Opening illustration: Play the ‘Finding Freedom’ video
A father was talking with his rather rebellious son one day & said, "Every person who lives in the United States is a privileged person." The boy answered, "I disagree." And the father replied, "That’s the privilege." We have the privilege to disagree. We have the privilege to speak our mind. We have freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, and the right of petition. We have the freedom to hope & dream & pursue our dreams. We are free in so many ways! Is that really the freedom ‘God’s Word’ talks about?
Let us turn to Romans 6 and see what God is trying to convey to us …
Introduction: As Americans today, we believe we are truly free. We are free to choose how we live, what we say and how we believe. Some of us choose to live as husband and wife and others choose to live in same sex relationships. Others choose not to marry at all and live life alone. Some practice freedom of speech, through radio and TV broadcasts, books and pulpits. And others choose to keep their opinions to themselves. Some choose to worship the moon and stars, idols and Satan. And others choose to worship and follow God. Today we all have the right to vote for our leaders and exercise our political freedoms. Our parents taught us to do as we please, live the way we want (within the law) and be whoever we want to be. The sky is the limit! Right? But even though we have all of these earthly freedoms and have been declared independent, are we really free? Are we truly joyful? What does the bible say about being free?
In the book of Exodus, God chose Moses to lead the Israel people out of Egypt as slaves of Pharaoh. They had been slaves for hundreds of years and wanted to be set free. God heard them and decided to answer their prayers. Exodus 6: 6-7 says, "Therefore, say to the Israelites …” This scripture resembles the similarities that the people from the American Colonies must have felt when they were held in bondage by Great Britain. They too were freed by God, when they were allowed to legally separate from them in order to practice their religious freedoms. We can also refer to this scripture when African Americans were freed as slaves. They were also held in bondage for over two hundred years by a race of people who wanted to feel superior over them as well. This scripture represents being physically enslaved and freed, but what about our spiritual freedom?
When God created us, he gave us freedom of choice. We can choose to believe in him or not. To sin or not. There is no gray area. To live in sin is to be a slave to sin. We are free to choose between two masters, but we are not free to manipulate the consequences of our choice. When we continue to make bad choices or do evil against others, we choose sin which pays by eternal death. But when we live for God, we become free from sin and our spirit is renewed and we have a hope of eternity with Christ. This cannot be earned as it is a free gift from God.
1. How are we FREE? (Romans 6: 17; Galatians 5: 1)
First, we must understand it is GOD’s mercy that will cleanse us of our sins. Not one of us is deserving of forgiveness on our own merit. "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3: 10-12.
Some Christians today believe they will find forgiveness by working harder in His kingdom, when in reality they received forgiveness when they were baptized into Christ. GOD’s grace is a ’free gift’ based on GOD’s mercy and our trust in His promise to cleanse us with the "blood" of His Son Jesus. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. Romans 3: 22-25. It is our belief that GOD forgave us because we trusted His Word enough to choose to become a Christian.
We are forgiven through our belief in Christ’s sacrifice for us. Our human nature which is constantly tempted by the evil that surrounds us and our weak attempts at performing righteous acts can never measure up to GOD’s standards. All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64: 6. Instead He wants us to recognize our true state of helplessness and rely on Him alone. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."
Does freedom in Christ mean I do not have to obey God? We must understand it is faith that produces our obedience. GOD expects us to walk as Jesus walked. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2: 4-6. We must obey GOD from the heart, but GOD knows that our walk will not be perfect. Jesus took that perfect walk for us. We must however continue to walk as Christ did.
Romans 8: 1-2. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Has Jesus set you free from sin? Then do not return to the slavery of the fear of death. Trust Him and His wonderful sacrifice. He never meant for you to carry that cross. It was His alone to carry. As long as you continue to walk in the footsteps of His Word and acknowledge your continued need for His forgiveness, you can count on His sacrifice. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1: 7-10
Illustration: Most people are familiar with the Benedictine monks and they had a policy that a man accepted into a monastery came there for a year on probation. During that time he was given a little cell and the clothes that he wore when he came there were hung in his cell. Anytime in that first year he could put on those clothes and walk out. Only at the end of the year were those clothes thrown away. They wanted them to take time to count the cost. After that it was for life. Jesus is not looking for people who want to add Him to their sin. He’s calling for people who want to step apart from the world and stay apart and progress in the path of holiness all their life. Grace covers sin, it doesn’t condone it. Grace also transforms the sinner.
2. What are we FREE from? (Romans 6: 17-23)
Free from the Fear of Sin and Death
(a) Slavery to Sin
• We are obligated to obey God’s laws
• The consequences for not doing so are severe
• Modern day denial
(b) Slavery to Death
• Death cannot be ignored
• Death is a terrifying reality
© Two solutions have been proposed
Solution #1 – We must DO something ~ A fatal flaw
Solution #2 – Christ did everything
We are free for the first time in our life. A sinner is not free; all he can do is what? Sin! Who’s the only person who has a choice? A Christian. So for the first time in your life, you’re free. Not free to do wrong. Oh, no, no, no, you’ve done that a long time. For the first time in your life, you’re free to do what? Right. That’s Christian freedom. And the people who go around saying Christian liberty gives me the freedom to do wrong, do not understand Christian liberty. Christian liberty, the liberation of the soul, is for the first time in my life I can do right. We are freed from sin not freed to sin.
Illustration: I read a story this week of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and wanted to be baptized. An old deacon in the Church wanted to find out where this girl was really at in regards to her relationship with the Lord asked a few questions "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your life?" "Yes, sir," she replied. "Well, are you still a sinner?" "To tell you the truth, I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever." "Then what real change have you experienced?" This was her response ~ "I don’t quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running AFTER sin, but now that I am saved I’m a sinner running FROM sin!"
Chinese proverb: You don’t drown by falling in the water, you drown by staying there. (Will you receive the gift? - Or continue to earn sins wages?)
3. How can we live in FREEDOM? (Romans 6: 15-16)
• He has set us free and completely liberated us from the clutches of sin.
• We no longer need to live under the old yoke of sin. Jesus has lifted that from us and set us free.
• We need to stand firm though, in this freedom.
• We shouldn’t look around at the world around us and become ensnared again to the yoke of sin that once enslaved us.
• We need to stand firm – and keep on standing firm.
• But our freedom in Christ does not mean we are free to ‘live as we please’ ~
Freedom in Christ is not.....
(i) a license to sin.
- Our freedom is experienced in the context of biblical authority and accountability.
(ii) an invitation to individualism.
- Our freedom is experienced in the context of commitment to Christ & the church.
(iii) apathetic or "wishy-washy" about theological truth.
- Our freedom is experienced in the context of our firm faith.
(iv) a consumer freedom with no responsibilities.
- Our freedom is experienced in the context of our service, worship & obedience.
• We live according to the ‘Spirit’.
• We live clothed in Christ’s righteousness.
• We realize that this is true freedom; it is not living to the flesh and pleasing our earthly appetites. That only leads us into bondage.
• Loving each other as Christ loves us.
• Celebrating a firm faith and freedom in Christ.
• Biblical framework for freedom in Christ.
• May we today claim the freedom we have in Christ and stand firm in it.
• Standing firm in the freedom of Christ.
• Brings wholeness and liberty to our lives.
Application: As people, God created us to be free and not continue to live under the bondage of sin. Those who belong to Jesus Christ should have released themselves from their sinful passions and desires. If we truly live by the Spirit, we should do what the Spirit requires of us. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If we allow the Spirit to control us, we will experience true spiritual freedom. For Galatians 5:13 says, "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."
If we choose not to believe in God, we will remain in confusion, sadness and darkness. This world is a satanic world. Satan’s job is to keep us enslaved, by not knowing the truth and the eternal life; we can receive through Jesus Christ. But if we only believe and become tired of living un-fulfilling lives, God will truly set us free. We can have a joyful life even in these trying times. "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14) Freedom is only received through Jesus Christ. Inviting him into your life, will give you the true independence you are looking for today.
