The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 8:31-36, “Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You shall become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
35 “And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
36 “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

If you have ever attempted to witness to a Jew, you probably received the same response that Jesus received from the Jews of His day. Yet, in the first two verses (31-32), some of the Jews had already believed upon Him as the Messiah. Still, Jesus continued to teach them that if they truly believed on Him, they would abide (make their home) in His Word. Just as “the proof of the pudding is in the tasting,” the proof of true conversion is whether we live out the truth we learn from His Word.

The reply some of the Jews gave Him was that they were posterity of Abraham and had never been enslaved. Apparently, they had forgotten Israel’s enslavement in Egypt. It was only 400 years! If we practiced listening as well as we practice talking, we would avoid the same mistake. Sin had enslaved the Jews, and it has enslaved us as well! Jesus said that everyone who sins (and that’s all of us) is a slave to it. Those who are slaves to sin have no right or place in His kingdom. Jesus alone has that right; and if He cleanses us (makes us free), then we are totally free from the penalty of sin and will be allowed to live freely with Him in eternity.

Notice John’s emphasis: “If the Son shall make you free…” It’s not our living a good life, or holding membership in a particular church, or being baptized in water, or participation in the LORD’s Supper – as good as those things are, they do not cover our sin. Only the blood of Jesus does that! And its application to our lives comes by the way of faith in His atonement for us on the cross. But like that pudding, you never know its goodness until you partake of it. And that first bite requires the element we know as faith. Think about that; then trust Him!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom