Lesson Text: John 8:31-36

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:31-36)

Do you want to be free?  The citizens in our country have always enjoyed more freedoms than any other country in the world.  I pray that we will always enjoy our freedoms.  Because we are so abundantly blessed with freedom, it may be difficult to understand what it is like not to be free. 

Try to imagine what it would be like if you were a slave, someone owned you and you could never make any choices of your own. You could not choose your career, where you would live, or who you would marry.  You could never buy property or travel where you wanted to travel.  Jesus told His disciples, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” That is good news because everyone is a slave ... a slave to sin!  Once we commit one sin, we become a slave of sin!  Do you want to be free from the bondage of sin?  Then learn the truth and obey it!  It will make you free!

 

Jesus gave His Apostles His teachings and through these teachings, which are the Truth, we learn how to become freed from our sins:

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin. (Romans 6:2-7)

We learn from this passage in Romans that we become freed from the bondage of sin when we die to sin and are buried in baptism and are raised again to walk in newness of life.  Baptism is in the likeness of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Just as He arose from the grave, we rise from baptism to live a new life freed from all our sins!

True or False

1. The Jews, in our lesson text, did not believe in Jesus.

2. Jesus said that the truth will make you free.

3. The Jews claimed they were David’s descendents and had never been slaves to anyone.

4. Jesus explained that if a person sins he becomes a slave of sin.

5. A son abides forever.

6. When a person dies to sin and is baptized he is made free of sin.

Choose the right words:

7. Jesus said that whoever commits sin is a (happy person; free from the shackles of rules; slave of sin).

8. Romans 6 tells us that baptism (represents the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; is an outward sign of an inward feeling; has nothing to do with salvation).

9. In Romans 6 we learn that those who are baptized (rise to walk in newness of life; get sprinkled when they are babies; become free from sin).

10. We also see that our old man was crucified (when we are  sprinkled; the moment we believed; with Him in baptism).

Unscramble the words and tell how they relate to the lesson:

11. Clespidis

12. Dongbae

13. Veefror

14. Mitpabs

15. Skleenis

16.Treenirursco

17. Dreef

18. Frieducic

Match words that are found together in the lesson:

19. Disciples                  ___Of Life

20. Made                       ___With Him

21. Abraham’s                ___Into Christ

22. Know                        ___Descendents

23. Commits                  ­­­ ___Forever

24. Abides                     ___Indeed

25. Crucified                  ___Sin    

26. Baptized                   ___Free

27. Newness                   ___The Truth