JOHN, 8 v 31-36

These verses contain a continuation of the previous sermon  and stress the importance of steady perseverance of Christ.  There were many in His days who professed themselves to be followers of Christ who expected to becoming disciples.  There was nothing to show their faith or beliefs were sincere.

There are people today who desire to be clergy or lay, without having had any training, without any display of firm belief, but are anxious to have a recognized position within the Church.  As an example, think back to the Billy Graham meetings when thousands of people flocked to his services, inevitably inspired by the preaching and the musical accompaniment, had a sincere if misguided urge to even join the Church.  However, on returning to their parishes, some of the glamour faded and solid Bible teaching did not appear to be so attractive, and the return to the former way of life was resumed.  When true Christian followers and not just onlookers, we should remember it is easy to begin with, but can be testing when forced to face normal living.

A great problem is, that people in the majority do not attend Church, yet if you asked them to say why they claim to be Christians, they would claim to being honest, helping people, all of which atheists and other faiths could equally claim, and be good citizens, but not Christians.

The Church has to accept, that to some reasonable degree are responsible for this mistake.  We do not keep strictly to the Bible, nor reject false doctrine, we do not preach about confessions and repentance, we accept agree to baptize anyone who asks; in our liturgy we state that the deceased is going to heaven when there is nothing known about the person’s belief, which is like telling a blind person to cross the road when they wish.  The desire to please all people may give pleasure, but it is not what we are sworn to do.  The essential  purpose of the Church is to lead people to accept Jesus Christ into their life.

We tell people that God loves all people, and wants to save them,  so he sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world to make them righteous and to be forgiven from the sins we commit in our lives. Jesus gave His Life to die on a Cross after cruel beatings, and in so doing paid the penalty for our sins, for we cannot otherwise be forgiven.  Only those who accept Jesus was their Savior will be able to go to heaven when this life is over, for God is a just God who can not accept those who reject the Son He sent.

The Church in places, is failing to preach the Bible, and indeed is even preaching that which the Bible condemns.  This is why it is necessary for new Christians to attend a Bible based Church. Once the Bible is overlooked in one small matter, it becomes easier to keep on sinning and seeking to make the Bible less meaningful

The verses of this passage spell  out the nature of true liberty as they carry the

Words of Jesus.  In one comprehensive sentence, He told the Jewish leaders, if  the Son of Man shall make you true, you are true indeed,

The church in the United Kingdom, and I fear in other Western nations, had high temporal  blessings, free from the influence and with religious liberty.  How many countries could enjoy such fortune?  To a certain degree, we may now be so but we are under some restriction.  Our faith has been handed down from the days of our Lord, all verified down the ages. 

We worship the God who created this world and gave us His Holy Book.  We can be made free from the stain of sin by the Crucifixion of Jesus; we are free to all  who will turn and with us follow Jesus now

Remember the message of this passage

 if  the Son of Man shall make you free, you are true indeed,

                                                               

Thank God for His Holy Gospel, and Praise the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior