John 8:31-36 "Isn’t Christianity Restrictive of My Freedom?"

I suspect that all of you have heard or seen or tasted some very American things this weekend.

! Yes, hamburgers. Anybody? Hamburger? Fireworks? Oh, okay. Whether you wanted to or not, didn't you?

Flags all over the place. All in celebration of the 250th anniversary of our independence, right?

That, in case you're confused, is why you haven't seen any kings being celebrated.

It just hasn't been going on this weekend. It is at the heart of our nation that nobody tells us what to do.

Especially if you think you're going to tax us without representation. We will dump all your tea in the ocean.

It wasn't even sweet tea. It's no big deal.

If there's anything that we Americans love, it's our freedom, isn't it?

We love to make our own decisions with no restrictions.

It used to be, when I was a kid, 31 flavors of ice cream was really exciting.

Now, we have hundreds of them.

And you can combine them however you would like and just put them all together.

You can have all the options you want.

It used to be, when I was a kid, if you had a hundred channels to choose from on your TV,

your house was the one everybody wanted to go to because that was a lot of options.

Some of you remember fewer than a hundred.

Now, now we have dozens of streaming services and every single one of them has thousands of options

that you can watch whatever you want to, whenever you want to.

You don't even have to wait for it to come on.

You just pick it when you want.

Young people feel that they have freedom when they can choose what to do, what to watch.

When they start driving and go where they want, when they want, that seems like freedom, right?

Sixteen-year-olds.

The one thing in our society that you better not touch these days is our freedom.

Having autonomous choices to run our own lives, how we want to run them, is such an assumed good for us

that we often don't even question its priority.

Nobody can challenge that, right?

You do you.

That's how we work.

And then we hear about Christianity.

Christianity.

And there's so many rules in Christianity that we have to group them into lists of ten just to keep track of them.

And many people start to feel that these restrictions are what the Bible is all about.

For example, telling me to exercise my sexuality only with my spouse.

Telling me not to lie or cheat or steal, but to love my neighbor because everyone else is as valuable as I am,

even when that's inconvenient.

Telling me to give money to God and to be generous toward others when I've got so many options and ideas for what to do with it.

Isn't Christianity restrictive of my freedom?

Many ask that, right?

Many feel that way.

So many have dismissed Christianity on this account.

That it fails the test of freedom.

That it restricts my flexibility to control my life and live it the way I want.

That it just generally cramps my style.

It's not cool.

Who needs it after all?

I'll let Jesus know if I ever need his help.

I'll tell him.

But not usually.

Not seriously.

Well, as it turns out, Jesus has a lot to say about freedom.

In fact, when Jesus introduces himself publicly, he reads from the prophet Isaiah about someone coming to proclaim freedom for the captives and liberty for the oppressed.

He's going to set people free.

He says.

He says.

Today, I want to focus on a conversation Jesus has with some religious people in John chapter 8.

John 8 · chapter mention

Where Jesus seeks to clarify some faulty assumptions that they have about freedom.

Some misunderstandings that he is quite clear could be disastrous if they are not corrected.

He wants better for them than what they are experiencing.

And he wants better for us too.

Which is really exciting.

As we open his word together.

Let's read some of this back and forth that they have in this conversation.

And then we'll discuss what we learn from Jesus about freedom.

This is John 8.

Starting at verse 31.

God's holy word.

God's holy word.

Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

The slave does not remain in the house forever.

The son remains forever.

So if the son sets you free.

You will be free.

Indeed.

Thus far God's holy word.

Let's pray.

Jesus, would you indeed this morning set us free.

Would you do it by your truth.

You tell us as we know the truth.

As we know you will find this freedom.

So set us free by your truth.

Your word is truth.

Use it to challenge even the most basic assumptions of our hearts and our culture.

And give us hope and joy and purpose this morning.

I pray that you would do that by your spirit.

Amen.

One of the first things you notice in this passage that I just read is Jesus is offering freedom to people who think they already have it.

Right?

He's explaining how to get free to people who think they already are.

Jesus, what do you even mean you will become free?

We've never been slaves.

Interesting comment, isn't it?

From Jews presently under the rule of Rome.

Whose ancestors have been slaves in Babylon.

Further back than that in Egypt.

But see their belief was that as descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.

They were royalty.

No matter what they were actually going through.

They were never really under the control of anyone else.

Just by their own status.

Their own way of functioning.

They considered themselves free.

But Jesus wants them and us to know that that's not really the case.

That in fact anyone who sins is a slave to sin.

In other words he's saying our natural condition.

Just being American for example.

Just being able to choose without someone restricting our options.

Does not make us really free.

It's actually the slavery that you put yourself in.

He's showing them when you rely on your own performance to get your free status.

When we think that we can give ourselves freedom.

We don't realize the slavery that we actually face naturally.

It's what Paul warns the Galatians about.

He says don't fall back into slavery.

By feeling you control even one piece of your lives.

One part of being good enough for God.

In the case of the Galatians it was circumcision.

Right?

He says if you require that.

If that's something you bring to the table.

You'll have to follow the whole law.

If you get bound to your own history.

To your own ethnicity.

To your own performance.

In order to be free.

Then you're stuck fighting that battle forever.

To be good enough.

To be free enough.

Do you see it's actually enslaving.

Even our culture's idea of freedom.

That I was discussing earlier.

Ends up being counterfeit.

This freedom that we think that we have.

Is classically referred to as the freedom of contrary choice.

Options.

Right?

A freedom from any restrictions.

To choose whatever our hearts desire.

Except that that's where it gets complicated.

Our desires are actually part of the enslavement.

The bondage.

Rather than the freedom.

We get that confused.

Because see we so often have conflicting desires.

Don't we?

And those leave us stuck.

When we insist that there are no restrictions on them.

No restrictions on any of our desires.

Except that they conflict with one another.

Let me give you a couple examples.

It's true physically.

I have a deep desire to eat sweet things all the time.

Just trust me.

It's deep.

And I have a desire to live a long and healthy life.

And not to have to buy new size of clothes.

Because I hate that.

And those are conflicting desires.

Right?

Right?

And we experience it emotionally.

We want to be accepted for who we are.

And we want to be thought extraordinary.

And worthy by many people.

Because of something special we do.

Which desire will win?

These desires famously conflict relationally.

We desire to be promiscuous in love with anyone we want and find ourselves attracted to.

Don't we?

We desire to experience love with you.

We desire to experience love that we can count on.

Conflicting desires.

You can't have them all with no restrictions on any of them.

They don't work together.

Another example from a different angle maybe.

Kids, have you seen fish kept in an aquarium before?

You know, in one of those glass boxes?

Like some of you maybe even at your own house?

Yeah, you've seen fish like that.

And sometimes you see the fish swimming around in the water in that aquarium.

And you wish that that fish could be free to swim in a pond or a lake or the ocean.

Right?

Just more room to roam.

More freedom for the fish.

Some of you, I've heard, have even thought it would be great if that fish could come sit on the sofa and watch TV with you.

Does that sound like freedom for the fish?

I mean, watching TV on the sofa is a pretty cool thing, right?

Huh.

Maybe, you know what you enjoy in the summer?

Playing in the sand and building sandcastles.

Would that be a free thing for the fish to do?

Or maybe lying in the sun and getting a tan.

The fish could do that with you, right?

It would be free if the fish had that option.

But think about it, kids.

If you give the fish freedom from that water that he's trapped in in the aquarium,

that freedom's not going to go very well, is it?

He's not going to be able to live very long.

He really won't know true freedom because true freedom is not merely the absence of restrictions,

but actually finding the right conditions or restrictions where one can thrive.

I'll be honest.

I'm not a big fan of red lights, personally, when I'm driving.

They feel restrictive.

They keep me from where I want to be going in the time I want to get there.

But see, it's just one example of a restriction on my life that actually,

when I live in that reality, it can be really freeing and life-giving

because when the light changes, I can actually relax and drive with confidence when it's my turn.

The freedom of contrary choice sounds appealing to us often,

but our desires really complicate that idea.

It's why Galatians 5 says,

You were called to freedom, but don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,

or your translation may say,

to indulge the sinful nature, the sinful desires.

You'll find that's not freedom at all.

When you try just to live however you want in every moment,

to feel free, you'll find you don't.

Jesus is telling us our desires are naturally bound by sin.

So something needs to be done to us besides just turning us loose with our desires

if we are going to be truly free.

Otherwise, we will be fish out of water.

Maybe the one who made us will understand how we best function freely.

Maybe he can help.

Theologian D.A. Carson writes about Jesus' explanation of freedom here in John 8.

True freedom is not the liberty to do anything we please,

no restrictions,

but the liberty to do what we ought.

And it is genuine liberty because doing what we ought now pleases us.

We'll unpack that last part in a bit as we go.

But it's important for all of us to hear Jesus say,

don't get confused into thinking you have freedom without me.

No.

You may have something,

but it's not the real thing.

American brothers and sisters,

we're not truly free without Jesus.

That's what he's saying.

Would you look with me at the freedom Jesus offers

and why it's so different from just options, choices,

directing myself,

especially if you've never really given Jesus' message much attention.

I'd urge you to hear what he has to say.

Back to verse 34.

Jesus answered them,

truly, truly, I say to you,

everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

The slave does not remain in the house forever.

The son remains forever.

So if the son sets you free,

you will be free indeed.

Notice the differences in the freedom that Jesus offers here.

First, his freedom is received rather than achieved.

When the son sets you free,

someone gives you a gift.

Someone does something for you.

Someone tags your hand when you're frozen in the game of freeze tag

so that you can move again and play.

And this difference is monumental when you talk about freedom

because it means it's not all based on you.

Your performance doesn't have to keep up.

Your desires don't have to sort out.

Your consistency doesn't have to hold up all the time in order to be free.

No, he gives you freedom right where you are.

Freedom in his performance

so that you're actually free from your failures

and from relying on your good works

to keep up your success.

with just that one new reality,

can you feel yourself starting to breathe again?

Maybe like a fish thrown back into water.

It's not all on me.

I'm now living in an environment

where his performance makes me free

from the bad stuff and the good stuff.

Maybe Jesus knows what you were made for.

Jesus graces you with the gift of life,

of freedom.

And because it's received rather than achieved,

you can know that it's permanent

rather than contingent.

Jesus is saying here in verse 35,

you need to be adopted

to become a son in the Father's house

because then you're never leaving, right?

No one can kick you out

or snatch you away from him

or cause you to lose his love.

You're his son.

If you go on reading the rest of this interaction

in chapter eight, it's quite long,

but you'll find out that Jesus

is warning these religious people

that they are just slaves and not sons

if he hasn't set them free.

Not the way they were born.

Not something they assume about themselves.

If Jesus hasn't come to set them free,

then they're still slaves.

They may do some stuff for God.

They may hang around God's house a lot,

especially on Sundays.

But they're not sons

because they're not trusting Jesus for freedom.

They still don't realize the slavery

that they're living in.

So this is a warning for them and for us.

That's how serious it is for us to miss

the bondage that we're born in

and our need for Jesus's rescue.

You might be enslaved and never realize it.

And so how could you be set free?

See how this gracious freedom we receive from Jesus

is freedom that can never be lost?

Because even if another nation conquers us,

even if we get lost in our conflicted desires,

even if we realize that we haven't done well enough,

we don't even impress ourselves,

we're still free.

We're still in the family.

Our debts have all been paid.

Our eternity has been purchased and secured.

We're not punished for our performance.

You're free.

That kind of freedom resonates with my heart.

I bet it does with yours too.

The reason it does

is because it's actually freedom in relationship

rather than mere independence.

This is huge.

I want to try to explain it.

See, freedom of contrary choice,

that secular freedom from restrictions

is only freedom from something.

Then, what are you left with?

Yourself.

You're alone.

Jesus' freedom

is freedom from something,

sin,

self,

performing to earn your place,

and

it's freedom

for something,

towards something,

for living in relationship

with the God who made you

and knows exactly

what's the water you were made to live in.

Listen, here's the difference.

Jesus didn't come merely

to make bad people good

by giving us some better restrictions

so that we'd follow the right rules.

No.

No, Jesus came

to make dead people alive

because he knows

how we were made to live

and he doesn't want any of us

to miss out

on that glorious freedom,

being free indeed

because he makes us so.

See, Jesus knows what you're made for.

Jesus knows you were made

to breathe the air of heaven,

heaven,

of loving relationship

with Father,

Son,

and Spirit

in every corner

of his glorious relationship.

You're to breathe that air

in that relationship.

And Jesus knew

that our performance,

even with the best

of our desires,

was never going to be enough

to get us back

into that perfect

and joyous place.

So what did he do?

Jesus invaded

our confusion.

Jesus, if you listen

to his words

when he's here,

agonized over having us

home with him.

He pled with his father

that he might have the joy

of welcoming us

back to the family.

He even went so far

as to endure

our punishment

so that we prodigals

who left our father's house

to chase our own desires

could be adopted

back into the family,

could be sons

in the father's house

who never leave

because he knew

that when we got there,

we would love the father

so much that we would

delight in his freedom

because following

the house rules,

so to speak,

doing what we ought

would finally then be

what now pleases us.

We would have true freedom.

Did Jesus want us to know

the freedom from God?

Independence from God?

No way.

Friend, that kind of freedom

will ultimately leave you alone

and isolated

and you'll be searching

for people whose desires

you always affirm

and who always affirm

your desires,

whether you realize that or not,

and it won't work.

It'll never last.

But this freedom

in relationship,

it will.

It's a gift of grace

so you won't lose it

and you'll never enjoy it

apart from knowing the giver.

You're living in dependence

upon him.

It's entirely different.

I'm pretty sure

that I have said

more than I understand

where my mind can grasp.

So let me just back up

and look at John 8 again.

A slave

does not remain

in the house

forever.

That's a problem.

You're not in the relationship

with the father

forever

if that's where you stay.

But a son does.

Something needs to change

so that you can stay

in that relationship.

And when the son Jesus

sets you free,

when he makes you a son,

you will be free

indeed.

That's all a version

of answering our question today

by saying,

isn't Christianity

restrictive of my freedom?

No.

No, Christianity

is not restrictive

of your freedom

but actually offers you

true and full

and lasting freedom.

The kind of freedom

you're actually longing for.

But as we close,

I want to offer

a different answer

and a different angle

on this question.

Isn't Christianity

restrictive of my freedom?

I think some of you

are saying,

you're kidding yourself.

I've experienced it.

It is restrictive

of my freedom

and let me tell you how

and maybe you can come

afterwards

and tell me

how you've experienced that.

But I want to give you

an answer

that agrees with you

at some level.

An answer that says,

yes, it does restrict

your freedom

of contrary choice.

but in the most

beautiful,

life-giving,

purpose-filled way.

This requires us

to understand

that Christianity

is not merely

or primarily

a list of rules

which, friends,

if you read the Bible

with any intellectual honesty,

you'll realize

very soon.

It contains rules

but it's primarily

a story about God.

About a God

that I just described

as being perfectly free,

perfectly happy,

perfectly fulfilled,

who had every right

to live for himself

in uninterrupted peace

and unlimited prosperity.

That God

who nonetheless

gave up his freedom.

His freedom to live

just for himself

with no restrictions.

He gave that up

in order to sacrifice himself

for us.

And this is,

as you start to read that

in this story,

you realize you're reading

a love story

rather than a mere rule book.

In fact,

it's the greatest

kind of love story

where the strong hero

fights his way

to cross heaven

and earth

to rescue

the undeserving one

that he loves

even when the beloved

is unsure

she wants anything

to do with him.

His love

eventually

overwhelms her.

In time,

it earns her love.

It inspires

her love

in return.

See, friends,

listen to the good news

of Jesus.

It's not merely

that he was willing

to sacrifice

his freedom

to come live

and die in our place

because of the great love

with which he loved us,

although that is wonderful enough.

Amen?

He did do that.

But actually,

the good news of Jesus

is he knew

that kind of love

was the water

that we needed

to live in.

See,

for people

being put

in a relationship

of love

like that

is like finding

a fish

stuck on the sand

and quickly

pushing it back

into the water.

You can breathe again.

You can live

again there.

See,

God's love for us

in Jesus

sets us free,

sets us free

to live,

sets us free

to live

for him.

Free,

in fact,

then,

if you're living

for him,

to give up

our freedom

of contrary choice.

You see,

I've found

the one thing

that is truly

worth living for.

In fact,

the one person

truly worth living for.

I'll sell

everything else

to have this treasure.

I'll deny myself,

Jesus.

I'll take up

my cross daily.

I will surrender.

All to live

with you.

That's

where I start

to breathe.

That's such

good news.

Christian,

listen,

you have been

set free

not merely

to watch

fireworks

and eat

ice cream

and dream

of a job

and a white

picket fence

and two and a half

kids

and early

retirement.

Oh,

it's so much

better.

Let me lift

your eyes.

You've been

set free

to love,

to love,

even to give

yourselves

then to others

to reflect

the glory

of the one

who gave himself

for you.

Remember the true

freedom

that Jesus

gives us?

Don't use your freedom,

God says,

to indulge

sinful desires.

Jesus

died to kill

those

so they don't

please us anymore.

Rather,

what?

What pleases

us?

Through

love,

serve

one

another.

Love

your neighbor

as yourself.

As your neighbor,

Jesus

loves

you.

He said,

there's a purpose

worth living

your entire

life for.

The Christian

dream

of love,

unbounded,

unbroken,

and unending,

and y'all,

you just get to go

crazy there.

That's the freedom

you get with Jesus.

His laws don't

restrict your freedom,

they give you

life.

So find a friend

to astonish

with the pursuing,

generous,

forgiving,

listening,

laughing,

persistent

nature

of your love.

Cry

with

a grieving

neighbor.

Throw a party

for a lonely

widow.

Adopt

an orphan.

Rearrange

your life

and your schedule

for 50 years

for a spouse.

Pay your

employee better

than you pay

yourself.

Watch

as you do

these things

and a bunch

of others

your marriage

or your family

or your neighborhood

or your city

transform

because of

love.

Restrict

our freedom?

Are you

kidding me?

Go

crazy with this,

Jesus says.

You're free

in my love

to do all

of these things.

Oh,

Jesus,

please restrict

me from living

only for myself.

I need that

because that's

not the dream.

the real dream

that you were

made for.

The real story

you were made

to live in

is of living

in this

love

with all

your kids,

with everyone

else you can

love into this

family from

every tribe,

tongue,

language,

and nation

starting today,

lasting forever

with the God

who made you

and set you

free to enjoy

such wonderful

and life-giving

love

with Him.

That's

what you're

free for.

Let's pray.

Jesus,

praise you

for making

us free

indeed

and would

you protect

us

from giving

back into

a yoke

of slavery

in order to

feel good

about ourselves

or impress

you or

make others

think we're

something.

Forgive us

for that.

Forgive us

for failing

to use

your freedom

to love

the way

you've loved

us.

Would you

set our

hearts free,

our minds

dreaming,

our lives

as an

offering

to you.

Show us

what it will

look like

for each

of us.

Give us

joy

in your

freedom.

freedom.

It's true

freedom

you promise

us.

May we

know it

more fully

even today.

Take our

lives,

Lord.

They are

yours and

we wouldn't

want to

live them

for or

with anyone

else.

We ask

that in

your name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.