Series: 3:16- Numbers That Bring Hope [#43]
THE HOPE THAT COMES FROM INDEPENDENCE
1 John 3:16
Introduction:
On this Veteran’s Day weekend, I want us to honor those who have been willing to sacrifice their lives so that we can live in a free Nation. I want to remind you of a quote from The Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These famous words ought to cause us to thank God that we live in a Nation where we are free to make our own decisions; but I want you to realize that true freedom does not come from living in the United States. True freedom comes from living in Jesus Christ.
Some of us here need to declare our independence from sin today and live lives of freedom.
1 John 3:23-24 (NIV)
“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
It is through Jesus that we can have…
1. Life.
In order to have life spiritually, you must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, raised from the dead. The proof of spiritual life is love. Jesus gave us the greatest example of love by sacrificing Himself for us and once we trust in His sacrifice made for us, He will live in us through the Holy Spirit.
John 8:32-36 (NIV)
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
It is through Jesus that we can have…
2. Liberty.
The Truth of the Word will set us free. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh and until we trust in Him there is no freedom. Just because you are a Jew, an American, etc… doesn’t make you free.
Are you free or are you a slave?
1 John 3:11-20 (NIV)
“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
A slave to sin…
? Is a murderer like Cain.
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer.
A slave to sin…
? Is greedy.
They don’t care that other people are in need and they could help. They are all about themselves.
A slave to sin…
? Is a phony.
They can talk a good game, but their actions say something completely different.
A free person…
? Loves everyone.
A free person…
? Lays their life down for others.
A free person…
? Lives like Christ.
It is through Jesus that we can have…
3. Happiness
I think that we are all searching for happiness. When the Holy Spirit is working in your life, there will be fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
"Happiness" comes from the word "happenstance" from which we get the word "circumstance". It depends on happenings. Joy is internal. Happiness is external. You have a happy time at Disneyland, you leave and you lose your happiness. Joy is constant. How do you have happiness in spite of what is going on in your life?
1 John 3:21-22 (NIV)
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”
We find our joy and happiness through our…
? Confidence.
When we know without a doubt that we are a child of God, we have confidence in the power of God in our life.
We find our joy and happiness through our…
? Obedience.
We will never be joyful in the Lord without being obedient to Him. When we are disobedient, our heart convicts us and chastises us for the sin in our life. An obedient Christian is a happy Christian.
Conclusion:
Today, declare to the devil that you are free! You have life through Jesus Christ; you have liberty through Jesus Christ; and you don’t have to pursue happiness- You can have it through Jesus Christ.
