Finding, and Keeping, Freedom

Matthew 12:38–45 NKJV

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

I want to talk to you about gaining and maintaining your freedom.

Many years ago the Lord showed me that I had an anger problem. I would have moments where there would be outbursts of wrath—where I’d just explode internally with anger (cf. Galatians 5:20). I remember during that season that I would pray for God to move and set me free. And there would be times I’d go to the altar for prayer and experience God’s touch. Sometimes I’d leave feeling like a weight has been lifted but I’d also leave with a thought of “what if it doesn’t take.” Thankfully, over time, I was able to be set free and keep my freedom from anger.

Have you ever had an experience like that? Where you cried out to God to set you free and He responded to you with His grace and yet some part of you left hoping that it was going to last?

This is because we need more than just a touch from God. We need His indwelling presence. We need the Holy Spirit.

Prompt: This text also points to the idea that there is no neutrality. You have to choose to embrace God or be filled of unclean spirits. Commitment to Christ is a must.

We are called to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God in the earth (1 Corinthians 6:19). But we need to choose to be the place where He will dwell and then we will abide in the freedom of God.

Living Free

Living free is a challenge. There are at least three reason for this.

Some people do not want to be free

Matthew 19:16–22 NKJV

16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

If you want to keep the status quo because of comfort or fear then you will not be free. You have to choose freedom because if you don’t then things can get worse for you (as Jesus said about the 7 other spirits).

Some people do not want you to be free.

Acts 16:16–19 NKJV

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

There are some people who want you to stay the way you are because it benefits them. They will resist any work of God in your life. The will try to undermine it or even try to get you to doubt it.

Don’t let others try to convince you to go back to the way things used to be. Choose your freedom and fight for it.

Some people do not want to do it God’s way.

Acts 8:18–23 NKJV

18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

Some people want to take shortcuts to freedom. They want to do it their way. They don’t want to accept the process of God.

The problem with this is that our sufficiency is in God (2 Corinthians 3:5). We are not able to make ourselves free. Nor are we able to keep ourselves free.

The good news is that God has given us His Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Living in Freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free and we need to stand in that freedom (Galatians 5:1).

Here are three key ways to receive and walk in freedom.

Ask God for the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:4–8 NKJV

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We need to recognize the necessity of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus let the disciples know that they needed to receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit before they could go out and live as His witnesses in the world (cf. Acts 2:38).

What do we need to do to receive this gift for ourselves? We have to ask.

Luke 11:11–13 NKJV

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Illustration: Hudson Taylor, ship on the way to China, wind died and began drifting to the reef. To make things worse, the reef was near an island known to hold cannibals. They were close enough to see them building fires on the shore. The captain said they had done all. Hudson said we haven’t prayed. The captain said, what good will that do? He and the other Christians went to pray and ask God for the wind. And God responded.

When it comes to the blessings of God often we have not because we ask not (James 4:2). Ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit and He will answer.

Follow the Leading of the Holy Spirit

Once we have received the gift of the Spirit we need to follow the lead of the Spirit.

Romans 8:12–15 NKJV

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Being led by the Spirit means that we no longer live according to the flesh.

How do we follow the leading of the Spirit?

Romans 8:5–9 NKJV

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

Illustration: Thinking leads to doing…which is why marketers sell you a story and feeling so that you’ll buy their product.

To live in the Spirit we start by thinking after the Spirit. We govern what we watch and read and listen to. We set our mind above on the things of God (Colossians 3:2). This is how we daily and practically position ourselves to be led by the Spirit.

Continue in the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:15–21 NKJV

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Finally, we need to continue in the Holy Spirit—keep being filled.

We do that through worship, gratitude, and serving others.

Illustration: Healthy environment leads to healthy people (physically, mentally, etc.)

We continue to position ourselves to be filled with the Spirit through regularly setting the environment that leads to His presence.

We walk wisely, redeem the time.

Make room for God to move and keep moving in your life through your praise, giving of thanks, and fellowship with the saints in the fear of the Lord.

Conclusion

Living in freedom begins with choosing it. We choose the freedom of the Spirit by asking God for the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As God blesses us, we then follow the leading of the Spirit by guarding our minds and setting our thoughts on the things of the Spirit. This is how we learn to live in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

To remain in the freedom of the Lord we need to continue in the Spirit. We moment-by-moment choose to create an atmosphere that invites the Spirit to abide. We give praise, offer worship, and we practice fellowship with other believers.

If we do these things we will live and walk in the power of God (Acts 10:38). This is possible because of the true and lasting change that comes through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.