Time to declare our independence Freedom
Galatians 5:1-6 (NIV)
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. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Intro:
On march 3rd 1775 Patrick Henry gave this speech. It was addressed to the Virginia House at burgesses in St John’s church in Richmond VA. This powerful speech credited him with single handedly convincing the house to pass a resolution delivering the Virginia troupes to the revolutionary war. He shouts “Give me liberty or give me death?” Reportedly, the crowd, upon hearing the speech, jumped up and shouted, "To Arms! To Arms!"
We all know the outcome. Virginia entered the war ultimately ending with England’s defeat thus the “Untied States” was establish and we received our independence and freedom. Thus we celebrate the fourth of July.
Because of the sacrifice of our forefathers, we live in a nation that is free from tyranny and oppression. Their sacrifice blesses us all. With it who knows what the world would be like.
Because of it many people’s lives were free. Many nations have been blessed by our nation. The money we give. The contributions to the world because some men stood up for freedom
- We have also another independence day to celebrate.
- And that’s the day we were born again through Jesus Christ and
- It was then that we received a different kind of freedom.
Galatians 5:1-6 (NIV)
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free
I. Christ died to set us free
a. Many think it’s just for forgiveness.
b. But it was for freedom
II. Freedom from what
a. From slavery to the evil one
b. To sickness
c. Influence if the devil
d. From sin, death and the law.
i. Because of the law we sin
ii. Because of sin we die.
Question: Why should we be excited about being free from the law?
III. The purpose of the law.
a. Point out our need for God
b. Man didn’t know what it took to be right with God
c. It demonstrated our need for God
i. Every time we sin it just demonstrates how we need Him
Point: You have to see your problem to be set free from it.
Window: Ever know someone like that. You see their problem try to tell them but they don’t get it? SO they can’t be helped? God help us if we ever get to the point we don’t see our problems. That’s the purpose of the law,..
IV. Jesus set us free from that system that brought death
a. It brought death because if you broke the law you were done for.
b. He institutes the concept of grace
V. He Institutes a new law…GRACE
a. For justification
b. Acceptance
c. He say you can but Christ did
Question: Do we have license to sin now? No way! There still killers Sin is deadly
Sin takes you further than you want to go cost more than you want to pay!
Question: SO what now? What does God want me to do?
VI. Express our faith through love.
Galatians 5:6 (NIV)
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
VII. So what is this mean?
a. Faith
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 - 4 (NCV) 1Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
He gives us examples
Hebrews 11:1 - 4
2Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived in the past. 3It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God’s command so what we see was made by something that cannot be seen. 4It was by faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God said he was pleased with the gifts Abel offered and called Abel a good man because of his faith. Abel died, but through his faith he is still speaking.
b. Love
i. Agape
ii. Unconditional good will towards mankind
iii. We love are neighbor and God
VIII. Because we have in God and Christ we do!
a. Random acts of kindness
b. Worship
c. Tithes
d. Serve
Illustration: A marriage: We do because we love not because we want to be accepted
Story: Women married to a man with a bunch of rules
If you work it’s no longer grace
Closing: Is you faith expressing itself through love? Example: Jesus washing feet.
