The Abuse of Liberty Leads to Bondage
by Pastor Tim Gresham
Text: John 8:31-32
Freedom – A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. Freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious.
Liberty – 1. Freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind. The body is at liberty, when not confined; the will or mind is at liberty, when not checked or controlled. A man enjoys liberty, when no physical force operates to restrain his actions or volitions.
2. Natural liberty, consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life. This liberty is abridged by the establishment of government.
I. Remember When You Were a Slave
Turn to Ephesians 2
A. We were bound by our sins.
Cp Proverbs 5:21-23 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
B. We were taken captive at the devil’s will.
Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, gave a young preacher instruction on pasturing he said:
Cp 2 Timothy 2:25-26 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
II. Remember the One Who Set You Free
Turn to Hebrews 2:14-15
A. The Truth shall make you free.
Cp John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Cp Romans 6:17-19 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness …even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
B. Jesus delivered us from Bondage.
Cp Romans 8:1-4, 21 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
III. Do Not Abuse Your Liberty
Turn to Galatians 5:13
A. The abuse of your liberty can cause a sinner to stumble
Cp 1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
B. The abuse of your liberty is using it as a means of rebellion
Cp 1 Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
C. Mankind is sinful by nature and will use any excuse to get away with our transgressions.
Cp Romans 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Cp Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
IV. How Americans Are Abusing Liberty and Returning to Bondage
You’ve heard before. You might have even said it a time or two. It describes the ideals of most westerners.
“I can do as I please, It’s a free country.”
A. “I have the freedom of choice. I can choose to end this pregnancy.”
The 6th commandment
Cp Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
The Hebrew word for kill in this text is ratsach raw-tsakh’
a primitive root; properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder:--put to death, kill, (man-)slay(-er), murder(-er).
It’s amazing that the liberal will use this verse to rally against war or the use of force by our government and yet, the same liberal will insist that the right to choose to murder an unborn child is a fundamental right!
God is Pro-Life
Cp Deuteronomy 30:19 …I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.
B. “I have the right to my own sexual preference and to act or live as I choose.”
As you are probably aware, our Supreme Court has overturned Texas’ Sodomy law that prohibited the act of Sodomy. The next step will be same-sex marriages and then after that a civil rights issue that will affect businesses’ hiring practices to meet quotas. One day it will be brought to court about a church refusing to hire a sodomite.
Baptist Association Removes Church for Condoning Homosexuality
A North Carolina church accused of baptizing two unrepentant homosexuals was removed from the Cabarrus Baptist Association April 28 by a vote of 250-11. The church, McGill Baptist in Concord, N.C., baptized the two men last June, and association officials met privately with church officials before taking action. The two men are living together.
Cabarrus Baptist Association’s Jim Wadford released a statement summarizing the association’s action: “The …association must take a stand based on the Scriptures…To allow individuals into the membership of a local church without evidence or testimony of true repentance (a turning away from the old way of living) is to condone the old lifestyle.”
The two homosexual men visited the church for a few months before requesting membership…” - Baptist Press
a. A right is God-given and it never is contrary to His will.
Cp Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
b. Unnatural intimate relations is indicative of a reprobate mind.
Cp Romans 1:25-28 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.
c. Homosexuals are among those that will not enter the Kingdom of God.
Cp 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
d. It has been said that you cannot legislate morality.
Oh no!? You can’t legislate a law against Murder? Or Thievery? Or Slander (False witness)?
Cp 1 Timothy 1:9-10 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.
Our Founding Fathers consistently spoke of the need for utilizing the Bible and Judeo-Christian values in defining and preserving this nation:
President John Adams stated, “The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal code as well as a moral and religious code. These laws essential to the existence of men in society and most of which have been enacted by every Nation which ever professed any code of laws. Vain indeed would be the search among the writings of secular history to find so broad, so complete and so solid a basis of morality as the Ten Commandments lay down.”
The American Bible Society was started by an act of Congress and John Adams, our second president, served as its first leader.
President George Washington said, “It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are indispensable supporters.”
In 1782, the U.S. Congress voted in favor of a resolution recommending and approving the Bible for use in the schools.
Patrick Henry said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.”
Last year, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) gave a “Special Orders Speech” before his colleagues. In that speech he asked, “Are better off today? Since we banished God from public life…and allowed a vocal group of humanist activists to tell us our faith is dangerous to [the] liberties of this nation – are we better off?”
Invitation:
Cp Romans 6:6, 13-14 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
13-14 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Cp 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Cp Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
