HOW TO BE FREE

Lesson and text: John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Intro: The purpose of this message is to emphasize that freedom through Divine Truth comes from DOING and not simply accepting.
Salvation and the freedom from the PENALTY of sin comes by believing. But without the freedom which comes from obedience, God's people are left in bondage to worldly desires, etc.

I. Truth must be known to be effective.

II. It must be DONE to be truly known
How would you describe a sunset to one who has been blind from birth?
Music to one who never knew sound? These must be experienced as does Divine Truth.

III. Many are bound to false systems of worship. The Truth would free them.

IV. The Truth will free those in bondage to worldliness.
A. The truth of the necessity for surrender.
B. The truth of the Lordship of Christ.
C. The truth of the relative values of temporal versus spiritual things.

V. Some are in bondage to SELF. Here is hypocrisy full blown. Do you sometimes forget that you are HIS?
VI. Those to whom Christ spoke were in bondage to sin. This bondage was compounded by their false conception of the Truth.
John 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
If they had truly DONE the truth of the Old Covenant, they would have known the Christ of the New!

Don't let your false conceptions of these truths rob you
A. A false idea of the Bride of Christ can rob you of your place there.
B. False ideas of security in Christ can rob you of service to him.
C. A false idea of freedom from the Law can lead you into bondage to carnal pleasure.