Freedom

Freedom

Galatians 5:1

This is the time of the year to which we celebrate our freedom. July 4th is celebrated as America’s official split from Britain’s rule and the beginning of the American Revolution. There were 13 colonies in America who were forced to pay taxes to England’s King George III with no representation in the Parliament.

So the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

One year later, on July 4, 1777, Philadelphia marked the Independence Day by adjourning Congress and celebrating with bonfires, bells and fireworks. And that custom spread to other towns both large and small.

In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a legal Federal holiday. Today, across the nation mark this major midsummer holiday with parades, fireworks, picnics and the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner".

I think many of us take our freedom for granted. We think very little of the freedom that we have.

What does it mean to be free? I am proud to be an American. I feel that God has blessed this county. I am proud of the many soldiers who bled and gave their lives for the right to have that freedom.

Not only am I proud to be an American, but also I am proud to be a child of God. There is a song that the group called Casting Crowns sings called, “What if His people prayed”.

The first verse starts out with the words, “What if the armies of the Lord. Pick up and dusted off their swords. Vowed to set the captive free. And not let Satan have one more. What if the church for Heaven’s sake, finally stepped up to the plate. Took a stand upon God’s promise. And stormed Hells rusty gates. What if His people prayed?

We have a freedom in Christ Jesus. That is what the verse in our text is talking about. We have no longer bound by the Law but by grace. So this morning I want to talk to you about something that we are free from. But much like our freedom we have by being Americans, we take this freedom for granite as well. So lets talk about this freedom we have in Christ. So as we celebrate our Nations freedom on the 4th of July, we also can everyday celebrate the freedom that we have in Christ Jesus.

Free from Sin

If I were to ask you how many here believe that after you have accepted Christ that you can never sin again. Not too many hands would go up I’m sure. We all think of ourselves as just poor sinners saved by grace. We try, but fall prey to sin on a daily basses. The only difference between us and someone who is lost is that we have asked Christ to forgive our sins and they have not.

But is that true? Is it ok just because we have entered into a personal relationship with Christ that we have the green light to sin and then just ask forgiveness for it? Do we have the attitude, well I’ll do it then just ask God to forgive me and that will be ok. Was that God’s plan? Is that His will?

What is sin?

We go back to the Old Testament and in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He created the perfect place with the perfect environment and then He placed man in it. And when He was done it tells us in …

Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made and indeed it was VERY GOOD.

Not just ok, or it will do, but VERY GOOD. God did not create sin. We created it. He created us in His own image. The image that He is talking about here does not mean that we all look like Him.

In the image of God means that we have godlike characteristics of self-awareness, the ability to choose between good and evil, and the ability to have an relationship with our creator.

But then Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and that gave birth to sin. And we all inherit that sin nature when we are born.

That is what sin is. It is disobedience to God. Then we have the law, or what we want to call the 10 Commandments.

Do you know who was the worst sinner recorded in the entire Bible? It was Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Romans 3:19-20, Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.