Soul Keeping - BE FREE

This morning I want to talk about the our soul’s need to be free.

The theme of so many movies today is finding a young person coming of age, or an adult hindered in a relationship discover who they are and being free to become themselves and find true happiness .

This is the mantra of our day, and we see it creep into every aspect of society where people are fighting for the FREEDOM to do whatever they want and be themselves, and to deny that is to deny them happiness.

In light of that we can see how society would look at the Scripture found in the Psalms as being contradictory to these truths...

Psalm 19:7 ESV

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

What society fails to see is the hindrance our desires can have with the ability to find true freedom for our soul.

When you want something too much it threatens to take God’s place in your life.

The ability to have anything you want can cost you your freedom

- Samson desired Delilah - he lost his hair, his strength and his life...

- Rich Young Ruler desired wealth and money and he was unable to follow Christ

- Cain desired revenge and in it committed murder and was outcast from his family

- Saul coveted the power that came with his kingship and lost the anointing upon his life and his Kingdom was given to another

To each their desires became a demise in their following God and His plan - and their sinful longings brought destruction and bondage.

PLAY VIDEO OF CHRISTMAS STORY SCENE

In the Christmas story Raphie’s friend gets his-tongue tstuck to a pole - freedom would come but would create pain - because he gave into the triple dare devil dog - the temptation to do something

Something always attempts to draw our hearts away from God and His purposes in our lives. When we allow our souls to follow those things we find ourselves stuck and finding freedom hurts!

Your soul is the tongue stuck to the flagpole - it craves to be free - but how and what does that mean?

1. Misconception That Freedom is a License to Sin

Examples of being pulled over for speeding and telling the police officer you just had to feel free to be yourself and go at your own speed

Or

When the IRS shows up at your door because you owe tax and you telling them you just don’t want to co tribute to the government

Or

Telling your spouse you need the freedom to explore other people in your marriage

We think that may be freedom - but it isn’t - it transgresses laws of the land and morality...

People don’t want to be Christians because they think the laws of the Lord will hinder them from being free to do their thing - but in reality it keeps them from getting stuck to the pole

Paul asked the question:

Romans 6:1 NLT

1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?

Romans 6:2 NLT

2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

To the unredeemed the law seems oppressive and binding - the unregenerate soul finds no value in these laws and in our efforts to be under grace we have ignored that the Laws of God actually produce freedom when discovered through relationship in Christ.

Our Soul wants to be free from legalistic rules

It bucks authority that it has no relationship with

Christ brought us out of slavery -

In fact, so did the Father when introducing the law 10 Commandments to Israel - God reminded them He liberated them from slavery in Egypt , his laws were a guide to remain free from being enslaved again

Exodus 20:2 NLT

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

Obedience brings freedom

We need to realize that binding ourselves to the Lord and His Word revives the soul not violates its freedom as the Psalmist said in Psalm 19 which we opened with.

Two kinds of freedom

- Freedom from external constraints - someone telling me what to do Freedom FROM

- Freedom FOR is living the life I was made to live to become the person I most want to be - freedom for

Culture wants freedom from constraint - we are demanding laws that give freedom or license to go against God’s laws and throw off all morality these days

“Your not the boss of me”

This is not the freedom the soul actually needs

Drinking - you are free according to our laws to drink as much as you want in the privacy of your home (restricted to drive or be publicly drunk)

However, this drunkenness will eventually cause problems for your marriage, your health your relationship with others, it can threaten your job - then you get to a point where you realize you are not as free to quit as you thought you could - you are not free to be sober

Free to be as drunk as you want but not free to not drink - are you free then?

You lack internal freedom to be the person who manages their life and their anger and can quit yelling at the kids or have an optimistic attitude

This inner lack of freedom is more dehumanizing than the external constraints

Internal freedom is soul freedom

If our will is enslaved to our appetites than our soul is not free

Our soul sits in a prison of our making where we have locked the door and thrown away the key - we are stuck to the flagpole - one slight nudge to be free is highly painful

2. Sin Is What Puts the Soul in Bondage

There are Three levels where the soul gets trapped:

Imagine a bulls eye from outer to inner

1. Sinful acts (outer)

cheat on a test, lie to a parent or spouse or boss, gossip about someone - people commit these sins daily and just DENY they happen - a survey was done when people were totally anonymous online and they still could not see their sin - they claimed worry and procrastination and laziness was their sin - not their lust or greed or dishonesty - or anger etc

James 1:21 NLT

21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

2. Sinfulness (inner ring)

this deals with the orientation of our life. The patterns and habits we can’t control that have become a make up of who we are - sinful acts are premeditated and chosen - sinfulness just flows out of our personhood - apart of who we are from our fallen state that we have perhaps not surrendered to the Lord to change in us - attitudes and thoughts

Think of habits that we learn like tying our shoes or driving a car - typing, etc - it’s hard work at first but then becomes second nature - you don’t have to concentrate or focus -

Duke University did a study that shows 40% of our actions everyday are not decisions but habits -

Good habits free us but bad habits or habits based in sin cause our soul to lose its freedom

When Paul refers to our sinful nature he is calling out the habits formed by the old man - thus why we need the Lord to transform us and have to be yielded to Him to allow that

Ephesians 4:17–24 NLT

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

You can override a bad habit with willpower for a short time but habits eat willpower for breakfast

We must form new sets of habits - thus the teachings of church to pray and read the Word and go to church and learn and fellowship with other Christians and learn to live in praise and focus on things worthy …

Forming habits however outside of a relationship with Christ or outside of a desire to surrender to Jesus becomes legalistic and not relational - many are trying to look Christian than experience transformation in Christ

Christ followers confessed their sins to each other, prayed and studied and replaced sinful habits with Jesus habits - not out of obligation but for their own SOUL SURVIVAL

Original Sin - Bullseye.

The explanation  for why we sin in the first place. -

Humanity’s fall from grace in the garden that yielded a sinful nature to us all

In and of ourselves we cannot cure the sin problem - we must begin with the forgiveness and righteousness of Christ through His atoning work in the cross -

3. Soul Freedom Only Comes Through Surrender

The soul is sick from sin - because we say yes to the sin - THE WORD OF GOD shows us how to walk in righteousness, but we need to first come through the gift of salvation provided for by the blood of Jesus.

Like an alcoholic in AA. - one must surrender our will and external freedom to THE HiGHER POWER -

This model has helped millions

We must acknowledge there is a spiritual order God has designed for us and that you are not the center of your universe - He is

When we realize there is a God and we are not Him and we embrace His overall design for our lives which begins with salvation through faith, confession and surrender to His Lordship

we make Jesus the King of our hearts!

Our souls are forgiven when they seek God’s forgiveness and plan and surrender to live in His design for our lives

Romans 3:23 NLT

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 6:23 NLT

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

John 3:16 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 1:9 NLT

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Revelation 3:20 NLT

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Our brokenness is complex - some have experienced far worse brokenness because of the sin committed against them that they then react in their sinfulness and sinful ways bringing them further from the grace of God - the journey outward begins with the cross

We cannot stop on the on ramp of the highway - but must continue journeying the road...

Salvation is that place that we get on the road, but we have not yet come to the exit....

The confession of our sin is only the beginning, now we have to put into effect the new habits that come from surrendering to His will...

Catch the Wind

Dr Carolyn Tennant

“Salvation is more than saying a prayer; it’s becoming an obedient follower. A. W. Tozer expressed his “feeling that a notable heresy has come into being throughout evangelical Christian circles—the widely accepted concept that we humans can choose to accept Christ only because we need him as Savior and that we have the right to postpone our obedience to Him as Lord as long as we want to.” He goes on to state that “salvation apart from obedience is unknown in the sacred scriptures.”

Consider the following Scriptures:

Psalm 119:44–45 NLT

44 I will keep on obeying your instructions forever and ever. 45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

James 1:25 NLT

25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Romans 12:2 NLT

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

CONCLUSION

Our souls long to be free - will we allow them to find true freedom?

John 8:31–36 NLT

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

That freedom comes from knowing the Jesus who is truth and following His teaching.

Your soul wants to be free, freedom is found in following Christ through obedience to His Word - and it is a powerful and beautiful thing!