True Freedom

The Ten Commandments were the subject of Miss Dixie’s Sunday school lesson for five and six year olds. After explaining “Honor thy father and thy mother,” Miss Dixie asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?”

Without missing a beat, little Cindy answered, “Thou shalt not kill.”

Theme: Dependence on Jesus and the empowering of the Holy Spirit is true Independence

Aim: Give worries, fears, and doubt to Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to empower you for His work.

We often associate freedom with self-sufficiency. The world tells us that to be truly free, we must be able to stand on our own, chart our own path, and rely on no one.

But the Gospel offers a radical redefinition of freedom, one that doesn’t rest in human independence, but in wholehearted dependence on Jesus and the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

True Freedom: Not Self-Sufficiency

The problem with the illusion of self-sufficiency is that often doesn’t break until we face our limitations. 

A man decides to climb a mountain alone. He refuses a guide, saying, “I’ve got this.” Halfway up, he gets lost in a snowstorm with no way to call for help. Self-reliance felt strong until reality exposed his limits.

Self-sufficiency feels empowering—until life’s storms reveal our need for Christ.

Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Jesus says plainly in John 15:5, “You cannot do anything without me.” That’s not a threat it’s an invitation to abide in Him and bear lasting fruit.

Proverbs 14:12 NKJV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

John 15:5 CEV

5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.

The world teaches that independence means strength, but Scripture teaches that self-sufficiency apart from Christ leads to spiritual death.

True Freedom: Found in Christ

True freedom is not the absence of dependence but the right placement of it. It is not found in casting off all authority, but in coming under the authority of the One who gives life.

Jesus has unlocked the prison of sin. The door is wide open.

But like the prisoner who stays in his cell, some of us hesitate to walk out.

John 8:36 reminds us, “If the Son gives you freedom, you are free!” Galatians 5:1 echoes this truth: “Christ has set us free! This means we are really free.”

Jesus has unlocked the prison of sin. Freedom is available, but we must walk out and follow Him.

John 8:36 CEV

36 If the Son gives you freedom, you are free!

Galatians 5:1 CEV

1 Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.

Freedom in Christ is not just liberation from sin—it’s the power to live a righteous life, unshackled from guilt, shame, and the flesh.

What does it mean to live a righteous life? Do I mean you can now be perfect and never mess up again? No way, I mean that you spirit has been made right with God and you no longer are judged by the sins you’ve committed. You’ve been born again and that makes you right with God.

Freedom is not just release from sin, it’s empowerment for holy living. 

Holy living means that you know WHO you are and WHOSE you are and that pushes you to live in accordance with God’s will because God’s will leads to GOOD things. Anything apart from God’s will leads to destruction.

True Freedom: Empowered to Live Free by the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:2 tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us life and sets us free from sin and death.

Romans 8:2 CEV

2 The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.

Galatians 5:16 CEV

16 If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires.

Galatians 5:16 urges us to walk by the Spirit so that we do not give in to selfish desires.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us, enabling us not only to say no to sin but to boldly proclaim Christ to the world!

Acts 1:8 CEV

8 But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.”

Kris and I just watched a documentary about a cruise ship that lost all power due to a fire. The people on the boat were stuck until tug boats came to put them in to shore. The Holy Spirit is our tug boat we are powerless without Him, we drift or remain still. But when we are filled with the Spirit, we are empowered to move and live as God intended.

Dependence on the Spirit is not a backup plan for when we’re weak, it’s the only way forward.

We can’t fight the flesh or fulfill God’s purpose in our own strength. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live in victory and to witness boldly.

True Freedom: Pathway to Fruitful Living

Walking in the Spirit results in a life that bears fruit. Fruit that blesses others and glorifies God. Galatians 5:22–23 describes the Spirit’s fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are not the result of personal effort or moral resolve; they are the natural outcome of staying connected to Jesus.

Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Depending on Jesus and walking in the Spirit produces the kind of life that glorifies God and blesses others.

Walking in freedom means you are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Walking in bondage means you’re full of hate, anger, agitation, fear, selfishness, harshness, and uncontroled in what you do and say.

Which is freedom? Freedom is living according to the Spirit of God!

True Freedom: Is Not Weakness – It's Worship

Corrie ten Boom once said, 

“Trying to do the Lord’s work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.”

The key is dependence. True worship is the posture that says, “God, I need You every hour.” It’s not weakness—it’s surrender. And that surrender is where the power begins.

The Apostle Paul understood this intimately. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God tells him, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Paul responds not with resistance but with joy, saying, “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” Psalm 121 offers the same reminder: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Psalm 121:1–2 NLT

1 I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

Choosing to depend on God is not a failure of strength—it is the highest form of faith and obedience.

So many of us are worn out from trying to handle everything on our own. We pray as a last resort instead of a first step. We treat the Holy Spirit as a supplement rather than our source. But the invitation of the Gospel is clear: come and receive fresh empowerment. The Spirit is not optional. He is essential. And He is available.

In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin or bound by the pressures of performance. The truest form of independence is the freedom we receive when we declare our utter dependence on Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As Spirit-filled believers, we are not called to “do it all” on our own—but to live empowered by His presence.

Are you worn out trying to handle life on your own?

Have you been living as if the Holy Spirit is optional rather than essential?

Come receive fresh empowerment. Let the Lord renew your heart, refill your spirit, and remind you that His grace is sufficient and His power is real.