31  So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed 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 practices 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. 1

John 8:31-36
God’s Best for Your Life: Part 2
LEAVING SIN

THE BIG IDEA: We are called to live with our true purpose in focus.
- Our true purpose is found only in our Creator.
- Our true hope is found only in Jesus.

The Point: Sin makes us slaves. Christ sets us free. The problem is how we, who sin daily, can be
free from sin.
Jesus gives us the answer, and it is easier than the enemy would have us think.

The Bible teaches us that we are on a journey with a destination. We were made by a
perfect, good, and Almighty God. He has the best route to our destination.
In other words, everything in your journey has meaning.
The ancient Greeks had a beautiful word for this called telos.
It is where we get the word telescope from.
The meaning is that there is a goal in the distance.
Between you and that goal are many routes, but some of them are not good routes. Some routes are
filled with traps.

 The result: WE BECOME SLAVES TO SIN. John 8:34
o The chains of sin are invisible to the one enslaved by them, but their weight is
heavier than the ones we see.
 John 8:33; Titus 3:3

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Jn 8:31–36.

 3  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and
hating one another. 2 — Titus 3:3

 The spiritual slavery Jesus is referring to is how the human soul operates
under sin.
 Sin promises joy and gives heartache.
 Sin promises to make life easier, but it makes life so much harder.
 Sin promises the best outcome but delivers catastrophe.
 All of these things bear a weight on you, and you feel a burden.
 The burden grows with every passing day, and your soul drains of the joy
God wants you to have, the peace God wants you to have, and the freedom
God wants you to have.

o MAJOR POINT: We are called to live with our true purpose always in focus.
 We are called to live with our

Sin is constantly giving us a detour, but God’s Word gives us a destination.
Key Words: abide, μένω= remain, stay, reside
 When we “abide” in the word of Jesus, we are establishing residence in a new neighborhood.
o You know what it is like when you move? You have so many things that you have to
do.
o You change your license.
o You must update your billing.
o You have to transfer utility stuff.
o Moving is a huge transition because so much changes.
 When you “reside” in Jesus and in His Word, there are many changes that take place
spiritually.
o The demonic forces that are constantly scamming you out of God’s best for your life
have to update their junk mail address for you.
o You realize that you have been living according to the deception of the enemy, but
when you know what is true, you can easily see deception.
o Illustration: One of our small group members mentioned a couple of weeks ago
that if you study what is true, you can identify what is false. You train someone to
spot a counterfeit bill by letting them study the real thing.
 This is part of what Jesus is teaching us: When you abide (reside) in Him, you
study what life is really about, and you know the real truth.
 Mark Twain famously said the two most important days of your life are:
“the day you were born and the day you find out why?”
 I believe the why is found in Christ alone.

2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Tt 3:3.

 3  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and
pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 3 —
Titus 3:3
“Jesus’ opponents, of course, appealed to their human advantages:” 4

3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Tt 3:3.
4 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books,
1992), 233.