Rev. Cary M. Richert

Reformation Sunday (B)

October 29, 2006

In Bondage to Freedom

John 8:31-36

          Jesus said:  If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, [8:31-32].  Freedom born of the truth.  Freedom that comes from abiding in the Word, who Himself is the Way, the Truth and the Life, [John 14:6].  What does it mean to be free . . .truly free?  Now there's a question that was among those central to the Reformation!   Let's try to understand.

          You and I have a twofold nature: a spiritual nature and a fleshly nature.  The apostle Paul writes:  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day, [1 Corinthians 4:16].  In a person of true faith, these dual natures . . .are dueling natures, constantly at war with each other.  Again, Paul writes:  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, [Galatians 5:17].  As a result, Paul writes of himself and each of us:  the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice, [Romans 7:19].

          Jesus teaches that:  Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin, [8:34].  Since all men are by nature sinful from the time of Adam, man is trapped - dead in trespasses and sins, destined to death and eternal condemnation.  This is the nature of our bondage.  Jesus pointedly destroys any illusion of a salvation by good works, for our good works must be perfect in both outward action and inner intent all the time . . .an impossibility for sinful mankind.  James reminds us that:  whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all, [James 2:10].

          Try going the rest of today without thinking evil of someone . . .without coveting something that belongs to someone else . . .without being jealous of someone . . .without gossiping or speaking ill of someone else . . .without taking the Lord’s name in vain, whether out loud or under your breath.  Or any one of a multitude of other sinful thoughts, words or actions.  In our fleshly nature, you and I aren't as free as we think!

          Nor can you free yourself from the sin that attaches itself to you by nature.  If we're to be free from the burden of guilt and punishment that accompanies sin, our freedom must come to us from outside ourselves.  A prisoner can't free himself from behind bars.  Only the one who possesses the authority . . .only the one who has the keys to unlock the shackles or the prison door.  And who might that be?

          Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord!  He alone can give us true and eternal freedom.  For He is the holy and free Son of God, who became a slave to death for us . . .so that we might become truly free sons and daughters of the heavenly Father, by faith.  Jesus purchased and won our freedom, not with silver and gold, but with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, [1 Peter 1:18-19].  The freedom that's ours in Christ and by faith is certain and true, for if the Son makes us free, we shall be free indeed, [8:36].

          What then is the nature of our freedom in Christ?  In Christ you're free from the guilt and punishment of the Law, as Paul writes:  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, [Romans 8:1].  In Christ you're free from the power of sin and the death grip it had on you.  Again, as Paul writes:  For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace, [Romans 6:14].

          In Christ, you're free to approach the heavenly Father without fear of His holy wrath and His righteous condemnation … but, rather, assured of His gracious and compassionate love, as Scripture teaches:  Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" [Galatians 4:7]  We're free to come into His presence and approach Him as "Daddy!"

          In Christ, we're free to serve God out of spontaneous love in faithful obedience to God and be concerned about nothing more than giving glory to God in doing so.  As Luther wrote at the time of the Reformation:  The inner man, who by faith is created in the image of God, is both joyful and happy because of Christ, in whom so many benefits (and gifts) are conferred upon him; and therefore it is his one occupation to serve God joyfully in love that is not constrained, and without thought of gain. [Luther, The Freedom of a Christian, as quoted in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, T. Lull, ed. Fortress, 1989, 611]

          Our freedom in Christ isn’t a license to disregard the Law and to sin to our heart's content, taking for granted that God will forgive us anyway.  That would be a terrible misunderstanding of Christian liberty!  Our freedom is that of one who leaves sin behind . . .of one who, while realizing that God in Christ truly does forgive our sin, also seeks to grow in holiness of living, of bearing the fruit of faith in his/her daily thoughts, words, and deeds, as the apostle writes:  Shall we continue in sin (as God's redeemed children) so that grace may abound?  Certainly not!  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? [Romans 6:1-2]   And, he further writes:  Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (to sin and to the works of the law). [Galatians 5:1]

          For Christ, the key to our freedom in Him is abiding in His Word, a Word which is Truth and which brings forth life and freedom.  Abiding in our Lord's Word is abiding in our Lord Himself, for He is the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us and revealed the glory of the heavenly Father.  He alone is the Truth, in whom we're set free from bondage to sin, death and the power of the devil.

          To abide in Christ is to abide in our Holy Baptism, where we were united to Him through the water and the Word of life . . .where  . . .we were adopted by name into His kingdom and made members of His Body, the Church where He Himself through His Holy Spirit came to live in our own hearts and souls.  To abide in Christ is to hear His Word and receive it in faith as it comes to us in preaching and teaching . . .and in His own body and blood served under the bread and wine of Holy Communion.

          Actually, our freedom in Christ places us into a joy-filled bondage!  As His children by grace through faith alone, we're now free in Christ to enslave ourselves in His service, and in service to others, as Martin Luther has said:

• A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.

• A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all

And as the apostle writes:   Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible, [1Corinthians 9:19].  For true, godly faith and love by nature arent self-serving, but rather, ready to serve and to be a slave in bondage to the One who loved us and who gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, [Ephesians 5:2].

And so, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Reformation Sunday we rejoice and praise our gracious God that, in Christ He's set us free . . .free from our bondage to sin, death and the power of the devil . . .free from the burden of guilt and punishment for our sins  . . .and, free to enslave ourselves to Christ and one another in love, as we faithfully abide in the Word made flesh and live as His disciples indeed.

May God grant us faith, wisdom, and courage to live in bondage to freedom.  For the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

NOTE:   Selected portions of this sermon are adapted from “The Festival of Reformation,” a sermon by Rev. William M. Cwirila in Gottesdienst, Michaelmas 2002, 3 ff.