The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

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

“Freedom” is a strange and, in many ways, an incalculable word. It certainly does not mean that any and everyone is “totally and thoroughly free” to be and do anything and everything that comes to mind! Where this is practiced, chaos inevitably reigns! Thus, when Jesus said, “…the truth will make you free,” the implication that Abraham’s descendants were not free did not sit well with His audience.

You may recall my mention in a previous Grands Letter that, as a very young student, I was once under the tutelage of a nice lady who said to our class, “Today we’re going to do just as we please—so long as we please to do what is right.” That is very close to what Jesus said to the Jews who had heard Him say, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.”

We might say that “freedom” comes caged at various levels. The owner of a business is totally free to roam about as he pleases, saying and doing whatever he wants. His manager, however, is free only within certain limits related to his instructions from the owner. Laborers, who fall under the jurisdiction of the manager, have even less freedom, yet they are part of the overall company.

Freedom in Jesus’ view is that those who are committed to Him are the only ones who are truly free from sin’s ultimate enslavement. Think of this as a small boy who is permitted to play in his own backyard but forbidden to play in the yard of a neighbor. His freedom is limited. So is ours!

Freedom is granted only to born-again believers, and then, only as the Lord Jesus allows.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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