Day Twenty Eight

John 8:31-38

31.) So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples,

32.) and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33.) They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, 'You will become free'?"

34.) Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

35.) The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

36.) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

37.) I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill Me because My word finds no place in you.

38.) I speak of what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

         Yesterday’s prayer blog talked of freedom in the Lord and being free from sin. This today continues that train of thought.

         As a young, idealistic preacher boy (what they call in the South any minister younger than 35), I really believed that if I heard something from an older minister, it was true. Eventually, I was called to a church in Hialeah, Florida (right next to Miami) where I served as an associate under a man who had a Master’s and a Doctorate of Theology. I was excited about what I thought of as an opportunity. It would be like serving under one of my wise professors from school. This pastor had been in the ministry for twenty five years after having been an educator for almost twenty years. It was going to be awesome!

         However, the longer I was there the more I sensed there was something not quite right. He would have me come into his office and ask me about a particular passage of Scripture. I thought at first that he was quizzing me, but then he would use my explanation in his Sunday sermon. At first I was flattered, but then it just became weird. I didn’t know what was going on.

         One day I had gone into his office and just then his wife called from parsonage, which was next door. She was having a problem with something that he needed to fix. He told me to stay there and he would be back in no time. He left and I wandered over to his diplomas hanging on the wall. His Bachelor’s degree was from the University of Miami. His Master’s and Doctorate were from Southern Seminary, a very large and prestigious Southern Baptist seminary in Louisville. Then it hit me. It wasn’t Southern Seminary, although that is what everyone called it. It was Southern Baptist Seminary. I looked closer at the degree and saw that Southern Seminary was located in California. And, the Master’s degree and the Doctorate degree were dated only days apart. That was impossible, since a doctoral program is generally three years.

         Just then the pastor returned. I asked him how it was that he got his doctorate just a few days after the master’s. He wasn’t a bit bashful in his explanation. He told me that Southern Seminary in California was a diploma mill. You sent them the cost of the degrees and they sent them back to you. Those two degrees cost him $50. I was stunned. He went on and told me that the cost had gone up since he had gotten his, but for me it would still be under $100. I asked him how it was that the church accepted his credentials. He laughed and said that the yokels in the churches never check.

         That was the beginning of cynicism for me. I had believed a lie. Completely and totally. I was a yokel!

         Now, all these years later, I have learned from the experience of seeing the lies and half truths, that people find it easier to lie and deceive than they do to tell the truth. I find it very hard to trust anyone until I know them. Even then, I am always on guard.

         From the passage above, verses thirty two, thirty three and thirty four say this; 32.) and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33.) They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" 34.) Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

         Verse thirty two says the truth shall set you free and then those listening reply that they have never been enslaved to anyone. They had to be referring to their own lives because the Jews were enslaved in times past. But even referring to their own time, they were lying. They had deluded their own selves into really believing that they were not enslaved by the Romans. Only under special circumstances could one be a citizen of the Empire. They had no say in what laws were in effect. They were taxed nearly to death. They had to do as they were told. They were considered low, low class. All that was a pretty good indicator that they were enslaved. But they still thought of Israel as being free.

         Here, in the twenty first century, we are lying to ourselves about what constitutes sin. We lie to ourselves about whether sin controls us. We say we are free, but we are slaves to sin that so easily envelopes us

         There is freedom. Even if you don’t feel enslaved, seek freedom. With freedom in the Lord comes a different understanding, a different assurance.

         Today’s prayer is to ask the Lord to start you on the path to freedom. Seek out His power and mercy and grace.