NOTES
ELEUTHERIA
freedom within – part 1
Romans 5:1-11
Series Verse
But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. Romans 6:22 (NLT)
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:25 (NLT)
Since the war is over and you’re FREE. . .
FOCUS ON YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege [grace] where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)
“Christ has brought us” – Greek – prosagoge – “Ushered before royalty”
• Jesus prepares me to confidently meet God
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:25 (NLT)
RESHAPE WITH SPIRITUAL TRAINING
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)
“trials” – Greek – thlipsis – “Life’s pressures”
• I see problems and trials as necessary for maturity
• Problems don’t rob me of my joy
• Problems develop endurance
o Endurance develops strength to “remain true under pressure”
? Strength develops hope “certainty of a promised outcome”
• Hope does not disappoint
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
EMBRACE THE LOVE OF GOD FULLY
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)
• Before we knew we needed Him, Christ came for us
• God pushed through our rebellion and loved us anyway
Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. Luke 7:41-43 (NLT)
EXPRESS JOY ABOUT YOUR LIFE TODAY
9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:9-11 (NLT)
• Jesus died and rose to remove the presence and power of sin, “made right with God” (we were made right, past tense)
• Salvation is complete through Jesus’ life, “will certainly be saved through the life of his Son” (future tense)
• We find joy in our relationship with God now (present tense)
Next step – Today I choose to live in the joyous freedom of God
MANUSCRIPT
ELEUTHERIA
freedom within
Romans 5:1-11
ME
Good morning and welcome to the celebration! My name is Tom, I’m a pastor here. Today is Independence Day, the day that people in the US celebrate their declared independence or freedom from the tyranny of English rule.
A little know fact about my family and although I had nothing to do with it, but in 1976 the Bartlett family was recognized as founding family with a certificate as our great grandfather back several generations was a signer on the declaration of independence. Last row, top name; Josiah Bartlett. Pretty cool. As a matter of fact I was born in a little town in New Hampshire very close to where he lived.
The focus of the US was founded on a principal of freedom. The founding fathers were not perfect, nor was the documents that guided the nation, yet the insight of the constitution was that as things became clearly wrong, the constitution could be amended and it has been.
I guess I’ve always wondered what it was really like to live in that time of struggle, because you know that as a nation their struggle became our blessing. Did you know that the signers of the declaration of independence were hunted down by the Royal commanders and killed? Yet they believed so firmly in the cause of freedom that they gave their lives.
There’s an analogy here to the early followers of Christ and while their guide documents were given by God, these documents are complete and need no revision.
WE
Did you know that in the ancient world, just before the time of Christ that nearly 90% of the population was in some form of slavery? By the time of Christ that number was still around two-thirds of the population.
With that backdrop to his writings, Paul after his incredible conversion from an ancient terrorist to an on-fire evangelist writes about a concept using the Greek word eleutheria, which means true freedom.
Over the next several weeks we will continue to work our way through the book of Romans and come to see how this freedom affects our lives today and for eternity.
GOD
The book of Romans is divided into 4 main divisions.
Romans Divisions in Romans
• Chapters 1-4 God’s wrath
We’ve already covered this section, man is completely hopeless without God. Today we begin the next section of the book where we experience God’s undeserved favor; grace.
• Chapters 5-8 God’s grace
• Chapters 9-11 God’s plan
• Chapters 12-28 God’s will
Series Verse
But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.
Romans 6:22 (NLT)
Really the theme of the book is all about living by faith, but you will never live by faith in God until your sins have been forgiven and you are in relationship with God, a relationship that strengthens your faith as He guides and meets your needs.
Paul’s descriptive language of bondage and battle, that we are bound by sin and in a war against Him before we know him give us an incredible visual.
On one side there’s God and the other side us. God is pleading with us to know and accept His love, we on the other hand are hurling accusations and obscenities as God. We hate Him and want nothing to do with Him. He created us but we want no God over us. He loves us but we’re not even sure how to love ourselves.
God breaks through with an offer of grace that is so powerful, we drop our weapons and receive this forgiveness and love. In essence the war that was not even our war to begin with, the war with God is over. In place of the slavery to sin and everything against God, we now walk in this new relationship “right with God”.
Thus making the war over!!!
So . . .
Since the war is over and you’re FREE. . .
FOCUS ON YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith,
When you see the word, “therefore” in scripture, you should think, “there before”. In essence, what Paul wrote “there before” right there in the text before this passage is key for defining what comes after.
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 4:25 (NLT)
Because we have been made right with God, no longer His enemy, on the same side,
we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege [grace] where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)
We have left this hostile place against God and are now on a journey to know Him fully. Instead of hating God we now focus on growing in this relationship.
These words, “Christ has brought” us are really one Greek word and it refers to this incredible moment when a person is ushered into the presence of royalty.
“Christ has brought us” – Greek – prosagoge – “Ushered before royalty”
The larger idea of the word is that someone comes along and gets us ready to stand before the king. They make sure we’re clean, put fresh clothes and so forth.
Imagine this, you’re a peasant with nothing of real value and you supposed to meet the king of the kingdom where you live. Your first thought might be, “I can’t go looking like this!”
In the same way, you cannot as a sinner go before God and meet Him as you are. Jesus is the one who by His sacrifice cleanses us and also introduces us to the Father. All that stuff in your past, He wipes it out. He clears the ledger.
• Jesus prepares me to confidently meet God
And because of that, your focus is on that preparation for one day when we will all stand before the God of the universe.
My freedom guides me to focus on knowing God and then it leads me to . . .
RESHAPE WITH SPIRITUAL TRAINING
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m under a heavy load right now”? Maybe you’ve said that. The amazing thing is that before Christ all those heavy load issues were beyond us and weighed us down, but since knowing Christ, they serve a completely different purpose.
The Greek word here for trials is Thlipsis and it really means the pressures of life.
“trials” – Greek – thlipsis – “Life’s pressures”
My attitude toward every pressure in life can now be and should be seen through the eyes of my own maturity. God is now using the very things that I hated and were weighed down by as training for my own character development.
Because I’m free and God is growing me. . .
• I see problems and trials as necessary for maturity
• Problems don’t rob me of my joy
• Problems develop endurance
o Endurance develops strength to “remain true under pressure”
? Strength develops hope “certainty of a promised outcome”
• Hope does not disappoint
Now, Paul uses this word “rejoice”, in the Greek, carries with it the idea of a boastful moment. Not in pride, but in an attitude change toward what I face.
We might think of boasting as a negative thing, but here it’s a positive. While some may boast they are good enough to get to heaven and that their deeds are what’s gets them there, these people will always have to wonder if they did enough.
To rejoice in a boasting way here means to humbly call attention the free gift of God to brag on Him for what He’s done, assured that since He has done it, it’s more than enough! That brings what Paul would call in Philippians 4:7, the peace of God.
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
Making peace with God will lead to the inner peace of God if we focus on spiritual growth and reshape our thoughts on God.
Paul doubles back again because of the amazing things God has done for us, after we focus on growth and reshape through the pressures of life, we . . .
EMBRACE THE LOVE OF GOD FULLY
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:6-8 (NLT)
Romans 5:8 is one of those verses that spells out what God has done for us and every time I read it, I think, “Why?” “How?”
In the movie, “Hacksaw Ridge” (I don’t recommend it, if you’re squeamish), Andrew Garfield, who played the real-life character of Desmond Doss a conscientious objector to war, displays the kind of love Paul talks about in verse 7. Desmond Doss, a man who would not fire a bullet, who was ridiculed by his fellow soldiers as one who should not be there, in the end runs through the battle field, shots firing upon him, collecting wounded soldiers at the risk of his own life. All in all, he saves 75 men.
Now imagine Jesus, He’s out on the battlefield taking shots for people who call Him the enemy.
I’m not sure I’d have the bravery to rescue men with gun-fire over-head knowing that I’ll probably die, but I can for sure tell you that there’s no way in this world that I’m rushing out to save the enemy of my nation, my family, my way of life.
Jesus did just that and it cost Him His life for you.
• Before we knew we needed Him, Christ came for us
• God pushed through our rebellion and loved us anyway
God’s love comes to us in unseen ways and changes us, He’s loving us before we even know we need Him, while man hated Him.
Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. Luke 7:41-43 (NLT)
The result of this freedom is an inner joy about your future and your life right now.
If you can’t lay in bed and repeat to yourself, “I love you God and I love myself” You’re missing the point.
You can love yourself, because God loves you. He thinks you’re worthy of love, why should you think any less?
That attitude, that freedom causes you to . . .
EXPRESS JOY ABOUT YOUR LIFE TODAY
9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
The past action of God on your behalf to justifies you and makes you right with God.
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
The future salvation from this world is just ahead of us because of God’s Son, Jesus.
So my past is dealt with and my future is secure. What does that mean for me?
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:9-11 (NLT)
If you’re past is cleaned up and you’re ready to be presented before the King by Jesus, there waits for you this amazing reunion with your creator, today there is no reason to not love life and be at peace. To truly enjoy the freedom God has given you.
The only question is, have you made peace with God?
Do you know Him?
Have your sins been forgiven, are you truly justified before Him?
If not, this may be why you can’t enjoy this wonderful life God has given you.
SALVATION PRAYER
• Jesus died and rose to remove the presence and power of sin, “made right with God” (we were made right, past tense)
• Salvation is complete through Jesus’ life, “will certainly be saved through the life of his Son” (future tense)
• We find joy in our relationship with God now (present tense)
Next step – Today I choose to live in the joyous freedom of God
