John 8:31 Then said Jesus".... "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 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? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
This passage of scripture is one of the most important truths ever revealed to mortals, one upon which our salvation hangs, yet which does not receive the attention it is due. This statement made by Christ is actually a declaration of His ability and authority to emancipate us from the shackles of sin, in which we are all born. What many people do not realize is that a person does not necessarily have to do anything wrong in order be under the domain of sin and satan, for everyone that is born into this world, is delivered in chains of sin and death, which we all have inherited from our progenitors.
This statement of fact must be acknowledged before we proceed, in order for us to better appreciate the freedom Christ brings. Let's read:
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways.
Thus it must be that our freedom from the slavery of sin involves much more than meets the eyes, for it is indeed a major, supernatural miracle, for a gang member who curses, steals, kills, party's, does drugs, and hires prostitutes, to suddenly make a right about turn in life, and start preaching, praying, studying the Bible, and singing in the choir. Such a major change can only be wrought by the power of Christ alone, and hence the reason why Jesus says, if the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In Biblical times when Christ walked this earth, He was often engaged in head to head battle with demons who sought to keep their human victims incarcerated in spiritual bondage, and often when Christ would approach individuals like these, the evil spirits would cry out in fear, knowing that their territory was about to be invaded. On one such occasion Christ was moved to command the demon to come out of a child that had been harassed and tormented by an evil spirit that was bent on keeping his victim in chains. The words Christ then spoke to the spirit, commanding him to "Come out and enter no more into him" are full of meaning, and should be clearly understood in the context of Christ making us free.
If the demon was simply harassing the boy externally, then Christ would have commanded him to stop bothering the child. But the words, "Come out of him" tell us that the demon had taken up residence on the inside, and thus was loathed to be evicted, thus when Jesus said "Hit the road jack and don't you come back no more", the evil spirit tore the child in anger, leaving him as one dead. Let's read:
Mark 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away"... 20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Now although our emancipation from spiritual bondage may not be as gruesome as just observed, yet the very same process is repeated in everyone who truly gives their lives to Christ, and thus our gratitude for what Christ had done, and continues to do, must be understood in the context of what is actually involved in making us free. Let us therefore cherish what God has done in us, and for us, as our most valuable asset, and by His grace, let us never ever return to the captivity of evil spirits.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to do just that, and it is the will of God that His enabling power be sought each and every day, so that we can enjoy the freedom that His salvation brings. Let's read:
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!