Freedom Inside Out

By Timothy T. Brendle

A sermon for Religious Liberty Day 2002

John 8:31-36

I remember a story my dad used to tell about a lad who was unceremoniously corrected by his father. The father, without full understanding of the whole situation, yanked his son aside and told him to "sit down and be quiet!" Seeing the hopelessness of arguing with his dad, the boy resigned himself to the assigned seat, but with steeled eyes and resolve in his voice, he said, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside!"

In the selected passage we read the words of Jesus who asserts that freedom is the result of who we are on the inside. (John 8:31-36 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. {32} Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." {33} They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" {34} Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. {35} Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. {36} So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

The context of the passage is important. We do not find Jesus on the hillside overlooking a placid sea. He is not seated in the midst of disciples and eager learners. We find him in the temple courts teaching boldly and facing the challenges and accusations of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who are bent on destroying him. The temperature of the debate notches higher when Jesus claims to be the "light of the world." The Pharisees are indignant at this unsubstantiated claim and are not convinced as Jesus argues that the two required witnesses are the Father and himself. In this situation the shadow of the cross grows longer and Jesus tells the Pharisees "when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be." Amazingly, in the midst of this conflictual situation "many put their faith in him" as he spoke.

Evidently the Spirit of God was opening ears and touching hearts. Hearers hungry for freedom from rule-keeping religion and personal sin bondage caught a glimpse of hope in Jesus' words: they could walk in light rather than darkness; they need not die in their sins; God cared enough to send to them a proclaimer of love and grace. But Jesus recognized that opening the door to faith was not the same as truly becoming disciples. "If you hold to my teachings you are really my disciples." Disciples are learners who gain knowledge by spending time with their teacher.

Fields of study are often referred to as disciplines. To master any subject requires disciplined study. To exercise a profession we must know the rules of behavior and follow them. As a retired minister I work part time as a flight instructor. I encounter a good many would-be aviators who are enamored by flight, but many are unwilling to invest the time and energy required to understand the principles of flight, learn the rules, maneuvers, and develop the skills required of every safe pilot. Only those who are willing to "follow my teachings" experience the incredible freedom of flight enjoyed by all certified pilots.

"If you hold to my teachings you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." At that very moment in the dialogue the tone changed. Let me paraphrase: "Will be free? Is that what you said, Jesus? We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How dare you say, 'we shall be set free!'" Oops! A touchy subject. Aren't these people living under a puppet king fully subjugated to a Roman governor? How can they believe they are already free? They know that Jesus is not talking about political freedom. They have already heard him say that they will die in their sins. But they believe that as the seed of Abraham, recipients of the law that God gave to Moses, and as fervent rule-keepers they are already spiritually free. Holding that belief is part of their survival mechanism in their oppressed situation.

Their belief stands in stark contrast to Jesus' teaching about the grace of God and eternal life that comes only by following him and coming to know him as the Savior sent from God to take away the sins of the world. To experience freedom they must turn from trusting the law and trust Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life. The sin that enslaves them is their desire to kill Jesus and hold on to "their truth." Jesus' language gets stronger in verses 37-47. He implies that they are illegitimate children. He calls them "children of the devil." He explains that they live in Abraham's house but are not his children. By contrast, Jesus, the Son, belongs to the family forever. According to Jesus, the only hope they have is for the Son to set them free. That requires grace on the part of the Father and the Son, but also acceptance and commitment on the part of those being adopted into the family.

The result of accepting the Son's gift and making a continuing commitment to his teachings is the gift and burden of freedom—freedom from darkness; freedom from dying in sins; freedom from falsehood and lies; freedom to bear testimony to the Truth; freedom to be all that God has created us to be; freedom for eternal life.

The reason religious liberty has been important to Baptists is that we have believed Jesus' word. Having tasted the liberty that Jesus offers to the soul that believes and follows, we have been unwilling to let anyone impose belief, creed, ecclesiastical structure, or religious practice upon us. We understand at the very core of our identity, born out of relationship with Christ, that imposed faith is no faith at all. From Helwys' and Smyth's early struggles to the efforts of John Leland and other Baptists in America, we have fought for freedom of soul and conscience. The work of our faith forebears in America resulted in a religious liberty amendment to our young Constitution guaranteeing that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Baptists have stood alongside other citizens on the barge of state and have pressed into the murky waters with guiding poles that have kept our government moving steadfastly along a course of religious freedom. Today, however, we navigate dangerous rapids.

In the aftermath of the September 11 attack on America by a religiously motivated group of terrorists, Americans seem ready to trade freedom for security. "We are strong because of our religious roots," some would say, "so let's post our documents of faith in courthouses and schools. Let's insist that prayer be returned to schools. Let's provide vouchers to help fund the education of scores who want their children educated in religious schools. Let's give wider dissemination to our motto, 'In God we trust.' Let's make 'God Bless America' our national hymn."

Do you hear the rapids? Do you feel the tendency toward imposing predominant faith views on all citizens? Do you sense the slippery surface on the deck of the barge as different religious leaders push in opposite directions?

What would Jesus say to us as we navigate these troubled waters? I believe he would say what he said to the Jews. "Don't forget, freedom comes from the inside out. In following my teachings you will prove that you are my disciples. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. I am the way, the truth and the life. If I set you free you will be free indeed." I believe Jesus would also tell us that we Americans have been given a precious gift called Religious Freedom — a gift that makes it so much easier for his claims to be shared, accepted, and acted upon without coercion or constraint.

We Baptists cannot win the world nor stabilize our nation by imposing our religious beliefs on children and minorities among us. Having a law that requires schools to give a time for students to pray for, or reflect on our nation, may sound good in the current climate of war, but it is still the state telling children what, when and where to pray. We can best win our nation and world by continually struggling to create a climate where the claims of Christ can be presented alongside all other claims of truth. We can best win our nation by exercising our freedom to pray, to share our faith, and to live lives that are markedly different from the lives of non-believers. As we faithfully follow Jesus' teachings, we will prove to be effective disciples and the truth of his claims will take root in our hearts and the hearts of our neighbors. Then we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free.

Timothy T. Brendle is a retired Baptist pastor living in Richmond, Va. He is the chair of the Religious Liberty Committee of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.