Let Freedom Reign!

Let FREEDOM Reign!

7/5/09

This weekend we are celebrating the the independence of our country. Something many take for granted, for others, they gave their life for it. There are some places in this world today that are not allowed to come together as we are today to freely worship God.

But that is not the freedom I want to speak to you about this morning. This morning I want to talk to you about Spiritual Freedom. The title of my sermon is “Let FREEDOM Reign!” Now while all of us have a pretty good idea about what freedom means, what does it mean to let it REIGN!

Wikipedia defines a reign as the term used to describe the length of a monarch. No time limit exists on reigns, nor is there a term of office. Thus a reign usually lasts for the remainder of the monarch’s life, unless the monarchy itself is abolished.

When I speak of letting Freedom reign, I am talking about having the ability to live the life that Christ intended for us to live. We are to let freedom have control and dominion in our life. We are no longer bound by the Law. We are under grace. We are no longer bound by sin. That’s something we don’t hear a lot of. In fact I don’t think in my 40+ years of attending church I have ever heard a pastor say that you don’t have to live in the bondage of sin. We kind of look at it like we do paying our taxes. It’s just something we have to do. Do we have to sin? Can we live a life that is without sin?

The answer to these questions is what I want to share with you this morning.

In John chapter 8, we begin with the story of the woman who was caught in adultery. The scribes and the Pharisees then brought the woman to the temple where Jesus was teaching. They knew the law and what was to be done to her, “stoned to death”. But in an attempt to test Jesus, they asked Him, “what do you think we should do with her?”

Jesus simply bent down and begin writing on the ground. Some suggest that perhaps He was writing the Ten Commandments. They were persistent in wanting a answer. If Jesus would have said not to stone her, then He would have contradicted the Jewish Law. If He would have said, “Stone her”, He would have been contradictory to the Roman law which did not allow the Jews to carry out their own executions. So we read His response in John 8:7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."

One by one they begin to leave, being convicted of their owns sins. So then we read in John 8:10-11 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

Go and sin no more. He did not condemn her, but neither did He condone her sin as well. He FORGAVE her, but then followed that up with “Go and sin NO MORE”. He didn’t say, go and try not to sin, or go and do the best that you can, but He said Go and sin NO MORE! Why would Jesus tell someone to do something that He thought was impossible to do?

We read these words again in Chapter john 5. We read about another man who was laying around by the pool. The pool of Bethesda that is. He was one of many who was waiting for the water to stir. The first one in the pool was healed of what ever was ailing them. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be made well. The man began making excuses about how he was not able to be made well, because someone would always beat him to the pool. Jesus told him to rise, take up his bed and walk. Jesus healed him and later afterward He finds him in the temple. We read in John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

There it is again, SIN NO MORE!

Then we get to our text this morning. John 8:31-36 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ’You will be made free’?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.