The Essence and Effects of Saving Faith
John 8:30–47
Genuine saving faith is an abiding, following faith that continues in Jesus’ word, proves itself over time by bearing fruit, and liberates from the slavery of sin into relationship with God; temporary or shallow belief is exposed as false.
Outline
- Context of professed belief that is not genuine
- Abiding in Jesus’ word as proof of true discipleship
- Parable of the soils and temporary faith
- Vine and branches: fruit proves discipleship
- The truth that sets free from slavery to sin
- Conclusion: essence and effects of saving faith
Themes: Saving Faith · Abiding · Discipleship · Fruit-Bearing · Truth Sets Free · Slavery to Sin · Perseverance · Vine and Branches
Key Cross-References: John 8:30-47, Luke 8:4-15, Luke 14:28-30, John 15:1-10, Galatians 5:19-24, John 14:6, Matthew 8:11-12
MANUSCRIPT
Last week we asked the sobering question “What happens to those who die in their sins?” We learned that all of mankind shares both a nature and a destiny. All are sinners, all have fallen short of the glory of God, all are spiritually dead, and none can rectify their situation by their own will, or power. That’s our shared nature.
As to “destiny,” all things remaining the same, every individual in their natural state is destined for eternal separation from the Holy God of Heaven.
We didn’t end on that low note however. Last week we focused on an important word in John 8:24. Jesus said:
John 8:24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
So, we learned there is a way of escape. A way of forgiveness and reconciliation with God. There is a way of salvation, and it comes through believing in Jesus.
Further, we learned what it meant to believe in Jesus. We learned that when Jesus says that one must believe that he “is he,” it means to believe that he is the Messiah. It is to believe that he is the Son of God, sent by the Father, as the only source of eternal life. If one is to be delivered from their sinful nature and it’s consequences, he must believe this about Jesus.
We ended our sermon on a high note. We saw this in verse 30:
John 8:30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
In that moment, it appears that some did just as Jesus said. They believed that he was the Messiah, the sent Son, and only source of eternal life. It would appear then that in that moment some were delivered from darkness and brought into the light. It seems that some turned from the power of Satan to God. It seems then that some were forgiven their sin, reconciled to the Father, given the Holy Spirit and made destined for eternal life.
You might notice that as I described the response of these individuals that I used terms like “appears” and “seems” quite liberally. Why? Because, as we will see as this scene plays out in John 8, these individuals who “believed” in Jesus, were never really saved at all.
How do we know this? We know this because Jesus knew it, and as his conversation with these people unfolded, he exposed it. So, what we have in this passage is a description, from Jesus himself of THE ESSENCE AND EFFECTS OF GENUINE SAVING FAITH.
This morning we will learn that not everyone who says they believe, actually believes. Not everyone who claims to be saved, is genuinely saved. Not everyone who claims to follow Jesus, actually follows Jesus.
John 8:31-36 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.
Look again at verses 30-31:
John 8:30-31 As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Notice who Jesus’ audience is here, “the Jews who had believed him.” And what does he say to the Jews who believed him? “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.”
How do we understand this?
Some people who read this text understand it by separating salvation from discipleship. That is, they look at it and say, “It says that these Jews believed therefore they were definitely saved. What Jesus is talking about here is a next level of spiritual progress, from salvation to discipleship.” For these, salvation and discipleship are two different things. Not everyone who is saved goes on to become a disciple.
Is that what Jesus is implying here? Not at all. We know this from the context. Follow along with me…
Who is Jesus speaking to in verse 31?
John 8:31 ¶ So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
Who is answering him in verse 33?
Who is Jesus responding to in verse 34?
Who is Jesus addressing in verse 37?
Who answers Jesus in verse 39?
Who is Jesus talking to in verse 41 and 42?
How about in verses 43-45?
Now we have a problem. Jesus said in verse 31, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” and here in verse 43, speaking to the very same people he says, “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil…”
Why did Jesus say to those who believed in him, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples?” Because he knew that these who professed belief were not genuine. He knew that they would not continue in the faith. He knew that they would not go on to follow him. He knew that they would soon become offended by the truth, and by him. Look at verses 45-47:
John 8:45-47 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 ¶ Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
In the span of one conversation it became apparent that those who claimed to believe in Jesus, did not. Their faith was false
So, when Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.” He wasn’t saying something like, “now that you are saved, if you continue to grow, you’ll become a disciple.” No. What he was saying was, “the genuineness of your belief in me will be proven as you remain faithful to me.”
To believe in Jesus was the same as to become Jesus’ disciple. The genuineness of their belief would be proven if they continued as his disciples by abiding in his word.
ABIDE IN MY WORD
To abide is to continue, endure, remain, to stand. It is to persist. And abide in what? He says, “my word.” What is his word? His word is the sum of his teachings, commands, and instructions. His word includes his claims about human nature, his own identity, the character of the Father, and the way of salvation.
To abide in his word is to live a life that embraces his teaching, and obeys his instructions and commands. It is to trust him as the only saviour, and submit to him as the rightful Lord. To abide in his word is to possess an abiding love for Jesus, which remains loyal to him for the remainder of one’s life.
The “belief” which the Jews expressed here in John 8 was not coming from a place of abiding faith. On the contrary, their so-called belief was fickle and fleeting – and Jesus knew it.
This is instructive for us.
This reminds us that not everyone who claims to believe in Jesus, actually does. They might have some form of belief in Jesus but it’s not an abiding faith. It’s fleeting. It’s fickle. It’s temporary. It will not be sustained over time.
Jesus once told a parable which warned against such fleeting faith. Look at Luke 8:
Luke 8:4-15 ¶ And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
In this parable Jesus is revealing to us the many different ways in which the gospel will be received by people. The various responses to the gospel are driven by the varying conditions of people’s hearts.
Some will respond without a response at all. The gospel, when preached to these men, is met with complete disinterest. These people have no desire to hear the word. If you deign to share the gospel with these men you are met with blank face or perhaps hostility. The gospel, in no way, penetrates their hearts. These people are represented by the trodden down soil on the hard pathway where men walk and birds feed.
The second response is that of the shallow-hearted hearer. These people hear the good news about Jesus and salvation and respond immediately. They receive his word with excitement and enthusiasm. There appears to be a flurry of spiritual activity in their life. They might even make bold proclamations of his faith. They may even join a church. Sadly however, this promising start ends in disappointment. As soon as this person experiences any persecution or trials or testing due to his faith he is quick to turn away from Jesus. He is willing to follow Jesus Christ only insofar as he can avoid the cost that accompanies identifying with Jesus.
The third response is that of a person who hears the word of God, appears to respond to it, saying that they will follow Jesus, but who are then drawn away by the allure of materialism, relationships, cares and the pleasures of this life.
They started out by claiming a love for Jesus but over time they end up giving their hearts to competing loves and forsaking Jesus.
So, the church will experience such people. Men and women continue with us for a time. Their initial growth is deceptive. We may be deceived into thinking that these are genuine believers with a tremendous future as disciples, only to find that they are a flash in the pan. Just as they responded to the gospel in an immediate emotional way, they will quickly turn from it once they are faced with a cost that they deem too high to pay, or pleasures in this world that they deem more precious than Jesus.
These shallow-hearted hearers not only deceive many but they also leave many in confusion. They walk away from Jesus Christ after they have told their friends and family and coworkers about their amazing conversion. They turn from the faith after they’ve made public professions of it in the church. Their unsaved friends look on and seize the occasion of this defection as an opportunity to mock and to justify their own sinful lives.
Jesus uses a different analogy to illustrate the same point in Luke 14:
Luke 14:28-30 (ESV) For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'
The world, even as they criticized, persecuted and separated from this man, remained watching. They were doubtful yet curious. They watched to see what would come of this new found faith. Had this man continued in the faith and shown himself to be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ, he may well have been instrumental in directing his unsaved friends to Christ. Instead, their suspicions are confirmed. Their newly religious friend has proven to be a fraud. Far from showcasing the transforming work of Jesus Christ, this man has made a mockery of it. Every unbelieving onlooker has now found opportunity to justify their sin and rejection of salvation.
Not only does this leave the unsaved world confused but it also sometimes leaves the church confused. Those who unacquainted with Christ’s teachings regarding the kingdom begin scrambling to find a way to explain this short-lived disciple.
However, Jesus taught that there would always be wolves among the sheep, weeds among the wheat, devils among the disciples. This is simply the nature of the Kingdom of God for now.
But some miss this.
They see a momentary disciple like the shallow-hearted hearer and they feel it necessary to find ways that this man can be accepted as a genuine believer. How do they do this? They downplay discipleship. They separate it from salvation as if once saved, one can choose or not choose to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. They invent categories to explain the “undiscipled disciple”, the “nonfollowing follower”, the “unChrist-like Christian”. Whereas scripture would call him a false believer, they call him a “carnal Christian”. They don’t use the term in the Biblical sense of a temporary lapse of spirituality but they erect it as an entire category in which one can stuff the entire mixed bag of the dragnet. Those who are unwilling to accept the prevalence of false converts and momentary disciples would go to great lengths to assure the uncommitted disciple that he is indeed saved.
They do this by putting great emphasis on a moment in time when one may have prayed a prayer – even if it in no way resulted in any evidence of spirituality. Whereas scripture says we will know them by their fruit, these say we will know them by a prayer they prayed. Consequently, the world is confused by professing Christians who remain unchanged, the church is confused as their members show no spiritual interest and most damning of all, the shallow-hearted hearer is confused into thinking he can be assured of his future salvation while in reality he is headed for Hell.
God, in his wisdom, has designed our faith so that genuine salvation will be proven over time. One way in which he has done this is by designing the faith so that it will, without doubt, invite persecution. If you have identified with Jesus Christ, you will be treated like Jesus Christ. As a result, your faith will be tried. Under this persecution, the faith of the shallow-hearted hearer collapses but the faith of a true follower of Jesus Christ is strengthened.
Our faith is also tried and tested as we are exposed to the allure of this life and the temptation to return to our former lives. Although we are now saved, and possess the Holy Spirit, there remains a world around us which represents temptation. A false believer will be exposed as he turns back to the world, and his former lifestyle, forsaking Christ.
In contrast to the person who forsakes Jesus when their faith begins to cost them, and in contrast to the person who forsakes Jesus in order to seek the pleasures of this life, the mark of genuine believer is that he continues in the faith. He abides in Jesus’ words.
And notice the measure by which Jesus says we can determine the genuineness of someone’s faith, in his parable in Luke 8.
Luke 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
The seed on the pathway did not take root and therefore produced no fruit. The seed on the rock had no depth of soil, so it produced no fruit. The seed among the thorns was choked out, and so it produced no fruit. The seed in the good soil however bore fruit continually. It’s this fruit-bearing plant which illustrates the person with genuine faith in Jesus.
Jesus used another metaphor to illustrate this in John 15:
John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Jesus presents only two categories here. There are disciples whose discipleship is proven through bearing much fruit, and there are those who claim some attachment to Jesus but who produce no fruit at all.
And how is it that one can produce this fruit?
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Remember what we said about what it means to abide in his word?
To abide in his word is to live a life that embraces his teaching, and obeys his instructions and commands. It is to trust him as the only saviour, and submit to him as the rightful Lord. To abide in his word is to possess an abiding love for Jesus, which remains loyal to him for the remainder of one’s life.
Jesus affirms this understanding here in John 15 as well:
John 15:9-10 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
So then, to abide in Jesus is to remain faithful to him in the context of a loving relationship. A relationship which is marked by a faithful obedience to his commands. The result will be a life filled with awesome evidence that Jesus’ life is present within you – just as the life of a vine runs through its branches.
Practically speaking, what will this fruit look like? Well, if the fruit is produced by the life of Jesus within us, the fruit would be that which makes us look more and more like him.
Galatians 5:19-24 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If the Spirit of Christ is present within us because we are abiding in him, just like a branch abides in a vine, then there will be fruit or evidence in our lives. What will that evidence look like? It will look like you and I becoming more and more like Jesus. His Spirit produces in us a love like Jesus’ love, a peace like Jesus’ peace, a patience like Jesus’ patience, a kindness like Jesus’ kindness, a faithfulness like Jesus’ faithfulness, a gentleness like Jesus’ gentleness, and a self-control like Jesus’ self-control.
Abiding in his word means loving his word, learning more about his word, faithfully applying his word, and holding to his word even in the face of hardship.
All of this is wonderful proof that we are his disciples.
Back to our text in John 8…
John 8:31-36 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.
Now we started out by saying that we were going to explore THE ESSENCE AND EFFECTS OF GENUINE SAVING FAITH. We’ve seen the essence. Saving faith is a following faith. It abides in Jesus. Genuine faith is proven over time through faithful discipleship. Now we begin to see an EFFECT of saving faith.
Jesus says to those who abide in his word and so prove to be his genuine disciples, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
What does he mean by “the truth” here?
First of all, note that he is talking about “the truth.” He’s not talking about a subjective truth, but an objective truth. This isn’t a matter of his truth, versus my truth, or your truth. He is asserting that there is an authoritative, objective and universal truth which can be known, and is known, by those who are his disciples.
And whatever this truth is, according to verse 32, it is liberating (“and the truth will set you free”). What is this truth?
When Jesus came, he came with a revelation of and from God the Father. He came to reveal the merciful character of God. He came to reveal the way of salvation. He came to reveal that desired an intimate relationship with his creatures. He came to reveal that the way into this relationship was through faith in himself. He came to reveal that forgiveness of sins, and reconciliation with God was possible, and was a product, not of human works but of the grace of God.
He came to reveal that although all men were captive to sin and Satan, he would provide the way of freedom.
The truth which his disciples come to know is the truth that the creator God, who made heaven and earth, loves and values them, desires relationship with them, and has graciously made the way possible through faith in his Son.
How does this truth make us “free?” Look at the Jews response to Jesus:
John 8:31-36 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.
The Jews don’t understand in what way they need to be set free. In their minds, since they are ethnic Jews (offspring of Abraham), they were already free. Never mind the irony that the Jewish people have a history of being enslaved or oppressed – think Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, the Greeks and the Romans.
Jesus responds, “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” He rejects their claim to Jewish heritage as evidence that they don’t need liberation. They are slaves to sin just like every other person is a slave to sin.
When one is a slave to sin, they are blind to the truth. According to Romans 1, they even “suppress the truth in their unrighteousness.” Consequently, they walk through life with a lack of ultimate meaning, and purpose. They are deceived without true answers to the big questions of life.
Some, in search of meaning and purpose find it in false religions. Some in philosophy. Some in materialism. Some in relationships. Some in the fleeting and temporary things of this life. Some find no meaning at all and live lives filled with things which simply distract them from their plight.
Jesus is saying that there is a wonderful liberation that happens when someone believes in him. With that belief is an embrace of all that Jesus came to reveal. There is a God. He loves you. He wants relationship with you. He gave his own Son to atone for your sin, so that he could adopt you into his family. He is merciful toward your sin and failures, and has invited you into an eternal covenant with himself. With understanding of these things comes a flood of purpose, meaning, and direction. Life makes sense. The future is no longer bleak. The chains of sin are broken. You receive what you were created for – an intimate relationship with your loving God – and all this through faith in Jesus - this is why Jesus could refer to himself simply as “the truth:”
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the truth which liberates. Faith in him leads to freedom from sin and relationship with God.
The Jews in our passage felt they already had a relationship with God – which they did not. They thought they were already free – which they were not. Consequently, they saw no need for a Messiah who saved his people from their sin. They were content to cling to their ethnic heritage, and religious identity for salvation. Look at how Jesus further addresses this in verse 34-35:
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.
This is scathing. Jesus uses the imagery of a household. In this household there are slaves, and there is the son of the master of the house. Although the Jews felt they were sons, entitled to all the privileges of sonship, Jesus says “No, you are the slaves. You have no claim to family identity, or family inheritance. You think you are in, but you are actually out.”
He, on the other hand, is the legitimate son. He has the standing and authority to free the slaves. Whomever he chooses to free, will be genuinely freed. So he says in verse 36:
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Their problem was that they would not stop seeing themselves as sons, while they were actually slaves. They did not have an accurate assessment of their spiritual state. They thought they were in, while they were out. Jesus addressed their misconception elsewhere in Matthew 8:
Matthew 8:11-12 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
They count themselves as sons, but they aren’t sons at all.
This of course was utterly tragic. No one can experience freedom if they first don’t understand that they are enslaved. Like fish in water, they were immersed in their sin and couldn’t even recognize it.
CONCLUSION
This morning, as we close, that is the question for you.
Do you recognize your need for Jesus and the salvation that he brings?
Can you recognize that you are a slave to sin, in need of liberation?
Can you see how you’ve been meandering through life searching for truth in all the wrong places?
Can you see where you’ve erred in your search for purpose and meaning?
Or perhaps you can recognize where a sense of a meaninglessness or purposelessness has led you to an unhealthy way of living?
If that’s you, believe in Jesus. Believe that he is the Son, sent by the Father as the only source of eternal life. And what will this faith in Jesus look like in your life? You will abide in his word. You will live a life that embraces his teaching, and obeys his commands. You will trust him as the only saviour, and submit to him as the rightful Lord. You’ll live in a new relationship with God filled with divine purpose and meaning. You will possess an abiding love for Jesus, which remains loyal to him for the remainder of your life. All of this, not in an attempt to earn salvation, but as a product of genuine saving faith.
It is just this sort of abiding which Jesus says proves that you “are truly his disciple.”
If you are here this morning under the impression that you are already a disciple of Jesus, take heed to the warnings this morning. The Jews in our passage counted themselves shoe-ins to the kingdom, but they were outside the kingdom. Their faith was not genuine. It was fleeting and fickle.
The ESSENCE of genuine faith is endurance. It persists, abides, and perseveres. Further, the EFFECT of genuine faith is that it produces fruit. Genuine faith leads one to become more and more like Jesus over time. Further, genuine faith liberates from sin, and ushers one into a relationship with God. Is all of that true of you this morning?
