John 8:31-38 (NRSV)
Read John 8:31-38 on biblegateway.com
Verse 31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; Verse 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Verse 33They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?" Verse 34Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Verse 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. Verse 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Verse 37I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word.
Verse 38I declare what I have seen in the Father's presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father."
Devotion
What keeps you in bondage? There are so many things that cause bondage in our day and age. Some people are in bondage to their looks. Some people starve themselves to get thin; others spend lots of money on cosmetic surgery and makeup. Some people are in bondage to their addiction to drugs or alcohol. A lot of people seem to be in bondage to money. They never have enough of it and are always trying to get more. When I was in school, I was in bondage to my grades. I had to make A’s. Anything else just wasn’t good enough. This bondage was so bad that I did myself physical harm whenever I didn’t get an A.
We all live with some sort of bondage. We all have something that keeps us down. The good news for today is that Christ has come to set us free from our bondage. Jesus desires to set you free from whatever holds you in bondage. On our own, it is impossible to break free from the chains of slavery brought on by sin, but Christ has come to break those chains for us.
Christ wants to give us a life where we are defined by a relationship—our relationship to God. Confident in our new identity, no longer as slaves, but as children of God, we can finally live free.
Prayer
Gracious God, break away the chains of my bondage and give me confidence that I am yours—that I may know true freedom. Amen.