Transcript Document

So Jesus said to the Jews who
had believed him, “If you abide
in my word, you are truly my
disciples, and you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you
free.” 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’?” Jesus
answered them, “Truly, truly, I
say to you, everyone who
practices sin is a slave to sin. The
slave does not remain in the
house forever; the son remains
forever. So if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed.
(John 8:31-36)
All… are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no
one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside;
together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even
one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to
deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full
of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their
paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not
known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know
that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be
held accountable to God… But now the righteousness of God has been
manifested… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for
all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward
as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show
God's righteousness… that he might be just and the justifier of the one
who has faith in Jesus…
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins
are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count
his sin.” …It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from
the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and
raised for our justification… Therefore, since we have been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through
him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we
stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God… For while we were
still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will
scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person
one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we
have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by
him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we
are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also
rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have
now received reconciliation. (SELECTIONS FROM ROMANS)
Freedom
In Christ
OUR FREEDOM
IN CHRIST
• JESUS SETS US FREE…
• IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE
BONDAGE OUTSIDE OF CHRIST (EPH. 2:1-3; ROM 6:18-23)
• THIS WOULD BE OUR REALITY IF IT WERE NOT FOR JESUS!
• FROM SIN, GUILT, HOPELESSNESS (ROMANS 7:24-8:3)
• THROUGH TRUTH… ABIDE IN HIS WORD (JOHN 8:31-32)
• FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH (ROMANS 5:17-20)
• THROUGH HIS EXAMPLE… SHOWS WAY (HEB. 2:10, 15)
• JESUS SETS US FREE…
OUR FREEDOM
IN CHRIST
• JESUS IS OUR YEAR OF JUBILEE! (LEVITICUS 25:10-13)
• EVERY 50TH YEAR (49TH?) A SPECIAL SABBATH YEAR OBSERVED
• EVERYTHING RESTS, DEBTS FORGIVEN, LAND AND PROPERTY
RESTORED, ENSLAVED SET FREE, AND LIBERTY PROCLAIMED
• JESUS DECLARES THE YEAR OF JUBILEE ARRIVED (LK 4:16-21)
• IT’S AT BAPTISM THAT THIS FREEDOM
IS GIVEN
(ROM 6:3-7)
• FOLLOW PAUL’S PROGRESSION – WHEN IS ONE SET FREE?
• WHEN IS ONE ABLE TO BE AN INSTRUMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?
• ACTS 8 – REJOICING NOT TIL AFTER BAPTISM. FREEDOM!
OUR FREEDOM
IN CHRIST
• EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM
• WE HAVE FREEDOMS IN CHRIST. AS CITIZENS IN KINGDOM
OF HEAVEN, WE HAVE RIGHTS (EPH 1:2-3; HEB 4:16)
• “THOU SHALT NOTS…” – WHAT ABOUT “THOU SHALTS?”
• PRAYER – APPROACH THRONE WITH BOLDNESS. CONFIDENCE
IS GIVEN TO GOD’S PEOPLE IN PRAYER
• WHAT IF WE DON’T EXERCISE OUR RIGHTS AND BLESSINGS WE
ARE GIVEN IN CHRIST? MISERABLE, INEFFECTIVE PEOPLE
• THERE IS A SPIRIT OF FREEDOM. OUR DEMEANOR SHOULD
REFLECT THE FREEDOM WE HAVE (ROM 8:15; I PET 2:16)
OUR FREEDOM
IN CHRIST
• EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM
• WHY IF WE CAN LIVE IN FREEDOM WOULD WE CHOOSE TO
RETURN TO A STATE OF BONDAGE? IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!
• ALLOW SIN TO DWELL IN OUR LIVES (ROMANS 6:16-17)
• ALLOW OTHER THINGS TO RULE OVER US (2 PETER 2:19)
• A WORKS BASED MENTALITY IN SALVATION (GAL. 5:1-4)
• OTHER THINGS BECOME GODS TO US (GAL. 4:8)
• IS YOUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST BEING CHAINED? SIN,
WORLDLINESS, LACK OF DEVOTION… LIVE FREE!