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’?”
– John 8:33
Everything is intentionally or inadvertently measured against something else. We do this to try to make sense of some things and to evaluate others. We can do this in terms of material things, for statistical analysis or for much more personal reasons.
To measure against means to judge someone or something using a specific standard, benchmark, or another person as a measuring stick. In order to evaluate or judge something requires it to be compared against something else. Evaluation works because it defines the specific rules, expectations or metrics used before making a judgment. By comparing these things a determined value or decision can be made. The reason evaluation doesn’t always work is because the standard to which something is being compared or measured can be a poor or misrepresented reference.
Often we choose to measure ourselves against ourselves. This causes a perpetual lid upon our growth in any area of our life. For example, if a cup of water is only measured against another cup of water, how can a determination be made as to if that amount is sufficient, lacking or an excess of water?
At other times we like to measure ourselves against something we already know falls short of where we currently are. It is a faulty standard and therefore gives us a false conclusion. For the Christian, the verbal acknowledgement can sound something like this, at least I’m not like… or at least I don’t do that.
In John 8:33, we find Jesus challenging the religious leaders in how they are choosing to measure themselves. Most often, in their pride they measured themselves against the Israelite people they were appointed over. When confronted by Jesus concerning true freedom, they measured themselves against Abraham. The measurement was a physical one concerning being enslaved to another nation. However, this was even faulty in that the Israelites had in fact been forced captivities and exiles on different occasions. Jesus was attempting to show them that all are in spiritual bondage and freedom comes through the truth or the true confession that all have sinned and fall short whereby Jesus alone is the answer. The standard of measure the religious leaders needed to apply was Jesus Himself.
It is the same measuring stick every born again believer should be using. When measuring ourselves against Christ, we see ourselves for who we really are. Wretched sinners continually falling short. No matter how hard we try, our works can never and will never be enough. What we really need is freedom, the freedom only Christ brings through His truth.
Understanding than freedom comes from the truth then points us in the direction or measuring ourselves. When we humbly come to the Cross, we come face to face with the truth about us and it’s never a pretty picture. However, the measuring doesn’t end there. Because more importantly, through our evaluation, we begin to discover the truth about Christ. It is only here that we can die to ourselves and accept the life that the Lord is offering through His grace and mercy.
Mankind’s most tragic decision is to measure himself against himself, others and the fallen world we live in. The Father loves us so much that He sent His Son to complete the Law, not only giving us the ultimate measuring stick, but also the ultimate solution for our sin problem.