Christ came to set us free – a sermon on John 8:31-38 by Rev. Colin Pretorius.

“I want to break free,” the group Queen famously sang. But what does “free” mean? It can of course refer to something that doesn’t cost you anything – perhaps like the gifts you may receive at Christmas. But it also means much more than that. According to the Queen song, it was freedom from a broken relationship. For the protesting students in Hong Kong, it means no longer being subject to political oppression. For many people in Australia, it can mean no longer having to be bound by the restrictions of Covid. For those who suffer from painful medical issues it means no longer having to bear the agony.

But the freedom that we find isn’t always lasting, is it? For instance, in many countries where tyrants were overthrown, tyranny was often replaced with another form of oppression. Often those who get out of abusive relationships end up in other abusive relationships. Earthly freedom is temporary. True freedom comes only through the One after whom Christmas is named. That’s the freedom that our passage for today speaks about. Lasting freedom in Christ. This is the freedom about which Jesus speaks. He’s talking about slavery to sin, being set free from that slavery and what being set free from that means.

• Slavery to sin
• Set free from slavery to sin
• The results of being freed from slavery to sin.