Freedom of Faith

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Is anyone else glad that Paul begins by declaring that “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free,” and then states in verse 23 that “Against such things there is no law?”

If you’re like me, you may not always see the Fruit of the Spirit as a get to.

It’s more like have to.

For example...

Do you think about how much freedom you enjoy to be loving and self-controlled...when you see a speed limit sign?

Or are you more worried about freedom from a ticket?

Or how about this…Are you glad that you have the freedom to be peaceful and gentle when someone insults you?

Or is it more like freedom from the consequences of making a bad situation worse?

Do you enjoy the freedom of kindness and patience when your team is losing to the team of your trash talking friend?

Or are you hoping your team rallies so you can be free from the gloating of this knucklehead friend?

For many of us, faith has a way of remaining in the have to side rather than moving toward get to...

We are more worried about freedom from punishment and less about freedom for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Paul speaks about this in Galatians 4 as the distinction between the faith of a slave and the faith of a son.

Galatians 4:6–7 NIV

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

This morning we’re going to look at the freedom a child of God enjoys in Jesus; a freedom that is rooted in the kindness of God.

God’s Loving Kindness

Titus 3:4–6 NIV

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

The Greek word for kindness in Titus is, chrestotes...

It’s characterized by goodness of heart, charitableness, friendliness.

As we do today, the early church looked to Jesus for the pinnacle of all kindness.

They sometimes referred to his kindness as being appropriate to God.

In other words, we know that Jesus is of God because he reflects the extent to which God is kind.

Let’s look at some examples through the ministry of Jesus to see how God is kind toward us.

Example One: Forgiveness

Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18:21, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Did Jesus respond, “Seven times sounds about right to me, Peter! Give too much of that away and people will take advantage?”

No, Jesus responds, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

What Jesus is really saying is that’s how God loves you.

Example Two: Sabbath Keeping

Luke 14:1–5 (NIV)

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”

If God created the Sabbath, and if God even kept that Sabbath in the Book of Genesis, then Sabbath rest must be good thing for us.

Is it so great, though, if adherence to the letter of the Sabbath law keeps us from loving our neighbor?

Probably not

Peter and the Pharisees have the same problem.

They think God's nature is to punish first, and that He is kind only when we deserve it.

The problem with that is it is entirely out of step with what is demonstrated by Jesus.

Kindness Toward Us

The truth is that God’s love is immeasurably, eternally, unwaveringly, lovingly kind.

How kind is Jesus when he prays...

Luke 23:34 (NIV84)

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

The loving kindness of Jesus did not wait on a kind disposition from his executioners.

This is why he consistently ate and with outsiders.

Everyone needs the love, forgiveness and kindness of God, just like us.

Kind to All…Even Me

The key is seeing ourselves and others as we really are.

In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul chastises the church for its hypocrisy...

They were self righteously shunning other people even as they were doing those very things!

In the rush to judge others, the in-crowd had forgotten the kindness God showed them.

In Romans 3 he reminds them...

Romans 3:23–25 (NIV84)

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

God isn’t merciful and kind because we deserve it.

He is merciful and kind because that is His nature.

How lovingly kind?

Romans 8:38–39 (NIV84)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What can separate us from the love and kindness of God?

Nothing...

Kindness Toward Others

The great thing is that when you claim God’s kindness you’re prepared to be kind toward others.

Like Jesus you are freed to stop keeping score of how many times you have to forgive.

You are freed from bitterness and are freed for love, joy, and peace.

You get to stop the self righteous “Your sins are bigger than my sins” game.

When we rest in the knowledge that God is kind, we are prepared to be kind in two ways.

Seeking Forgiveness

Firstly, we are freed to admit fault, and to apologize when an apology is needed.

One of the most truthful, powerful, and empathetic gifts you can give to another person are words that go something like...

“If I were you I would probably be hurt and I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

No justifications or explanations. Just a sincere apology because it is deserved.

Jesus thought this so important that he states...

Matthew 5:23–24 (NIV84)

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Our fear is usually how the other person will respond.

What if forgiveness is not given?

Even in that scenario we can take comfort in knowing that we are loved and forgiven by God.

If our kindness is not met with kindness, we can take comfort in knowing that God is still kind toward us.

Offering Forgiveness

Secondly, when we receive the kindness of God, we are prepared to forgive.

Some offenses are more difficult to forgive than others.

Forgiveness does not minimize the offense that was commited.

It instead refuses to allow bitterness of the offense to have reign and rule.

How easy it is to exercise forgiveness and kindness for small offenses and kind people.

How difficult with people who have deeply hurt us, or who remain unkind.

I will close with the following prayer that was found attached to the garment of a dead child at Ravensbruck:

O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But, do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering: our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters, you are free.

The greatest celebration of freedom we will ever observe is freedom for the Fruit of the Spirit.

You are free to love, to be joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.