Some Jews' faith in Jesus was a superficial one, not a saving faith. Saving faith is different from a mere profession of faith. Jesus told them to hold to his teaching. It means to abide in his word. If we accept Jesus' teaching as the absolute word of God and obey it in our lives, we come to know the truth. The truth is Jesus himself-and the gospel of the cross. When we understand and accept this gospel from our hearts, we are set free from the power of sin and death and can enjoy true freedom in Christ.

The Jews could not accept that they were in some kind of bondage, needing liberation. But their ethnic pride and their biological lineage cannot guarantee them freedom from sin and death. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. We are not free just because we have minds that think, wills that make choices, and hearts that have affections. Rather, affected by the Fall, we are by nature slaves to sin. That is why we sin. But if Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed (36). Slaves cannot free themselves. Only the Son of God, Jesus, sets us free and makes us children of God.


Application: Lord, thank you for setting me free from the bondage to sin and death. Help me to hold to your words, obey them, and enjoy true freedom.
One Word: Freedom in Jesus and his words