Title: Proclaiming Freedom In Christ

Turn your Bibles to 1 Peter 2:16

Title: Proclaiming Freedom in Christ

Theme: Living Responsibly Before Christ and Men

Listen as I read 1 Peter 2:16, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. The King James Bible translates 1 Peter 2: 15-16 as, “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” Let us pray!

Introduction: There was a song written over 175 years ago that has blessed many in America titled “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.’” Listen to these words. “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing: land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!”

My native country, thee, land of the noble free, Thy name I love; l love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills like that above.

Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees. Sweet freedom’s song: Let mortal tongues awake, let all that breathe partake; let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our father’s God, to thee, Author of liberty, to thee we sing: Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by thy might, great God, our king!”

Proposition: I would propose to you that Christians in America are called by God’s Word to live in such a way that proclaims freedom, freedom from the bondage of the flesh, the lures of the world and from the lies of the devil. The Liberty Bell has a portion of Leviticus 25:10 prominently displayed in a band around the top: “…proclaim liberty throughout the land.” (America’s Christians History)

Interrogative Sentence: Just what are the benefits and responsibilities of living in a country founded by God fearing men? How do Christians express a life of liberty?

Transitional Sentence: The first step to proclaiming freedom is to recognize God’s sovereignty over all things and praise the Lord for the freedoms we enjoy. Psalm 37: 3-4 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.”

This psalm was written by King David in his old age, (The Treasury of David) and was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the calming of the minds of the people of the Lord as they are faced with everything that stands against the truths of God’s Word. King Solomon, the son of David, knew of the sovereignty of God and he was not ashamed to praise the Lord. In 1 Chronicles 6:4 we read of him saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hands fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David…”

King Solomon “…showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statues of his father David…” (1 Kings 3:3) When the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, Solomon responded with, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart…” (1 Kings 3:5-6)

It was during this time with the Lord, Solomon asked for a very special endowment, his prayer was, “…give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong…” (1 Kings 3:9) Solomon, king of Judah and Israel is known for being the king whose reign was peaceful. The people enjoyed freedom, and he had world wide fame because of the wisdom God had given him. (Who’s Who in the Bible; Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31)

The Founding Fathers of the United Sates of America knew that the fear of the Lord was needed before they could enjoy liberty. The Jefferson Memorial includes these words of Jefferson, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.” (America’s Christian History)

In a message, “Let Freedom Ring,” Bible Teacher David Mains points out some of those freedoms or liberties we have in America because of the faithfulness our “Founding Fathers” had in the truths of God’s Word. They are:

1.) “Political Freedom” – We have a voice in our government, as well as the opportunity to take part in its decisions. We can even speak freely in praise or share our opinions without fear of being arrested.