self-obsessiveness, such an obsession with one's self, is bound here. I don't want to give up this vested interest. Yes, they could not accept the precious gospel of Jesus Christ. You don't know how miserable you are. sometimes you know I realized it, I saw it, and I saw the miracles of Jesus from my side. Moreover, there was a considerable realization, there is a feeling, but I do not want to step back from my current situation. Therefore, they fail to receive the Messiah and ultimately commit the terrible sin of nailing Jesus to the cross without repentance.
So, are these people free? You are in slavery to a great sin. Nevertheless, 'we are free', how pathetic is this? How long have you been free now?
And on the other hand, because we have become slaves to sin, we commit the sin of repeating our sins. Being drawn into sin, we have no choice but to commit another sin, another sin. How miserable is this? Affected by sin, our character is also destroyed. So I become a lie, I become a person of excuses, I become a person who grumbles and complains about others, I am an incompetent person, an ignorant person, and I have nothing but useless pride inside. You will become such a person, such a miserable person who you really do not want to live with. The price of sin is death. Then, solving the problem of sin is the root of freedom. It's not about making money and being free. It's not about being free. Only when I am free from sin can I know that my spirit and my character are free.
Today, Jesus tells us another precious truth. It speaks of liberating. How can I get freedom? We will teach you how to do this in detail. “If my words abide in you,” he said. This is the trick. We have to accept the word of the Lord, we have to accept the word of the Lord, and we have to accept the word of the Lord with a very clean heart. When I do that, I come to know the truth without realizing it. When I know the truth, now the truth sets me free. We must accept the word of the Lord. But the Pharisees and the scribes, Jesus preaches such precious words, but they do not accept it. I cannot accept the words of Jesus. I say in your hearts that my words have no place to dwell. Because we are full of greed and envy, there is no place for the word of the Lord to enter. yes it is what you are saying. If my words abide in you, you will know the truth, and when you know the truth, you will be set free. When the word floods into me, all the chains I have been bound with are released. You have to think deeply about it.