Dear Church - Galatians 2

Freedom in Christ 2
 
We are free in Jesus!
 
We have only experienced living in freedom.  America is the land of the free.
 
American Freedom means:
            “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”
            "absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government”
            “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved”
 
Christian Freedom means:
            “the idea of living under God's grace instead of the Law's obligations”
            “the freedom to not be enslaved by sin, and to instead choose what is good and right”
            “the ability to live a life that's free and full, and to reclaim what Satan has taken away”
 
 
            Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
 
Christian freedom does not mean we can do what we want.
Christian freedom means we are free from the consequences of our sins.
Christian freedom is submitting to the Lordship of Jesus voluntarily.
 
            Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
 
Me and my house choose to serve the Lord.
 
Because of Jesus’ grace, you can choose to follow Him or choose to reject Him.
Since you are reading this, I bet you are choosing to submit, surrender, and follow Jesus.
 
Jesus is not a dictator; He is our Savior.
We find freedom in Him as we submit to His Lordship.
 
            Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
 
Take up your cross – deny your desires and find real life in Jesus.
 
The truth of Jesus sets you free.
 
            John 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 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?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
 
“It is personal. Jesus is the Truth (1:14; 14:3). Knowing him (v. 28) = believing in him (v. 24) = knowing the truth (v. 32). It is more than knowing some important facts about Jesus. It is knowing Jesus in an intimate, personal way. Such “knowing the Truth” is a primary characteristic of the Christian. Jesus promises that such a relationship will set you free.” Beauford H. Bryant and Mark S. Krause, John.
 
Know Jesus.
 
Submit to Jesus.
 
Be FREE!