Episode 200 — John 8:31–38 — True Freedom

Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s an honor to be here with you today.
Today is July 26.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down
Jesus is here.
He’s sitting in your favorite spot, waiting for you to join Him.
You have a million things on your mind that need your attention, but right now it’s time to be with Jesus.
Set those things aside, relax, and calm your body.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, You have set me free.” 
As you exhale, pray: “I am free indeed.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.


Read
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 
“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” 
(John 8:31–38, NLT)

Notice
What stands out to you in this passage?
Is there a word or phrase that catches your attention?
Hold it in your heart for a moment.

Reread
Hear these words again — and notice where true freedom comes from.
  
Meditate
True freedom is not the absence of constraints; it's freedom from sin.
The crowd thinks Jesus is talking about political freedom. They're descendants of Abraham. They've never been slaves to anyone. So what does He mean, "You will be set free"?
But Jesus is talking about something much deeper than political or physical freedom. He's talking about spiritual slavery.
"Everyone who sins is a slave of sin," Jesus says.
Think about that. When you sin, you're not free. You're enslaved. You're bound. You're trapped in a pattern that you can't break, a habit you can't quit, a desire you can't control. You think you're free when you indulge your sin, but you're actually becoming more enslaved to it.
The person addicted to anger is not free. They're enslaved to their rage. The person addicted to lust is not free. They're enslaved to their desires. The person addicted to approval is not free. They're enslaved to what others think. The person addicted to control is not free. They're enslaved to their need to manage everything. The person addicted to shame is not free. They're enslaved to their past.
We think freedom is doing whatever we want. But Jesus is saying: That's not freedom. That's slavery. True freedom is being set free from the things that enslave you.
And here's the beautiful part: "If the Son sets you free, you are truly free."
Jesus doesn't just teach you about freedom. He doesn't just tell you the truth. He sets you free. He breaks the chains. He releases you from the slavery of sin.
But notice what He says first: "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
Discipleship is not just believing in Jesus. It's remaining faithful to His teachings. It's following Him. It's letting His truth reshape your life.
And when you do—when you remain faithful to His teachings, when you follow Him, when you let His truth work in you—then you experience true freedom.
The crowd can't understand this because they're thinking in earthly terms. They're thinking about political slavery, about their status as descendants of Abraham. But Jesus is talking about something far more fundamental: freedom from the slavery of sin.
And some of them are so enslaved that they're trying to kill the One who came to set them free. They have "no room in [their] hearts for [His] message" because they're too full of their own desires, their own pride, their own slavery.
But for those who will listen, who will remain faithful to His teachings, who will let Him set them free—for them, true freedom is possible.
Take a few moments to reflect on this question:
Am I willing to remain faithful to Jesus's teachings so that He can set me free?

Respond
Jesus, I want to be truly free. I'm tired of being enslaved to sin. I'm tired of the patterns that trap me, the habits that bind me, the desires that control me. Set me free. Help me to remain faithful to Your teachings. Help me to follow You into true freedom.

Exercise
The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Choosing Freedom 
Today's habit is an act of deliberate freedom: identify one area where you're enslaved to sin—one pattern, habit, or desire that has you trapped.
Write it down.
Now, bring this slavery to Jesus and pray: "Jesus, I'm enslaved to _________________. I thought this was freedom, but it's not. It's slavery. I can't break free on my own. I need You to set me free. Help me to remain faithful to Your teachings. Help me to follow You out of this slavery into true freedom. Break these chains. Release me."
Then take one step toward freedom. You are truly free when the Son sets you free. Not free to do whatever you want, but free from the things that enslave you. That's true freedom.

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That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus