FREE INDEED!
When I was in the world, before I knew Jesus, I was quite literally in prison, trapped in a world where I was the Lord of my own life. Fear and uncertainty ruled everything I did.
When I said yes to Jesus at age 43, my eyes were opened and my perspective entirely changed. I immediately began to read the Bible and pray to understand God’s Word.
As I read the Gospels, I realized it was as if God Himself had written a letter to the warden of my prison, where I sat on Death Row, giving me a full pardon and opening my cell.
In the 23 years I have walked with Jesus I have met and ministered to and with many believers. Some, like me, walk in the freedom and certainty of the Power of the Gospel. Others are still sitting in open Prison cells, afraid to move. Some are walking in a kind of freedom but carry around the chains of condemnation, guilt and shame. Today we are going to see what the Bible says about true freedom in Christ Jesus. Prayer
John 8:31-36 – Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
When Jesus told these new believers that they could know the truth and the truth would set them free… SOME of those listening didn’t like what Jesus said, they were offended. Why? because they saw the meaning behind those words… Jesus was looking them straight in the eyes and was saying to them, “you guys are slaves…you’re not free at all. AND they replied,” But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone on earth. What do you mean, `set free’?” They said this in their PRIDE at being God’s “chosen” people
Many people respond the same way today, including some Christians – “what do you mean Jesus can set me free – I AM free – I’m an American, I live the way I want, I make my own choices, I do my own thing, I don’t need anyone to set me free, I am not a slave to anyone, …” AND Jesus says; “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin.”
Sin is rebellion against God. It is loving something or someone more than you love God. God’s Word says that whoever commits sin is a SLAVE to sin.
QUESTION – is the person addicted to drugs free or a slave?
How about the person who drinks too much habitually -free or a slave?
Is the person tangled up in an adulterous relationship free or a slave?
Is the person hanging out at porn sites on the web – slave or free? How about the person who plays video games 10 hours a day… slave or free?
Is the person who is immersed in materialistic pursuits or always worrying about money free or a slave?
Is the person who is trapped in anger, bitterness, slander, hatred and unforgiveness free or a slave?
Jesus says, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin.”
QUESTION – would you agree that sin is a major problem? WELL – just who has this problem? Why do even those who have received Jesus and follow Him still stumble in sin?
The Apostle Paul tells us
Romans 3: 10-12
As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
So… it’s established, try as hard as we might WE cannot FIX the problem of sin that we all have. What can we do?
Now we know that if we are in Christ we are a new creation but how does that relate to our new-found freedom? Just this… We are FREED from the POWER of sin. As Pastor George teaches every week, if you are spending time IN THE WORD and getting alone with God in prayer first thing every morning, His Holy Spirit will guide you.
The Spirit of God LIVES in you. If you submit to Him, our Shepherd will lead you. That is why we see in the 23rd Psalm that His Rod and His Staff comfort us. They both protect us against the lies of the enemy and they guide us “into paths of righteousness”.
Now the enemy is really good at his job and wants to TRICK YOU BACK INTO THE WEEDS OF LIFE AND draw you back again into fear and the slavery of sin.
So here is this scripture to remind you of your position in Christ…
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Still feeling guilty and condemned? Paul assures us…
Romans 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
When Jesus said “it is finished” as He died on the Cross, what IT was He referring to? Sin and Death?
No… People still die here. …and even saved people still sin.
Jesus propitiation for our sins on the Cross made us free from the POWER of sin and the FEAR of death IF we choose to walk in it.
This was God’s Grace towards us in that “we are able to do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens us”. Phil. 4:13 This includes overcoming the sin “that so easily ensnares us.”
LISTEN – Grace means that salvation cannot be earned or deserved. Although God wants us to live good lives, we could never be good enough to earn salvation.
Grace is getting what we don’t deserve
In Jesus’ sacrifice we have received all the power and riches of the Kingdom of Heaven… This is Grace…
GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
UNDERSTAND BELOVED – God has already done His part to restore our relationship with Him, BECAUSE of His great love for us, God sent Jesus to take care of the sin problem that we all have…. God took the initiative. He offers the gift to us. AND – He waited for each of us to individually receive the gift.
Now how about that Freedom? What does it look like?
- Consider for a moment these things from which we have been liberated.
- .We have been delivered from the wrath of God
Rom. 5:8, 9 – “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him
- We have been delivered from condemnation
Rom. 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus”
- We have been delivered from death and Hell
John 5:24 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
- We have been delivered from the power of sin
Rom. 6:12-14 – Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
- We have been delivered from the power of Satan
1 Pet. 5:8-9 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
If you truly desire to be free indeed, and to EXPERIENCE the joy of the Lord that is our strength when we truly walk in that freedom, it is going to require you to do a few things. God’s Grace accomplished the finishing of the POWER of SIN over those who walk by faith and ended our FEAR of Death by assuring our salvation, but we have a part in the plan.
In James 4:6,7 The Apostle James, the brother of Jesus tells us, To those who love God …
– He gives more grace.
Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
This then, is the key to SEIZING the freedom we have in Christ Jesus! BECAUSE He ended the POWER of Satan on the Cross we can do what James tells us. We have only to humble ourselves before God and RESIST sin and it will have NO power over us. That is freedom indeed!
WALK IN IT Beloved! Be encouraged! Press in to your relationship with God in Christ Jesus through the POWER of the Holy Spirit! Today is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! It is for freedom that Christ made us free!!