FREE!
(Romans 8.1-4)
INTRODUCTION
227 years ago, 56 men signed a document declaring their independence from England, and establishing the colonies as ¡§free and independent states¡¨. That day we celebrate on the 4th of July as ¡§The declaration of Independence¡¨.
Freedom. Something that everyone of us here today take for granted. We have lived in a free country, where we can pretty much do as we please, think as we want, go where we wish to go, and aspire to whatever and wherever our imagination will take us.
On the spiritual front, there is also something of a declaration of independence, a ¡§freedom¡¨ for the individual. We find that declaration in Romans 8.1-4¡¨
¡§1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,„T 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering And so he condemned sin in sinful man,„T 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.¡¨
I. FREE FROM CONDEMNATION (v1)
A. Our condition before Christ
1. We were dead spiritually
2. We were probably unaware of our situation
3. We were in darkness
4. We were in our sins
5. We were under the wrath of God
6. We were hopeless
B. Then, we come to Christ
1. We are made alive
2. We become conscious of our relationship with God
3. We come into the light
4. Our sins are forgiven
5. We fall under the love and blessing of God
6. We now have hope
7. WE ARE FREE!
8. Therefore, there is NOW NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus!
II. FREE FROM THE LAW (v2)
A. Not ¡§law-less¡¨
1. Ezek 11.19-21
2. Ezek 36.25-28
B. We are no longer under the law for righteousness
1. Galatians 3 goes into this in more detail
2. 3.17 ¡V Abraham 430 years before the law
3. ¡§the law was powerless to do¡¨ ¡V the law could not save anyone!
4. Why was it given then?
ć Show us our sin
ć Show us the righteousness of God
ć Lead us to Christ
C. And because Christ died, we are justified by faith
1. Ro 5.1
D. The Law of the Spirit of life is written on our hearts
1. We are now technically in fulfillment of the law (v4)
2. this leads us to the next point
II. FREE TO SERVE (v4) ¡§who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.¡¨
A. The Law was a weight around our necks
1. concern about obedience
2. concern about offending in one place
B. Now we have been set free to serve
1. 2 Cor 5.15 ¡§15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.¡¨
2. We need not fear condemnation
3. We need not fear separation (v38-39)
4. We need not fear defeat (v31)
CONCLUSION
How are you using your freedom? Are you using it to sit in security? Or using it to engage in service? We celebrate our freedom as citizens of the United States. But we are so much more. WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN! Wave that flag proudly. Honor that king. Be proud to be a Christian! And go serve in the name of Jesus Christ.
As we celebrated our national citizenship this weekend, today we celebrate and remember our heavenly citizenship today.
