Devotional - October 14, 2026
Scripture: John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Today's text is quoted a lot. Let's keep it in context and see where it leads us. Jesus is talking to those who once followed Him closely and then fell away. They faded back into the crowd and the claims of the crowd. Jesus makes it clear, to become a disciple, one has to endure hardship (Matthew 13: 1-23). Especially in His day, to follow Jesus meant one claimed Him as the Messiah. Doing so was highly controversial and could get you thrown out of the synagogue and the community. Jesus calls them to continue following Him into a new life, a new community, and new relationship with God. Their faith would no longer be based on heredity or traditional beliefs, but instead on His atoning work and teachings. Simply put, their whole life would change, but Jesus promised the results of this change will be freedom. They would no longer operate under the Law of sin, but that of love. Their loving relationship with God. The Law enforced obedience through punishment and exile. Follow it and you are in, don't, and you are out. We have many such relationships in our life. We follow the rules so we can have the benefits provided therein; be it a job, identity, affiliation, or other benefit. We don't have to love it, or even like it, but we do it because we want what is available within the community. Jesus teaches that was never God's plan for the Kingdom of God. If you love being a part of something, or being with someone, punishment is not your motivation for maintaining the relationship. Your motivation is found in your desire to keep and maintain the relationship. You want to keep the other in your life, because you love them. When you mess up, and we do, it is love that keeps it together. In this case, not burn offerings and other types of sacrifice. All they do is provide a type of restitution and reinstatement of the contract or covenant and the benefits found therein. If a person is in a loving relationship with God, through Christ, they feel bad when they do things they know are against God's will. They feel bad enough to change their behavior regardless of what others think. Even if making that change will mean losing relationships or affiliations in their lives. God knows full well the costs of being a Christian, but God also provides for these losses. Paul knew about this kind of loss intimately, but counted the losses as rubbish compared to his relationship with God and his fellow believers (Phippians 3:8). You may say, I feel that way, but maybe not that strongly. Don't feel bad, instead continue to let your relationship with God grow (Mark 4:28). Continue to follow Jesus, pray, talk with God, study your Word, worship, and grow. And enjoy, God wants you to enjoy the process and the relationship because God loves and enjoys being in relationship with you.
Pray with me..., Holy God there are times we feel our faith is not worth it. We fail, life goes side-ways, we are not sure of things. Help us to not give in to our doubts or stress. Grant us Your abiding peace and encouragement to continue in our relationship with You. Hear us as we pray for Your blessing on our loved ones and our church. Bless them, we pray, in accordance with their needs. And hear us as we give You all thanks and praise for doing so, in Jesus' name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
