LIVING FREE
John 8:34–36
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning, everyone. It’s so good to be with you today. As you’re probably keenly aware, this coming Saturday we will be celebrating our nation’s 250th birthday. 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For two and a half centuries, America has celebrated the gift of our nation’s freedom. And on that day, families will gather, flags will wave, fireworks will light up the sky, and we’ll celebrate our freedom. Along with our celebration, we will express our deep gratitude for the sacrifice of so many who sacrificed much (many giving their lives), to serve and defended the freedoms we enjoy.
A day like this should lead us to be expressive about the gratitude we feel. Because, we are grateful for the freedom to worship. Grateful for the freedom to gather. Grateful for the freedom to speak, to serve, to raise our families, and to live with a measure of peace and opportunity that many people throughout history have never known. That kind of freedom is a precious gift.
But as followers of Jesus, we also understand something very important. Our deepest hope is not found in a nation. Our deepest hope is found in a Person.
Our hope is not ultimately in America, as grateful as we are for this country. Our hope is not in government, politics, military strength, wealth, technology, or human progress.
Our hope is in Jesus Christ.
Nations rise and fall. Kingdoms come and go. Leaders change. Cultures shift. Economies fluctuate. Freedoms can be protected, and freedoms can be threatened.
But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So, today, as we remember and celebrate the freedom afforded to us within this nation, I want to point us toward a greater freedom. A deeper freedom. An eternal freedom. The freedom that is found in Jesus Christ.
Because, that freedom is far greater than our national freedom. The freedom we have in Christ is a freedom that no government can grant and no nation can take away. There’s a freedom that reaches beyond the circumstances of this life and settles into the deepest places of our lives. That’s the freedom Jesus gives.
In John 8, Jesus is famous for saying:
“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
That is the promise of the gospel. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
In 1776, the Declaration of Independence announced freedom from earthly tyranny. But long before there was a declaration in Philadelphia, there was a declaration from Heaven.
The Declaration of Independence announced freedom from the rule of an earthly king.
The cross of Jesus announced the freedom found through the reign of the eternal King. And that’s the freedom I want us to celebrate today.
In 1 Corinthians 15:57 the apostle Paul writes:
“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Cornthians 15:57
The victory we’e been given has not come through our human effort, nor our own goodness, nor through our religious performance. It’s not been given to us because of our national identity nor our efforts at moral improvement. The divine victory we’ve been given has come through Christ alone!
So, as we reflect on freedom today, I want to give you three responses to the freedom Jesus provides.
The first response is this:
1. Receive the Freedom Christ Has Given
All of us understand guilt. Right?
Guilt is that heavy awareness that something is just not right, within us. It’s the memory that trails us after poor decisions and unwise actions. It’s the feelings of regret that awaken us at night. Or maybe it’s the voice of shame that haunts our thoughts…and says, “You should have known better.” And, “You should have done better.”
The sad reality is that some people carry guilt around for years. They carry guilt from things they said. Things they did. Choices they made. People they hurt. Opportunities they wasted. Families they wounded. Marriages they damaged. Children they disappointed. Decisions they wish they could go back and undo.
And sometimes that guilt becomes like an anchor in their life, holding them back…slowing them up. Their heart wants to rise, but the past keeps pulling it down.
Maybe you know what that feels like.
Maybe you can identify with the things I’ve just described because, you love God, but you still feel haunted by your past. You come to church, but you are convinced that God is angry with you; that He’s disappointed in you. You sing about grace, but you question grace’s power to work in your life.
Well, if that’s you, here’s some good news. Jesus didn’t come to help you manage your guilt. He came to remove it.
He came to forgive you and set you free from the weight of guilt.
Paul explains this in Ephesians 1:7, when he says:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” — Ephesians 1:7
That means forgiveness is not something God gives reluctantly. It flows from the riches of His grace.
Because of the blood of Jesus, your past does not have to define you. Your failures do not have to name you. Your worst moment does not have to become your final identity. In Christ, you are forgiven. Period!
But, there’s a BIG difference between conviction and condemnation.
— Conviction draws us toward Jesus. Condemnation drives us away from Him.
— Conviction says, “Bring this to the Lord. He can heal it.”
— Condemnation says, “Hide this from the Lord. He will reject you.”
— Conviction leads to repentance and life. Condemnation leads to shame and fear.
If Jesus has forgiven you, you are forgiven indeed.
You do not have to keep paying for what Jesus has already paid for. You do not have to keep rehearsing what God has already covered. You do not have to keep living under the shadow of a past that has already been placed under the blood.
Some of you may remember the movie The Patriot. The story centers around Benjamin Martin, a South Carolina farmer who is haunted by his brutal past as a soldier. He wants to move forward, but his past keeps following him. He wants to fight for freedom, but in a sense, he was living in bondage within his own soul.
That is what guilt does. While you may be free outwardly, it keeps you bound up on the inside.
That is why Jesus came. He came to set us free from guilt.
So, the challenge for you today is simple: Receive His forgiveness!
— Stop carrying around what Jesus died to remove.
— Stop letting your past speak louder than the cross.
— And, stop living as though your sin is greater than God’s grace.
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
And that leads us to the second response.
2. Trust in the Work Christ Has Finished
This is important because Jesus does not only free us from the guilt of sin; He also frees us from the ultimate consequence of sin.
We all understand that actions have consequences.
If you break the law, there are consequences. If you run a red light, there may be a ticket. If you lie, trust may be broken. If you are unfaithful, relationships may be wounded. If you spend recklessly, debt may follow.
Life teaches us that choices matter. And the Bible teaches us that sin has consequences
In Romans 6:23, the apostle Paul tells us:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23
So, there’s a price to pay for sin. The writer of Hebrews would allude to this fact as well. As Hebrews 9:27 says:
“People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” — Hebrews 9:27
That is a serious truth.
One day, every person will stand before God. Not before a political party. Not before a denomination. Not before a pastor. Not before public opinion. Before God. And on our own, none of us can stand there righteous. So, our good works aren’t enough. And our religious activity isn’t enough. And our family heritage isn’t enough. And even our citizenship in this great nation, it isn’t enough!
But the gospel declares that what we could never pay, Jesus paid for us. And that’s why we must trust the work Christ has finished.
The theological word for this, is vicarious. And it simply describes something that’s been done by one person in the place of another. So, in this case, Jesus died vicariously. He died as our substitute. He stood in our place. He carried our sin. He bore our judgment. He paid our debt.
When Jesus died on the cross, He didn’t die as a victim of circumstance. He died as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Meaning, He took the consequence that belonged to us so we could receive the life that belongs to Him.
So, let’s be clear…our freedom doesn’t rest on what we can do for God (our performance). Rather, it rests on what Christ has already done for us. That is why Paul says in Romans 8:1–2:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” — Romans 8:1-2
That’s freedom! Set free — totally free. Not partially free. Not temporarily free. Not conditionally free. But, completely free. And the freedom Paul is describing is an eternal freedom. As he puts it, we are free from the law of sin and death.
It is so important that we understand this. Jesus has paid the price to free us from the penalty of sin and death. That does not mean He always removes every temporary or earthly consequence of sinful choices and decisions.
While we can experience spiritual freedom in Christ, there may still be natural consequences we have to face. Broken relationships that need to be repaired. Apologies that need to be made. Restitution that needs to be offered. Wisdom that needs to be learned. Emotional healing that needs to be pursued.
Grace is not permission to pretend sin never mattered.
But grace does mean that the ultimate consequence of our sin has been dealt with at the cross.
Because of the cross and sacrifice of Jesus, eternal separation from God does not have to be our future. Judgment does not have to be the final word over our lives. Death does not get to defeat us.
Why? Because Jesus paid the price. He cleared the debt. He finished the work. And now we are called to trust what He has finished.
In John 19, as Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out in a loud voice,
“It is finished.” — John 19:30
That was not a cry of defeat. It was a declaration of victory. The work He came to do had been completed. His sacrifice was sufficient. The debt of sin had been paid. Because He laid down His life for us, becoming our sacrifice, a way was opened for us to know God and be made right with Him.
Sin had been answered. Death had been confronted. And mercy had triumphed. Jesus handled it all!
So, here’s the challenge for you today:
— Rest in His finished work.
— Stop trying to earn what Jesus has already purchased.
— Stop trying to prove you are worthy of grace.
— Stop trying to pay a debt that has already been paid in full.
Some of us understand forgiveness in theory, but we still live with a debtor’s mentality. We keep thinking, “I need to do more. I need to work harder. I need to make up for what I’ve done.”
But you cannot make up for sin. You can only bring it to Jesus. And when you bring it to Jesus, you discover that His sacrifice is enough.
That is the freedom of the gospel.
And now, that brings us to one more place where the enemy loves to keep people bound. Even after guilt has been forgiven and the debt has been paid, accusation still tries to hold people captive.
So, the third response is this:
3. Stand in the Righteousness Christ Provides
Colossians 1:22 says:
“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” — Colossians 1:22
That is such an astonishing promise. Paul says that because of what Jesus has done, we can be presented before God as holy in His sight, without blemish, and free from accusation. That does not mean we have never sinned. It does not mean we have never failed. It does not mean we have a perfect record. It means Jesus has reconciled us to God through His death, and because of Him, our standing before God has changed.
That is why this point matters so deeply. Freedom in Christ is not only freedom from guilt and freedom from death; it is also freedom from the accusations that try to keep us chained to what God has already forgiven.
There is a certain kind of fear that comes from accusation. It is the fear that someone will find out. The fear that your past will resurface. The fear that your sins will disqualify you forever. The fear that God is still holding something over your head. And if we are not careful, we can live forgiven by God while still feeling imprisoned by shame.
Revelation 12:10 calls Satan “…the accuser of our brothers and sisters.”
That is exactly what he does. He accuses. He reminds. He condemns. He points at the weakest and worst parts of our story and says, “That’s who you really are.”
But Jesus does not stand with the accuser. Jesus stands against him. He is not our adversary; He is our Advocate. He is not waiting to condemn those who belong to Him; He has come to save, forgive, reconcile, restore, and make us new.
So while the enemy may accuse us, he does not get the final word. Our past does not get to lay claim to our future. Shame does not get to determine our identity. Fear does not get to define the end of our story. Jesus gets the final word. And the word Jesus speaks over those who belong to Him is not condemned, but forgiven; not rejected, but reconciled; not guilty, but justified; not enslaved, but free.
There is an old story that illustrates this well.
A young boy was visiting his grandparents on their farm. His grandfather had given him a slingshot, and the boy went out into the woods to practice. He tried and tried, but he couldn’t hit anything. On his way back to the house, he saw his grandmother’s duck. On impulse, he pulled back the slingshot, let the stone fly, and to his shock, he hit the duck and killed it. The boy panicked. He quickly hid the duck, hoping no one would know. But when he looked up, he saw his sister watching the whole thing.
Later that day, their grandmother asked the sister to help wash the dishes. She smiled and said, “Billy said he wanted to help in the kitchen today.” Then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck.” So Billy washed the dishes. The next day, the grandfather asked Billy to go fishing, but his sister said, “I think Billy would rather stay here and help around the house.” Then she whispered again, “Remember the duck.” Day after day, she used his guilt to control him.
Finally, Billy could not take it anymore. He went to his grandfather and confessed everything. To his surprise, his grandfather said, “I know. I saw the whole thing from the window. I forgave you when it happened because I love you. I was just wondering how long you would let your sister make you a slave.”
That is what accusation does. It keeps us enslaved to something God has already made provision to forgive. It keeps saying, “Remember what you did. Remember where you failed. Remember who you used to be. Remember the worst part of your story.”
But the gospel gives us something greater to remember. Remember the cross. Remember the blood of Jesus. Remember the empty tomb. Remember the mercy of God. Remember that Jesus has reconciled you, forgiven you, cleansed you, and made you new.
That does not mean accusations will never come. Sometimes they come from others. Sometimes they come from the enemy. Sometimes they come from our own minds. But when we have brought our sin to Jesus, confessed it, repented of it, and received His grace, we do not have to keep living as slaves to accusation.
We can stand before God, not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ.
That is the response. We do not stand in our record; we stand in His. We do not stand in our performance; we stand in His. We do not stand in our ability to explain away our past; we stand in His power to redeem it. Because when Jesus sets us free, accusation loses its authority.
That is the freedom of the gospel. We receive His forgiveness and stop carrying our guilt. We trust His finished work and stop trying to pay our debt. We stand in His righteousness and stop living under accusation.
That is what it means to be free indeed.
CONCLUSION:
So today, as we celebrate national freedom, we remember a greater freedom. We can love our country and still know our country cannot save us. We can be grateful for the liberties we enjoy and still understand that earthly freedom is not enough. We can honor the sacrifices of soldiers, patriots, and generations before us, while recognizing that the greatest sacrifice was made at Calvary.
We can celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with gratitude, humility, and prayer. But our deepest hope is not in a nation. Our deepest allegiance belongs to the Kingdom of God. Our hope is not a political system, a national identity, or an earthly government.
Our hope is a Person. And, His name is Jesus.
He is the One who stepped out of eternity and entered our broken world. He lived the life we could not live. He died the death we deserved to die. He rose again in victory. He breaks chains, forgives sin, conquers death, silences accusation, and sets captives free.
Listen, political freedom is to be cherished…it’s great. But spiritual freedom is is much greater! National freedom is a gift, but freedom in Christ is salvation. And, it’s eternal!
So the question today is not only, “Are we grateful for the freedoms we enjoy as Americans?” The deeper question is, “Are you free in your soul?” Have you been forgiven? Has your debt been paid? Are you standing in the righteousness of Christ? Have you surrendered your life to Jesus?
If not, today can be your day of freedom. You do not have to keep carrying guilt. You do not have to keep running from God. You do not have to keep living under accusation. You do not have to keep pretending everything is fine when your heart knows you need a Savior.
Jesus is not waiting for you to clean yourself up before you come to Him. He is calling you to come. Come with your sin. Come with your shame. Come with your questions. Come with your failures. Come with your burdens. Come with your need.
And when the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
For those of us who already know Christ, let this weekend become more than a national celebration. Let it become a spiritual reminder. Let every flag remind us to pray for our nation. Let every celebration remind us to give thanks. Let every memory of sacrifice point us back to the cross. And let every expression of earthly freedom remind us of the greater freedom we have in Jesus.
So, again…thanks be to God! Because it’s He who has given us the ultimately victory (in this life and the next), through the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Would you pause today, and pray with me?
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You today for the freedom we enjoy in this nation. We don’t want to ever take the blessings we experience here for granted. Likewise, we pray that You would help us steward our national freedom well. Help us use it in a way that honors You.
But we are also grateful for the freedom we’ve found in Jesus. Thank You that through His blood we have been forgiven. through His sacrifice our debt is paid, and through His resurrection we have life. And for anyone carrying guilt today, may they receive Your forgiveness as we have. May they hear the comforting voice of Jesus declaring mercy, grace, and freedom in their lives.
Again Lord, we thank you for this nation — but our hope’s not in this nation. Our hope is in You! So. help us live as grateful citizens, faithful witnesses, and free sons and daughters of you — the Most High God. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.