THE LIFE OF FREEDOM

Message for the Wesley Covenant Service

January 3, 2010

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (NKJV)

Historians of the early American colonies came up with a term called “Triangular Trade.” Most of us probably learned this in our history classes when we were in school and likely have forgotten all about it.

What was “Triangular Trade”? Triangular Trade was based on shipping. The goal of any merchant ship was not only never to arrive a port empty but to never leave a port empty. As you can see on the overhead there were three basic sets of geographic ports: Europe (primarily England), Africa (primarily the gold coastal area) and the Americas (the American colonies and the Caribbean islands). Each of these had items that the others didn’t have and needed items and goods that the others had.

For example, a ship leaving the Americas would go to England with a load of molasses, sugar and tobacco products. They would unload in England and load up guns, cloth and beer and head to Africa. Once in Africa they would then load up slaves and perhaps gold and head to the American colonies to start the process all over again.

Quite often- not always though- at the heart of the trade was slaves. Slaves would be literally hearded onto ships, packed in tightly like they were any other cargo and shipped across the Atlantic to the American colonies. This occurred for several hundred years until the slave trade was abolished by England and other nations. In fact, England would stop ships that were in the slave trade no matter what country they were from.

Thousands of slaves were captured by African tribes, delivered to the coastal ports of western Africa and traded to very eager Anglos ready to make money when they delivered them to the American colonies. The tragedy is that for so long so many tolerated slavery as “this is just the way it is.”

In fact, good Christian people owned slaves, traded and sold slaves and approved those who also participated. They literally saw nothing wrong with it.

And as I approach this whole issue of the life of freedom there are three thoughts that I want to highlight that I hope will help each of us realize that we must go beyond belief. In other words, God calls us to go deeper into this relationship through Jesus Christ that is more than just believing in Him for salvation.

1) Freedom over circumstances within your control.

I am alarmed that too many Christians have bought into that concept spiritually. That being a Christian and being a slave to a particular sin is “just the way it is.” We wink not only at the sinful behaviors of others but we actually tolerate certain aspects of it in our own lives.

a) Lust.

b) Gluttony.

c) Anger.

d) Jealousy.

e) Bitterness.

f) Pornography.

g) Critical spirit.

h) Lying.

i) Swearing.

j) Compulsive behaviors.

k) Addictive behaviors.

“But, Pastor, I’m not hurting anybody. It’s not like I’m actually killing someone by saying bad things about them behind their back. It’s not like I’m actually committing adultery because I look at someone other than my spouse with lust in my heart.”

Matthew 5:21-22 ²¹"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' ²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

Matthew 5:27-28 ²⁷"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Well, brother and sister, Jesus didn’t see it that way. He saw the sin behind the sin. Whatever sin we commit- even in the privacy of our minds- is subject to judgment.

There is good news, brothers and sisters. Jesus paid it all. He paid the price so that you might not only have forgiveness of sins but have victory over the strongholds of life that keep you bottled up spiritually and emotionally and even physically.

The apostle Paul told the Corinthian Church that we have “weapons of our warfare that are not carnal, but might through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

There’s another aspect of this spiritual victory that I long to see everyone of us have and that is:

2) Freedom over circumstances beyond your control.

But even further than just simply some particular enslavement to sinful behaviors, I have found so many enslaved to circumstances that seem to be beyond their control.

a) Some are enslaved to physical and emotional disability.

b) Some are enslaved to financial pressures.

c) Some are enslaved to what other people think of them.

My hope and prayer today is that we can somehow get a sense of not only hope that God will intervene for us in these different aspects but that somehow God will deliver us to spiritual victory and true freedom in spite of our circumstances and failures.

What do I mean?

You can still have victory over your finances and not earn a penny more.

You can still have victory over your physical disability and not experience physical healing.

You can still have victory over what others think about you and they never do change their mind about you.

I believe that our Lord longs to be gracious to us this day and that He desires the very best for His children.

3) Freedom to be a different person in Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul writes our text verse to a group of churches in the region known as Galatia. These believers were being imposed upon by some Jewish Christians with the idea that they had to adhere to the Jewish law in order to be Christians. Paul addresses this issue very forcefully and in such a way that there is no mistake about the basis of a Christian’s life: “I am crucified with Christ and yet not I that live but Christ in me.” (Galatians 2:19-20)

He makes very clear to these Christians who used to live under the law that if they are saved by faith how can they go back to the old life under the law?

He says something similar later in his letter to the Romans 6:1. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!”

The greater point for us to realize is that as Christians our lives are much different from the life we had before we got saved.

But now that you are a believer in Christ you are a new creature; old things have passed away and all things have become new.

Neil T. Anderson has three very important concepts that he constantly teaches and I have co-copted into my thinking as a Christian. These three Christian ideals have helped me so much over the years to overcoming various situations, circumstances and (yes) sin.

(The next three or four Wednesday Prayer meetings will be covering these three concepts.)

a) I am accepted.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ paid the price of his life so that I could be accepted by God. I am God’s child. Furthermore, I am a friend with God. All because I have been bought with a price.

b) I am secure.

I am so grateful for my Baptist in-laws clinging to the “once saved always saved” belief. I don’t agree whole-heartedly with the idea but yet I appreciate it because there was a time I needed to believe that. I struggled for many years with a performance orientation concept that made me feel as though I was not saved half the time.

Something else I discovered along the way that I have needed to cling to is that the devil cannot bring me harm. All of hell’s fury may come but my soul is safe in the arms of God.

1 John 5:18 ¹⁸We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

c) I am significant.

As a lost and lonely teenager I struggled for years with understanding my importance to God. Into my twenties and early thirties I had a hard time feeling very important or needed. And all this time I was telling my teens how important they were and yet I struggled within myself in feeling very important.

But something changed as the Holy Spirit slowly began to gain access to my life. It was a campmeeting with Adrian Depres as he preached what it meant to be in Christ. And he pointed out Colossians 1:27 ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Suddenly everything began to change in my thinking. Here I was at the ripe age of 36 years old and I learned that the mystery of the gospel message was Christ in me.

And now on my cell phone wallpaper you will read “Christ in me.” Or “I am in Christ.”

I have come to realize more and more and I’m still realizing this truth that I am significant to God so much that he gave his one and only son.

And now I am God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works. (Ephesians 2:1)

So what does this mean? I am free in Christ Jesus. The victory has been won by him for me.

And so on this day, as we participate in this Wesley Covenant Service...

Conclusion: What is it that you need God to do in your life?

Galatians 5:13- For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

And so today in this Wesley Covenant Service I am calling on us as a body of Christians to believe God and what He tells us in His Holy Word about us and the freedom that is ours for the living.

Do you believe that God not only saves but saves to the uttermost?

Do you believe that God can and does deliver men and women from the enslavements of sinful behaviors- drugs, alcohol, sexual addictions such as pornography and homosexuality, and the like?

Do you believe that God can and does set men and women free from the enslavement of a bitter spirit, unforgiveness towards others and gossip?

Do you believe that God can reach down into your circumstances- both those you do control and those you do not- and do a new work in your heart and life?

I do.

Embrace this freedom through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:1 ¹ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Not only…

Live the life of Christ that you were intended to live…

BUT

Love the life of Christ that you are called to live.