Sunday Message Notes Sep. 13, 2025
What is a disciple of Jesus Christ?
What does it mean to be Christ’s disciple?
Does a disciple say?
Does a disciple do?
What is the cost of salvation? Salvation was not free. Jesus paid the price for our salvation. Is there a price to receive the salvation for which Christ Jesus so freely gave His life?
What is the cost of freedom? The Revolutionary War cost many lives to give us the U.S. Constitution which grants us freedom. The Civil War cost many lives to the grant constitutional rights of freedom to the people who were slaves. World War 1 cost many lives to keep Europe free from tyranny. World War 2 cost many lives to keep the world free from tyranny. What is the cost to stay free? What is the cost to receive salvation? Salvation is granted to all by God’s grace through faith in Christ Jesus. What does it mean to be saved from sin and death? The natural answer for believers is that we are forgiven of all of our sins and we are received into heaven when the body of flesh dies. But is that all there is to it? Jesus and the apostles didn’t teach or preach that it ends with believing in Jesus Christ. Faith that confesses that JESUS CHRIST is LORD and the Son of God follows up that faith with something. What did Jesus say about it?
I’m glad you asked.
“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”” (John 8:31–32, NKJV)“Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:34–36, NKJV)
Amplified “So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32, AMP) “Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin. Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever. So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.” (John 8:34–36, AMP)
Some versions say “keep” or “continue in” my words.
What if we arranged the words another way that gives a clear understanding of what Jesus is saying? This would be a paraphrase for the purpose of giving additional understanding and possible revelation.
We might say the whole thing like this, “A slave to sin does not abide in the house with me because he can only practice sin. However, if you receive my words and believe them to the point that you continue to keep and abide in and by them, you will be free. I and My words will make you free so that you can receive the adoption as a son of My Father and dwell in My Father’s household with Me."
What is a disciple of The LORD Jesus Christ? It is one who receives, believes and keeps the words of Christ to the point of being freed from slavery to sin. It is receiving the adoption as sons whereby we cry," Abba, Father". It is confessing Christ before men and following the teachings of Christ Jesus. It is adherence to the commands and teachings of Christ Jesus.
Hearing doesn’t make you free. Knowing doesn’t make you free. Speaking doesn’t make you free. Saying that you believe doesn’t make you free. Abiding in the words of Christ Jesus makes you know and experience the truth of freedom from sin’s slavery.
You are no longer born in sin. You are born again in the righteousness of God by faith in Christ Jesus and in His words.
Turn to Romans 6.
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
"For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."
"For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him."
"For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead,and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!"
"Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness."
"I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:1–23, NKJV)
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:14–16, NKJV)
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”” (Galatians 2:20–21, NKJV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22–26, NKJV)