Truth Sets you Free
this week we continue the freedom from sin theme
RO 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
But easy as that sounds - it isn't.
RO 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Ever annoy yourself? Paul found himself annoying - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Normally a human condition but show VIDEO CLIP
Getting back to Paul's question who will rescue me from this body of death?
RO 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Reflect on life - beginning to end
Josiah - as an infant, freedom was to be pressed close to his mother, drinking in nourishment, feeling warm, loved, safe. Left alone, he would cry - fearful of losing the freedom of love
As a child grows mobile, curiosity makes them move out - reaching, crawling, walking - before you know it, riding a bike, driving a car, moving out of the house. Searching for freedom. Certain that there is something, someone who can satisfy the hunger, we begin to reach for stuff, experiences, people. Rarely do we find freedom, often we find bondage.
The car comes with payments and expenses. The apartment requires that we spend hours a week at a job we may or may not like to pay the bills. What we had freely received in our mother's arms now requires us to slave away at a job for 40 years or more - longing for the day when we can be free to retire, to not have to go to work any longer. And when that day comes, we find ourselves free to sleep in, to travel, to lay around and watch TV. We trade in one prison for another.
Where can I find true freedom? What is true freedom?
Jesus had just finished teaching that He was the light of the world, in a couple of weeks we will see him demonstrate it by giving sight to a blind man. Link with sermon dad preached a few weeks ago
JN 8:28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." 30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
JN 8:31 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, "I tell you the truth, 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.
To the Jews who believed him
Contrast with verse 30 with verse 31
Closer look at the little word If
1. 31, 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."
Huge difference between facts and truth unpack Truth
Being truthful
Early on we learn to spin the truth
Peanuts -, 1st day of school, write an essay about returning to class. Lucy wrote, "Vacations are nice, but it's good to get back to school. There is nothing more satisfying or challenging than education, and I look forward to a year of expanding knowledge." the teacher was pleased & complimented Lucy on her fine essay. In the final frame, Lucy leans over and whispers to Charlie Brown, "After a while, you learn what sells."
Prov - If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything.
Ps - The man who fears no truths has nothing to fear from lies.
Hearing the truth
It takes two to speak the truth--one to speak and another to hear.
Knowing the truth
The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.
- Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
The truth of God is only revealed to us by obedience. - Oswald Chambers
2. 36, 36 So if the Son sets you free, (then) you will be free indeed.
We live in chains - prisons - Hidden Anger video Pain from past - disappointments
LK 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
How does the truth set you free? How can you let the Son set you free?
Worship God. We make the creation more important than the Creator. Israelites would worship a steaming pile of camel poo if you covered it with enough molten gold.
Next Step Are you ready for the Son to set you free? Power of truth in love
Truth is not taught by survey - popular opinion.
Pursue freedom you will find bondage, but pursue truth and you will find freedom.
GAL 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
