ACC ~ John 8 v35

LIBERATED FOR LOVE

AUGUSTINE: He has greatly alarmed us, my brothers, by saying, “The servant does not remain in the house forever.” He further adds, however, “But the Son remains forever.” Will Christ, then, be alone in his house? Will no people remain at his side? Whose head will he be if there shall be no body? Or is the Son both the head and the body? There is a reason why he inspires both terror and hope: terror so that we do not love sin, and hope so that we should not distrust the remission of sin. “Everyone,” he says, “who commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant does not remain in the house forever.” What hope, then, do we have who are not without sin? Listen to your hope: “The Son remains forever. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, then shall you be free indeed.” Our hope is this, brothers, to be made free by the free One. Our hope is that, in setting us free, he makes us his servants. For we were the servants of lust; but being set free, we are made the servants of love. This is also what the apostle says: “For, brothers, you have been called to liberty. Only do not use your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” [1] Do not then let the Christian say: I am free; I have been called to freedom. I was a slave but have been redeemed, and by my very redemption I have been made free. I shall do what I please. No one may deny my will if I am free. But if you commit sin with that kind of a will, you are the servant of sin. Do not then abuse your liberty for freedom in sinning, but use it for the purpose of not sinning. For your will is only free if it is godly. You will be free if you are still a servant— free from sin and the servant of righteousness. This is what the apostle says: “When you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. But now, being made free from sin and having become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness and the end, which is everlasting life.” [2] Let us strive for everlasting life even as we maintain holiness. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 41.8. [3]

[1] Gal 5:13.

[2] Rom 6:20-22.

[3] NPNF 1 7:232-33**.