My Chain Are Gone

Application: Freedom is Sensational! When we think of freedom we may think of someone released from prison, someone out of debt, someone free from cancer or disease, or maybe free in retirement. We are going to see this morning how freedom in Christ is a life of service and living out our calling in Christ.

Romans 7:1–6 NKJV

1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Everything we have been discussing in one way or the other goes back to the religion of the day view of the law( does it save me) to the new teaching of Paul that Jesus paid it all and freed them from the penalty of the law which is death. Are you free to do as you wish? The best way i can describe this to you has happened in the last 20 years and continues to evolve in the life of the church we are apart of today. The early church used their money and all of it to help the needy, todays church uses their money often for buildings and comforts and maybe 10% goes to the poor. The early church suffered for their faith, today it is about security, The early church loved the Word of God, today we carry and and all kinds of resources but rarely study the deep things of God. The early church was connected and the current church is plagued with arguments and disagreements.

The early church was courageous, we are cautious.

The early church had to trust , we want security (KNOW)

The early church had discomfort, we want comfort.

I read articles all the time dealing with the following: dress, pews, pulpits, stages, name changes, time of service, revitalization, and tons of resources on how to grow.

I see things such as flowers, bathrooms, grass, cleaning, colors, stage presence, and you name anything else cause grief and conflict.

The early church had one thing they needed to do.

The present day church is the country club for christians. If the wrong songs are sung, or the preacher didnt feed the flock, If we didnt get a visit or call, if the time is not right, or the church has no one for me I can cannot with resembles a country club mentality. The early church had one issue, how can I serve.

The early church was outside focussed and the current church is 80% into singing, preaching, and teaching and may be 10% or less into outside focussed and some of that may be giving money verses going.

What I want from our church is 1 thing.

Tell people about Jesus and invite new people and we will see a fire set flame in our church where everything i mentioned is long gone and we are excited about God’s movement in our church.

Paul’s audience is those who know the law of God. Example: Marriage “ Do not commit adultery”

Romans 7:1–3 NKJV

1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

death is the only circumstance where someone is free from the law of God. Otherwise it is to be obeyed. It does not save but someone who follows the law has a component of evidence of Christ in their life. (binding only when alive)

The whole application was Paul was saying likewise, (believer) die to the law when you respond to the Gospel.

1. The Law Cannot Save, It only makes you aware of sin.

Romans 7:4 NKJV

4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

Romans 3:20 NKJV

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 6:23 NKJV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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2. Jesus is our hope and sets us free from the penalty of the Law

Penalty= Death

Romans 6:3–7 NKJV

3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

3. Evidence of True Salvation is the fruit we bear.

Romans 7:4 NKJV

4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

A. transformation

B. Attitude

C. Action

Galatians 2:19–20 NKJV

19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Attitude is above

Action Below

John 15:1–2 NKJV

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

4. Evidence of Fleshly Living.

Romans 7:5 NKJV

5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.

A. In The Flesh

Romans 8:8 NKJV

8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom

B. Passions- impulse living

C. Aroused by the law- want to do morally wrong things

D. Working to Die- energized to Do Wrong

5. Established to Serve.

Romans 7:6 NKJV

6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Rom 7:

Augustine said this: True freedom is not a choice or lack of constraint but living out what you are meant to be.

Luther said this: A christian man is the most free Lord of all and subject to none (Free From the Law)

He then says: A christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, subject to everyone (Gratitude)

service is not an option. The closer we conform the freer we are.

Psalm 119:47 NKJV

47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.

There is a love to serve.

Justified By Faith so we find so far we are:

SECURE-

Holy-

Serving -

So if we are not careful and do not hear the whole council of God what we have is very weak believers or deceived false believers roaming around and causing division in the church because they consider their faith the payment for the writes to the church instead of their faith as a story to share to the lost.

It cannot be the church is for me, You are for the church.