“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free<\/em>” (John 8:31-32).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n People who long for freedom usually know little of what it is nor do they know how to obtain it.<\/p>\n While living in sin, men are under the most servile slavery, from which there is only one way to escape. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness<\/em>” (Romans 6:17-18). Obedience to the truth is the Lord’s way of making us free from the bondage of sin. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed<\/em>” (John 8:36). But Jesus forces freedom on no one.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by R.L. Whiteside (1869-1951) “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). People who long for freedom usually know little of what it is nor do…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[790,238,179],"class_list":["post-31140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-freedom","tag-righteousness","tag-sin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50261,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-truth-shall-make-you-free\/","url_meta":{"origin":31140,"position":0},"title":"The Truth Shall Make You Free","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 21, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Carey Scott \"So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free\" (Malachi 3:15). The sad situation in Malachi presents an attitude that many people today hang on to.\u00a0 The people were tired of being restrained in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88417,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-meaning-of-freedom\/","url_meta":{"origin":31140,"position":1},"title":"The Meaning of Freedom","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Freedom has long been a cherished ideal, and people typically are willing to pay a high price for its benefits. We celebrate freedom in many ways-through memorials, cookouts, music, fireworks, and other traditions. People have lived and died for freedom, and this should certainly be appreciated; we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56318,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/freedom-through-gods-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":31140,"position":2},"title":"Freedom Through God’s Law","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Charles N. Spence, Jr. God had always wanted His people to be free. However, most people today have a radically different idea of freedom than God's. Many in the world today look at freedom as the uninhibited right to do what they want to do. We can see this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":56322,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/freedom-under-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":31140,"position":3},"title":"Freedom Under God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Robert F. Turner via\u00a0Guardian of Truth\u00a0XL: 2 p. 1 January 18, 1996 Freedom ... The word is almost sacred to the American people, and over the world today it stirs great hope and aspirations. Our Declaration of Independence calls it an \"inalienable\" right and a truth \"self-evident.\" What is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49546,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-freedom-of-truth\/","url_meta":{"origin":31140,"position":4},"title":"The Freedom of Truth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:30-59 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many began to believe on Jesus - John 8:30-31 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jesus said that if they would live in the words of Jesus, then they would truly be his disciples - John 8:32 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Obedience to his teaching would cause them to know the truth.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60941,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-a-man-has-taken-a-new-wife\/","url_meta":{"origin":31140,"position":5},"title":"When a Man Has Taken a New Wife","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 28, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bryan Matthew Dockens To ensure the longevity of marriage, newlyweds should take serious measures to protect their relationship. Enjoy Your Honeymoon Did you know the concept of a honeymoon originated with God? Of course, He never called it that, but notice: \"When a man has taken a new wife,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/Honeymoon.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31140\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/fish-213x300.jpg\")
An illustration or two may help us see what freedom is. A machine runs free when all parts move as the designer intended. A living thing is free when it moves unhampered in the element, or surroundings, in which God intended it to live. A fish in water, not in a net or otherwise confined, is free; for there is where God intended it to live. Out of its element, it is not free. Contrary to speculative theology, man’s natural element is righteousness. That is the element in which the creator intended that he should live and in which he is placed. He is not free anywhere else any more than a fish is free on dry land. By sin man, each man brings himself into bondage. Adam’s sin did not bring you into bondage to sin; you did that yourself. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin<\/em>” (John 8:34).<\/p>\n