John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Freedom is a subject much in the news today, but few know of the true freedom which is in Christ.
A much-used Bible reference on this is John 8:32, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. This is used many times as a salvation theme, but actually, it was spoken to very religious (but lost) Jews. Even borrowed out of its context, this verse has a wonderful message for everyone today. In John 8:36 of the same Chapter, our Lord refers to Himself as The Son: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. The Truth and the Son are interchangeable, so Christ is Truth personified. This is The Truth that men everywhere need to know.
Freedom in Christ from the standpoint of salvation can be considered in three ways:
1. Freedom from the Penalty of Sin. The only thing that stands between God and man is man's sin. When we let Him, God takes care of this perfectly and completely; in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7).
2. Freedom from the Power of Sin. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace Romans 6:14. This is God's promise if we yield service and obedience to righteousness (Romans 6:16). It is not uncommon to hear of believers enjoying victory over the old man of sin, but the shackles of religion and tradition which Christendom has propagated for centuries still bind the overwhelming majority to this day. God does not free believers from these chains until they fully believe and obey His Word rightly divided.
Pride of race kept the Jews mentioned in John 8 in the power of sin. They gave mental assent to what He said until He claimed to be equal to God and the only One Who could save them from sin. Then, the very ones who believed were ready to kill Him. The power of sin should make us tremble and cause us to cling harder to our Saviour.
3. Freedom from the Presence of Sin. This will take place with The Resurrections. The bodies we have in Resurrection will not sin, even if exposed to it, and will be fit for a perfect environment. This should make us shout with joy! Bless God!