FREEDOM IN CHRIST
In the 1700s, Great Britain was the most powerful nation on the earth. It had the strongest armies and all the navies of the earth combined couldn’t match the British Navy. One thing we don’t talk about much, though, is that Britain was giant bully. They conquered most of the world and owned territories all over. The saying was “the sun never set on the British Empire.” Every place on the earth that had any valuable resources, they sought to conquer and basically enslave the peoples of those lands for their own financial benefit.
In America, they acted a little different. They didn’t enslave the colonies, but they heavily taxed them and abused them greatly. When the colonists finally had enough of the King, they gathered together and on July 4, 1776 proclaimed their independence from England. We know the document as The Declaration of Independence.
America may have won its freedom from Britain, but when you look at our nation today it becomes obvious that we are still slaves– to sin. The only way we can be set free is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. THE PROCLAMATION OF OUR FREEDOM.
A. Why Christ Came.
Lk 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,
When Jesus came to earth, He did amazing things. Hen healed the sick, He performed miracles, the blind see, the deaf hear, the crippled walked again, and raised people from the dead. All amazing things. But, the main reason Jesus came to the earth was to set lost people free from sin. He came to bring salvation to all who would repent and follow Him.
B. What Christ Preached.
Jn 8:31-36 31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."
He preached that the problem for man is sin. Sin enslaves and destroys the lives of all people and all people have sinned. But the Good News He came and preached was that He came to set us free from the power of sin and reconcile us to our Heavenly Father.
2. THE PROCUREMENT OF OUR FREEDOM.
A. The Price Christ Paid.
1 Pet 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
** The Hailstorm. A man and a woman were caught out in the wide open and a hailstorm surprised them. Nowhere to run, no shelter to protect them. The put his wife down on the ground and spread his body over hers as baseball sized hail beat him to pieces. He was knocked unconscious and couldn’t protect himself. Afterwards, he awoke in the hospital with all the facial bones broken and stitches covering his face and body. The scars never went away. Later, a reporter asked her about the horrible scars her husband had. She said, “Those scars aren’t ugly to me. Every time I look at them I’m reminded how much he loves me and how he sacrificed himself for me.”
** When we get to Heaven, the only person in eternity with scars will be Jesus Christ. Stripes on His body. Holes in His hands and feet and spear wound in His side. His scars will be an eternal reminder of how He loved you enough to pay the price for your sins to satisfy the wrath of Holy God. And you and I will love Him even more than ever.
B. The Accomplishment Christ Made.
Col 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
At one time we were held captive by Satan in a prison that our sins built. Jesus paid the price for our sins and set us free from Satan’s hold. We were forgiven by the mercy and grace He showered upon us and we were set free.
3. THE BLESSINGS OF OUR FREEDOM.
A. We are Freed from Satan’s Power.
(1) We are freed from the power of sin.
Rom 6:5-7,14 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. And in vs 14 it says , "For sin shall not be master over you!"
(2) We are freed from the price of sin.
Rom 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Christ died in our place, our sin debt was paid in full. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, God gave us eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son.
(3) We are freed from the eternal consequences of sin.
Rev 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
We see here the eternal consequence of sin is death and an eternity in Hell paying the price for sin. But God’s promise is salvation for those who will repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
Jn 3:36 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Notice that repentance is absolutely important in Salvation. Those who believe have eternal life; those who do not obey are lost.
* We receive salvation when we:
(1) Repent of our sins.
(2) Trust Jesus Christ as our Savior.
(3) Confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
B. We Are adopted into God’s Family.
Rom 8:15 you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
God said it wasn’t enough just to set us free from the slavery of sin. He also adopted us into His family as His children.
* Don’t ever let Satan make you depressed about what you once were! Take joy in knowing who and what you are today!
** You are a child of the King that our Heavenly Father deeply loves!!
4. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR FREEDOM.
A. Commit Yourself to Remain Free.
Gal 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
God’s desire is that “we be holy just as He is holy.”
Jesus did not die on the Cross to save you in your sins, but from your sins. When Jesus became your Lord, you became a new creature and His command is that you never return back to what you once were!
B. Commit Yourself to Serve Christ.
Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
When we were lost we were slaves to sin and we did his bidding. Now, in Christ you are a new creature and He commands us to live a holy life and presents ourselves to serve Him in gratitude for setting us free.
C. Continue Being Transformed into the Likeness of Christ.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
God’s got a plan for you and me. His plan is that the world will no longer shape us into a twisted, sinful image of itself; but that we will be transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit Who is remaking us into the very image of Jesus Christ.
* God wants to radically change your life today and set you free from Satan and sin.
But, whether you will be set free is up to you!
