John 8:31-35

 

John 8:31 (KJB)

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

 

Continue - Abide, stand fast, or be permanent

 

Then Jesus said to those Jews which had believed on Him that if they were truly His disciples, then their endurance in His words would prove it. Many claim that they have become saved and that they are Christians but as soon as a little heat is turned up under them, the truth comes out that they were never truly saved. The evidence of a true Christian is they endure in the bad times as well as enjoying the good times. (Mat 10:22 KJV) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Enduring to the end is not a work but is the result of the indwelling Holy Spirit who continues to give the true Christian the spiritual strength to go on, even in the face of intense adversity. There are many who claim to be Christians but fall away when it comes time to be obedient. The essence of a true believer is their obedience to the word of the Lord Jesus Christ, with or without facing persecution. Jesus wanted these Jews to know that because He knew what lies ahead for these believers and just words will never help a person endure, they must be truly saved and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Verbal profession is not eternal possession.

 

John 8:32 (KJB)

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

Know - Come to know by experience

 

This is probably one of the most famous verses of Scripture used by the secular world. It is used in many dramas on television. However, the truth that they use it for is only a secular truth. The truth that Jesus is speaking of is Himself. (John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. When a person becomes saved in Christ, the truth makes them free because they have found the truth and have no need for any ceremony or ritual because all is fulfilled in Christ. Once these Jews became saved, they no longer had to keep the requirements of the Mosaic Law because Christ kept it perfectly and those who are in Christ, are as one who has kept the Law perfectly. This means that those who are truly saved are saved from bondage to the Law and any religious system. Christ makes us free from religious bondage. Being made free does not mean you are free to do what you want in this world, it means your soul is freed from the bondage of sin and religion. Those who are in cults that become saved are freed from that system. Those in works based churches are freed from that system. The freedom we have is from the damming effects of false religious systems which hold people in bondage and only Christ can free them.

 

John 8:33 (KJB)

They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

 

For the educated elite of Israel to make a statement like this is amazing. They claim they were not in bondage to any man, yet the Romans had occupied their homeland and they were servants of Rome. Now once again their minds were tied to the earth. They were the physical descendants of Abraham but salvation did not come through physical association with another. They forgot the period of the Judges when Israel was under bondage to various countries. The Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria and the Southern Kingdom went into Babylon for seventy years. So to say they were never in bondage was a deceptive statement. At the present they were still claiming they were not under bondage even while Rome occupied their land so they could not figure out what Jesus meant that that they could be made free. They looked at the physical and Jesus was speaking of the spiritual. False religion always keeps the eyes of its adherents focused on the religion which is always tied to this earth by means of works. They were in spiritual bondage but they did not know this and focused only upon the physical. There is more to bondage than just chains.

 

John 8:34 (KJB)

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

 

Verily - Amen (Truly, surely, indeed, so let it be)

Committeth - Practicing (present tense), continuing in

Servant - Slave

 

Jesus answers their question in the spiritual realm as they were focusing on the physical realm. Jesus precedes His answer with “Verily, verily” which is translated from the Greek “amen.” We normally say amen at the end of prayers which means that we are stating truth in our prayers and ending it with “indeed, so let it be.” It is like placing a final approbation on the prayers we just said. Jesus is saying it to bring a sure truth which is like a final seal upon what is being said. Jesus states that those who continue to live in sin are the slaves of sin. Every sin they commit continues to drive them deeper into their sinful lives and into slavery to sin. Jesus was speaking to the fact that since He is the truth, those whom He will save will be freed from sin and the desire to commit sin since they will have a different authority. Right now, they are spiritually dead in their sins and if they become saved in Christ, they will become spiritually alive unto God and dead to sin. (Rom 6:17 KJV) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

 

John 8:35 (KJB)

And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

 

Continuing the thought from the previous verse, Jesus is making clear that the servant of sin will not abide in the house forever as He is now pointing to the Jews. This principle also carries over to the local church that those who remain unsaved will not abide in the house forever. (Heb 6:5 KJV) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, The unsaved people in churches and at the time Jesus was speaking to them, were only tasting the word of God and the powers to come. Basically, when they came to the temple and those who come to the church today that are unsaved, are just experiencing a little bit about what it is be with the body of Christ as they hear all the promises which God gives His children. However, on Judgment Day there is going to come a great separation of the believer and the unbelievers meaning that the unbelievers are not going to abide in the house forever. Their cut off date is Judgment Day. The Son will abide forever among His people because He is the heir of all the believers. He is the one who has freed them from the bondage of sin and made their souls as clean as if they had never sinned.

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