Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom!

Introduction

When we hear the word freedom or liberty, we as Americans have a certain connotation of that meaning. Meaning that we have our idea of how those words are associated. You might associate them with your rights as an American and freedoms you have as a citizen of the United States. Yet, we as believers in Jesus Christ freedom and liberty have a meaning far deeper than any national freedom. We have been set free from bondage to sin, slavery to sin, our old self and set free to serve Jesus Christ and live for Him. I want us to look at a portion of Paul’s second epistle to the church of Corinth as he talks about the liberty we have in Jesus Christ.

Our Freedom in Christ to Use Our Circumstances

Our freedom and liberty in Christ allows us to see our circumstances in a different light and allows Christ to use them.

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 NKJV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

The Apostle Paul had his share of trials and tribulations. In this letter he mentions several of them in the first two chapters, but also later on in chapter 11 he goes through a list when refuting about false prophets.

2 Corinthians 11:20–30 NKJV

For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

Yet, he writes that God is the Father of mercies and all comforts in the midst of this tribulation. When we are going through trials God gives us strength and comfort. When you think you cannot go on, Christ is there. Yet, Paul says that we need to take that comfort that we receive from God and use it to help others in trouble. To be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ to believers and unbelievers. We have that freedom in Christ to show the love and comfort that He has shown us. To come beside someone and be a shoulder to cry on or a warm hug or just an ear to listen.

Freedom in Christ is to Spread His Message

Jumping down to chapter 2 and verse 14. After talking about some of the struggles he has been through and some struggles with the church in Corinth we get to these verses.

2 Corinthians 2:14–17 NKJV

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

How do you smell today? No, I am not asking about how much soap or deodorant you used, but are you letting the fragrance of Christ be defused from your life? The freedom and liberty we have in Jesus Christ is because of Christ’s triumph! He has conquered the grave! Colossians 2:13-15 “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

We have been set free from the bondage of sin and eternal death! Are you spreading it like a fragrance? Some will take it as a sweet smelling and pleasant and others not so much!

Freedom in Sharing Your Story

2 Corinthians 3:1–3 NKJV

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Freedom from the Law of Sin and Death

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 NKJV

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Romans 6:15–23 NKJV

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Where the Spirit of the LORD is there is FREEDOM

2 Corinthians 3:7–18 NKJV

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We have Freedom in Jesus Christ!

Conclusion

Maybe today you don’t know the freedom and liberty that Jesus Christ offers. Maybe you have never repented of your sins and accepted the free gift of salvation. There is no better day than today. Maybe today you are a believer in Jesus Christ, but you have gone away from the Word as we talked about last week, left your first love. Today would be the day to repent and turn back to Jesus Christ. We have been looking at passages in Daniel 9 and Nehemiah 9 about the power of the Word of God to lead to us to repentance and change. Let God’s Holy Spirit lead you to repentance. Remember that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom! There is Liberty! Have you been set free from the bondage that is holding you down?