经文：【约翰福音八章31-38节】
31耶稣对信他的犹太人说：你们若常常遵守我的道，就真是我的门徒;
32你们必晓得真理，真理必叫你们得以自由。
33他们回答说：我们是亚伯拉罕的后裔，从来没有作过谁的奴仆。 你怎么说你们必得自由呢？
34耶稣回答说：我实实在在的告诉你们，所有犯罪的就是罪的奴仆。
35奴仆不能永远住在家里;儿子是永远住在家里。
36所以天父的儿子若叫你们自由，你们就真自由了。
37我知道你们是亚伯拉罕的子孙，你们却想要杀我，因为你们心里容不下我的道。
38我所说的是在我父那里看见的;你们所行的是在你们的父那里听见的。
导言 ：
燕京大学虽然已经不存在了，但是他的著名校训为「因真理得自由以服务Freedom Through Truth For Service」仍然被基督徒们所记念。
哈佛大学的校训也是「真理」（Veritas，1643年）1650年后更改为「荣耀归于基督」（In Christ Gloriam），1692年则是「为基督、为教会」（Christo et Ecclesiae）。
真理对人是如此重要。 为什么呢？ 因为真理叫人得自由！ 但是，千百年来，人们就一直没有弄清楚到底什么是真理？ 到底什么是自由？ 两者有何关系？ 《约翰福音》第八章中创造和救赎世界的基督把答案告诉了我们。
重点 ：
一、 何为自由？ （Ｖ31-32）
1. 信耶稣的人
信的人不等于是得救的人，反复无常的信心是不正常的信心，不是真正的得救的信心。
人之所以在信上反复无常是因为他们不知道、不明白、不认识自己的信的对象，也不明白、不清楚自己到底是否有得救的信心。
2. 耶稣的门徒
谁是耶稣的门徒呢？ 谁是耶稣的真正的门徒呢？ 你们若常常遵守我的道，就真是我的门徒。
门徒所当知道的是什么呢？ 32你们必晓得真理，常常遵守主道的真门徒就必然知道真理。
作门徒为何如此重要呢？ 真理必叫你们得以自由。 真理的益处是什么呢？ 让人得自由。
3. 可怕的现实（V33）
从信的人的回答中看到他们对自我的两大认知：
第一， 他们认为自己是亚伯拉罕的后裔; 这样的认知是建立在血缘关系基础上的。 成为亚伯拉罕的后裔是建立在信心连结基础上的，不是靠血缘关系的。
第二， 他们认为自己从来没有做过任何人的奴仆;
真正的现实是： 1）这些信的人不是亚伯拉罕的后裔; 2）这些信的人是为奴的。 然而，比这个事实更可怕的现实是他们竟然不知道他们在自欺。
二、如何得自由
得自由的前提是你知道自由， 并且知道自己有得自由的需要。
1. 奴仆（V34）
耶稣知道这些人的苦境：他们没有自由， 你们是罪的奴仆。 要想摆脱奴役，你必须得死。
圣经启示我们：罪的工价就是死。 犯罪之人的悲惨命运就是死亡。
2. 得自由（V35-36）
真自由是耶稣给的，真自由是神的儿子所赐给的。
自由不是人自己想获取就能获取的，自由不是出于人，也不是人所拥有的。
耶稣能给人自由，他给的自由是真自由。
3. 属魔鬼的 （V37-38）
主耶稣对这些反复无常的信的人所说的真话。
耶稣让他们看清楚自己实际上和亚伯拉罕没有真正的关系。 标准是因为他们心里容不下耶稣的道。
耶稣启示了自己乃是从上面来的，是从神那里来的。
结论：
冰心先生作为昔日燕大的校友以及之后的教师，在她看来：真理是「爱」，自由则是「一切从心所欲，又无一不含于爱」，而以爱之名互相关怀、帮助，又体现了服务的要义。
教育是用生命影响生命，司徒雷登也用一生，践行了自己所拟定的校训——「因真理，得自由，以服务。」
作为耶稣基督的门徒，作为相信他的人。 你是否真的有信心？ 真的得了自由？
耶稣基督就是真理，他就是真理的化身，相信他的人就得了自由！ 而得了自由的人就会践行真理，活在自由里！
Scripture: Joh 8:31-38
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word.
38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.
Preface:
Although Yenching University no longer exists, its famous school motto "Freedom Through Truth For Service" is still remembered by many Christians.
The school motto of Harvard University is also "Truth" (Veritas, 1643). After 1650, it was "In Christ Gloriam;" and in 1692 it was "For Christ, for the Church" (Christo et Ecclesiae).
Truth is so important to people. Why? Because truth sets people free! However, for thousands of years, people have not figured out what truth is? What is freedom anyway? What is the relationship between the two? The answer is revealed in Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John.
Focus Points: A. What is freedom? (V31-32)
1. People who believe in Jesus
A person who believes is not the same as a saved person. Volatile faith is abnormal faith, not true saving faith.
The reason why people are erratic in faith is because they do not know, do not understand, do not recognize the object of their faith, do not understand or do not know whether they have the saving faith.
2. The disciples of Jesus
Who are the disciples of Jesus? Who are the true disciples of Jesus? If you always keep my way, you are truly my disciples.
What should the disciples know? 32 You must know the truth, and true disciples who always follow the path of the Lord will know the truth.
Why is discipleship so important? The truth will set you free. What are the benefits of truth? Let people be free.
3. Terrible reality (V33)
From the answers of believers, we can see two major cognitions of themselves: (1) they consider themselves to be descendants of Abraham; this recognition is based on blood relationship. Becoming a descendant of Abraham is based on a connection of faith, not by blood. (2) they think that they have never been a slave to anyone;
The real reality is:
(1) These believers are not descendants of Abraham;
(2) These believers are slaves.
However, the more frightening reality is that they don't even know that they are
deceiving themselves.
B. How to be free:
The prerequisite for freedom is that you know what freedom is and that you have the need to be free.
1. The Servant (V34)
Jesus knows the plight of these people: they have no freedom, and “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” To be free from slavery, you must die.
The Bible reveals that the wage of sin is death. The tragic fate of the sinners is death.
2. Gain Freedom (V35-36)
True freedom is given by Jesus, and true freedom is given by the Son of God.
Freedom is not something that people can obtain if they want to. Freedom does not come from or is possessed by people.
Jesus can give people freedom, and the freedom He gives is true freedom.
3. Of the Devil (V37-38)
The truth that the Lord Jesus said to these capricious believers.
Jesus made them see that He actually has no real relationship with Abraham. The standard is because these people cannot tolerate the words of Jesus.
Jesus revealed that He came from above, from God.
Conclusion:
Ms. Bing Xin, as an alumnus of Yenching University and a teacher afterwards, in her viewpoint: Truth is "love", and freedom is "everything you want, and nothing is not in love". In the name of love, we care for and help each other, which embodies the essence of service.
Education is to use life to influence life. John Leighton Stuart also spent his whole life practicing his school motto - "Freedom Through Truth For Service."
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, as a person who believes in Him, are you really confident, really free?
Jesus Christ is the truth, He is the incarnation of the truth, and those who believe in Him are free! And those who are free will practice the truth and live in freedom!
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