Love and Freedom

Galatians 5:13

The book of Galatians has been called the Magna Carta of Christian Liberty.

The reformers of the 1500’s and 1600’s has said that this book was used by God to restore the church to where it needed to be, when the church was losing its freedom in Christ alone.

The churches in the region of Galatia are doing the same: They are leaving freedom.

And here you see Paul passionately screaming “Freedom” to the people of God and he is calling them back.

(Picture: Braveheart (1995) - William Wallace fighting and dying for freedom)

You are called to freedom. Verse 1- For freedom , Christ has set us free…

Other Scriptures: Where the Spirit of the lord is… there is freedom. Jesus says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. If the Son sets you free… you are free indeed...”

1. Free from whom?

a. Some would say that the American Revolution was fought to throw off British rule, Great Britain and the tyrannical king. There were those who were oppressed by an ungodly ruler, and they wanted to be free...

Christian Worldview:

b. Biblically: We are either slaves to sin/Satan and his kingdom… Or we are slaves to Christ.

Paul, often refers to himself as a slave to Christ or a slave to God (Romans 1:1; Titus 1:1;) James says the same in James 1;1… But what were they before?

Jesus teaches us in John 8:34 that those who practice sin are slaves to sin.

Those who are in bondage to sin, who are slaves to sin, obeys sin as their master. You do what the master wills.

1 John 3:8 - Those who live this way is under the power of the evil one. John 8:44 - Those are described as being children of the devil.

Someone is kicking against this right now. You are saying: “I do whatever I want; I don’t have a master.”

The Bible teaches that we are going to serve somebody. We are going to live for someone or something. And that is our master.

And the Bible teaches us that all of humanity lies under the power of the evil one, in this worldly system, in his kingdom.

You and I are there, or, were there. Everyone else was there, or, is there.

And no one can escape this slavery unless someone sets them free from it...

The Good News: The Savior has come, our Victorious Warrior has broken through the lines of the kingdom of darkness to make the Way, the Truth, and the Life known.

Jesus has delivered us, purchased us, bound Satan, and has saved us from the evil one, from the power of sin, and the penalty of it.

Romans 6:17 - Thanks be to God we have been delivered.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed...

It’s for freedom Christ has set us free… so that you will be free in deed!

Let My People Go! Set them Free!

This is what Moses, Egypt, slavery, and Pharoah points to that is ultimately fulfilled in King Jesus...

Jesus comes into the enemy’s camp and sets us free!

2. Free from what?

a. Set free from slavery to sin.

Listen:

You were under a wicked master. You were enslaved to sin. You had no power over sin or the wicked master. Your desire was to do what Satan and sin wanted you to do. And you could not pay for your freedom.

Sin led you. Satan used you. You were used and abused, doing what sin told you to do...

And you were powerless to escape this. And blind to even see it...

But God… But Christ opened your eyes, opened your hearts, He has redeemed you, purchased you, and has paid your sin debt in full.

Satan and sin is no longer your master/boss.

Jesus is.

Jesus has set you free from the power/slavery of sin.

b.Set free from death and fear.

People are enslaved to the fear of death.

Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ, through His death on the Cross, destroyed him who had the power of death, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage/slavery.

John 14 - Jesus comforts His people: “Believe in Me… I go to prepare a place for you, so that where I am, there you may be also...

The life that is examined is a life that is limited within the natural world. That which is natural will cease and die.

This causes fear in the lives of those created in the image of God. For in them sits the desire to live and to continue… Not to end and be no more...

You can try to drink it away, work it away, try to stay so busy to never think about it much… But you must think about it… and when you do… You either have hope beyond the grave, or you don’t.

Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.

I have hope beyond death and the grave, because of the resurrection and the life that is found in Christ Jesus.

And it shall come to pass when we shall say: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

(Pool and bees: Hornets… What are they without stingers?)

Imagine a bee without a stinger: It cannot harm you.

You can see it. It will bump into you. It may make us nervous. But it cannot harm us.

We are set free from the fear of it.

c. Set free from hell forever.

Who is enslaved to this fear? We hear about people being sentenced to prison for long periods of time, or even life sentences...

But our sentence under Satan was hell forever. Your bed was hell forever… Eternity in this tormenting prison...

Lazarus and the Rich man (Luke 16) - In Hades he lifted up his eyes in torment… I am in agony… A great chasm is fixed… You are not going anywhere...

That is where we would be...

But greater is He Who is in you than He who is in the world. Greater is His work, His Name, His promises, His blood… Great is His Faithfulness and Victory...

For now there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus… and now there is no separation from His love that He has given us…

He has saved us and has set us free from hell, now and forever...

God has not destined us to wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ Who died for us...

(3 P’s) - Jesus has set us free from the penalty of sin, the power of sin… and one day, ultimately, from the Presence of sin>

3. Set Free by Whom and for Whom?

Who sets us free?

a. Let’s be clear: You didn’t do it. The government doesn’t do it. Economics doesn’t do it. Democracy, Capitalism, Socialism, or Communism… Does not set you free.

The Son of God does.

The King of Glory is the One Who invaded Satan’s Kingdom and saved you from this world, from darkness, and sin.

b. The Son of God is the One Who buys us and pays for our Way.

Not by your stripes… By His stripes. Not by your performance but by His performance.

For Whom?

c. And we are set free… for… Christ. We are set free… to live for Christ. You now belong to Him… You are His property.

You have a new Master, a good Master.

4. Free to do what?

a. Set free to go back? Are set free to go back into slavery?

The Old Testament show us the spiritual picture with Moses and Israel: The people are in slavery. Pharoah is the Master. Moses is the savior...

The Savior leads His people out of sin and crushes the master, Pharoah… who represents Satan...

The people experience the freedom of God… and when they encounter some pain… they want to go back into slavery… they want to go back to sin… and old masters...

Do Free people… want to go back to oppression…?

As Americans… do you see us going back to Great Britain and surrendering ourselves before his majesty, the King Charles III, surrendering our flag, our hearts and affection for Great Britain and Mother England…? Because we miss the food?

Some of our patriots just threw up in their mouths...

No sir! We are free men! We are set free! We are living in the land of the free!

“Christians, what do we say?”

Set free to do what? Not to go back! Not to go back into slavery… Not to go back into a lifestyle of sin/ of bondage. Not to go back to the oppressors… Not to go back to the enemy.. to the fear of death, the fear of hell...

I am not going back to bondage. I am not going back to fear. I am not going back to pay my own way and to perform for my acceptance...

I choose to be free in Jesus’ Name!

What else?

c. We are set free to be servants of God’s Kingdom, to live for Him and to serve Him, as well as His other servants.

We are set free to be faithful to our new Master and King and to serve Him, to follow Him wherever He goes.

We are not set free to rebel against the Kingdom and it’s servants.

We are free to love God’s people. We are free to love our neighbors.

Verse 15 - We are not free to bite and devour one another. we are not free to slander, to hate, to covet, to cheat, to hurt...

Americans, people in America, use their freedom to steal, kill and destroy. People in America use all the resources and liberties to destroy the nation’s people.

We use the Constitution to hurt one another. We use our freedoms to rip one another to shreds...

Americans trample the blood of soldiers under their feet by taking their sacrifice in vain, and by turning against the country that these soldiers bled and died for...

Americans abuse their rights and liberties for the sake of rioting, chaos, rebellion… and they turn on their own people for the sake of greed and more power...

The flush the flag, burn our flag, and curse our paths...

How dare you!?

And our dear patriots in the room shudder and clinch their teeth. How dare they abuse America and everything we hold so dear? How dare they?

But do we do the same with Jesus and His Kingdom?

6. Do you use your freedom to sin against God and your fellow citizens?

Do you use the Law to elevate yourself and tear one another to shreds?

Do you use your freedom as a license to sin? Do you use Jesus’ name to continue to live a life of sin without repentance?

Do you abuse your fellow servants? Do you continue on in immorality, greed, anger, unforgiveness, stealing…

a. My freedom does not give me a license to sin.

b. My freedom does not give me a license to hate, to become disorderly, to cheat on my spouse, to live a life of drunkeness and abuse… My freedom does not give me a license to do the things Christ died for...

My freedom does not give me a license to trample the Son of God’s blood under our feet...

*How dare we abuse the freedom that Christ came to give?! How dare we abuse the Kingdom servants that Christ died for? How dare we twist the Gospel and the Word of Life that leads to liberty...

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free...

Stand fast in your freedom! Don’t go back. Use your freedom to serve Christ and serve His people. Use your freedom to serve. Use your freedom to build up one another… build up the Kingdom of God.

Use your freedom to love. Use your freedom to worship. Use your freedom to sing, to praise...

Use your freedom to stay out of legalism and dead religion.

You are set free! Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Are you free today?

What are you doing with your freedom?

Are you going back? Are you abusing your freedoms?

Is there anything you need to surrender today? Is there anything that you need to turn from?

There is freedom for you today.

Pray.

Close.