Free Indeed, in CHRIST JESUS ALONE

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." —John 8:36 [KJV]

Our most glorious sovereign Lord and King, Jesus, like some mighty conqueror whose subjects have been taken captive by an enemy, delivers them from their captivity, sets them at liberty from the dominion and tyranny of their enemies, and restores them to all the rights and privileges of His kingdom and government. Alas! in what a deplorable state doth our great Deliverer find our souls! taken captive by the devil at his pleasure, slaves and vassals to his will and power, under worse than Egyptian bondage, "tied and bound with the chains of our sins," bond-slaves to our corrupt lusts and carnal passions. 

In this hopeless, helpless, deplorable state, we all continue without power, yea, without will or desire to be set at liberty. Nay, we are naturally pleased with the drudgery of sin and Satan, in love with our bondage, fancying ourselves at liberty, and enjoying the most perfect freedom; but when our mighty Deliverer comes, He makes us free indeed: He bursts our bonds asunder, and casts away the cords wherewith we were bound. Jesus snatches our souls as a prey from the mighty, and the lawful captives are delivered. He invests us with the "freedom of citizens of the New Jerusalem," and gives us the privilege of adoption, to be the sons of God through faith in Him. 

Then are we the Lord's free-men; made free from sin, Satan, the law, and death. How great is Jesus' power! how rich His love! how free and sovereign His grace! it came unmerited and unsought by us; it is a freedom unbounded in its nature, and the happy subjects of it shall find it so in a blissful eternity. But here, though free, made free indeed in our spirits, yet we shall find by daily experience enemies and opposers to our uninterrupted enjoyment of it. 

Sin, though its guilt is washed away in Christ's blood, and its power destroyed in the soul, will yet rage and war in our members. Satan, though like a strong man armed, is overcome and cast out, will often rally his forces and wage war against us. As brother Martin Luther says, 'he who hath Christ for his King and God, let him be assured he hath the devil for his enemy, who will work him much sorrow, and plague him all the days of his life. But let this be our comfort and great glory, that we poor sinners have the Lord of life and death and of all creatures, clothed with our flesh and blood, sitting on the right hand of God, ever living, ever praying for us, who ever defends and protects us.' 

The law, though its demands are all fulfilled, and its curse is taken away, though there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; and death, though disarmed of its strength and sting through the victory of Jesus, yet the sweet sense and comfortable experience of all this is enjoyed by us only while we "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and are not entangled with any yoke of bondage."—Galatians 5:1 [KJV]

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)