a freedom-filled life in christ

8/14/2019 A Freedom-Filled Life in Christ

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It is for freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by ayoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)Does this sound like it was written bysomeone who had been shipwrecked,publicly flogged, imprisoned, slandered,

maligned by people he converted, anddeserted by friends? Free probably isnt the first word thatcomes to mind.


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Just Like UsYet Paul was just like us.

When he came to Christ, he was made free.Is that freedom from or freedom to ?

Its a little of both :From the need to justify himself to his critics.


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Its a little of both:From the need to hide his dealings and motives fromGod or man.


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Its a little of both:From the harsh realities of life. (Free, but notexempt!)


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Its a little of both:From the harsh realities of life.To throw himself in utter dependence upon God.


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Its a little of both:From the harsh realities of life.To throw himself in utter dependence upon God.To admit he was weak and inadequate for the job hewas called to do.


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Its a little of both:From the harsh realities of life.To throw himself in utter dependence upon God.To admit he was weak and inadequate for the job hewas called to do.To relinquish his freedom in many things.

It also means a few other things well discussduring the course of this lesson.


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Freedom in ChristLet's look for just a moment or two at thescriptural presentation of freedom inChrist.

As believers, we are free in Christ. We"have been called unto liberty," andwe are warned, even commanded, not togive that up.We are to "stand fast" in it. It isimportant to the Lord that we do not givethat up.


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Freedom in ChristWe start with the passage in Galatians 5,because it emphasizes the importance of the liberty that Christ has given to us.

In addition to what Paul said in Galatians5:1 which we read previously, he alsoadded this in verse 13:

For you, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedomfor an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to

another.


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Freedom in ChristWe could also point to the book of Colossians, where the Lord tells us, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat

or in drink or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ" (Colossians 2:16-17).Again, we have a positive command not to give up our liberty in Christ.


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Freedom in ChristAnd so we have what we'll call the firstprinciple of liberty in Christ: Freedom inChrist is not optional: we are

commanded not to give it up . We donot have the option to give up ourfreedom in Christ: Galatians makes it clearthat "we have been called untoliberty." It is not something that we canchoose not to have. Christ has made usfree, and to abdicate that freedom is reallyto deny the work He has done for us.


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Freedom in ChristNow let's make it clear that in the earlydays of Christianity, there was a lot of opposition to the teachings of the Apostles

by Judaizers: converted Jews who taughtthat Christianity was incomplete withoutrespect to the Old Testament Law. Theentire thrust of Galatians is on this point.Christianity needs nothing of the OldTestament Law. There is no need for thatlaw either to accomplish salvation or to actas a rule of life for the believer.


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Freedom in ChristThis is in itself an interesting study, but forthe sake of time and space, we'llsummarize the Apostle's argument as this:

God called Abraham and made promisesto him. It is an unrighteous thing to makea promise and then append conditions to itlater, and so when the Law was givenaround 400 years later, it could not havebeen said to be a condition on which thefulfillment of promises would rest.


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Freedom in ChristIn fact, he argues, the Law was given notto bring salvation, but to demonstrate theneed of a Savior.

Further, the Galatians (who were neverunder the Law at all, being Gentiles) wereactually moving backwards from thetruth in teaching and practicing the Law,since Christ came to complete the Law.To teach the Law, he concludes, is reallyto deny the Lord Jesus Christ, by denying

the sufficiency of His work.


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Freedom in ChristSo it is against this backdrop of the OldTestament Law that the commandment to"stand fast" in our liberty was given.And don't make any mistake: it isdefinitely a commandment!But in Colossians we have a similarcommandment given (Colossians 2:16-

17), and in Colossians, the issue is not theOld Testament Law, but "voluntary humility, and worshipping of angels" ,and "will worship, and humility and neglecting of the body" (Colossians


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Freedom in ChristThe teachings in Colossae may well haveincluded Judaism, or at least come aspectsof it, but that is not something that we are

actually told in Scripture.And so the Colossians are also warnedagainst giving up their freedom in Christ,only they are not specifically warnedagainst the Old Testament Law like theGalatians. Therefore, we can begin to lookat freedom in Christ in more general terms

than "freedom vs. the Mosiac Law".


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Freedom in ChristNow the second principle that we'll see inregard to our freedom in Christ is found inRomans 14.

Romans 14 is a great "proof text" that isused on this whole question.It should give us a few thoughts in the

question of our liberty in Christ.The second principle we'll bring out isfound in verse 3:


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Freedom in ChristLet not him that eats despise himthat eats not, and let not him that eats not judge him that eats: for

God has received him. Let every man be fully persuaded in his ownmind. I know and, am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is

nothing unclean of itself: but to himthat esteems any thing to beunclean, to him it is unclean. ( Romans 14: 3, 5, 14)


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Freedom in ChristThere are a number of issues that we needto deal with here, and we'll try to hit themsequentially.

The first we need to hit is introduced inverse 1: a believer that does not feel rightdoing certain things. This believer iscalled "weak in faith" in verse 1. Let'sbe careful to say that this is notnecessarily a "new Christian", but is abeliever whose faith is weak (literally,

whose faith is "sick" or "defective").


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Freedom in ChristSo the second principle is that there arebelievers who have defective faithand cannot in conscience practice the

same things that another believer cando .These believers are characterized by a"sick" or "defective" faith which is tooweak to allow them to enjoy the freedomthey have in Christ. However, there is adirective given for this circumstance in the

verses quoted above.


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Freedom in ChristFirst, the weak brother is not to judgethose who are not weak in the same way(notice that the issue is not presented in

Scripture as "weak vs. strong": the idea isthat the weakness is an exceptional case),and the rest of us are not to despise theweak. We say "in the same way" because

the weak brother is gifted of the Lord andmay be powerfully used in another role.But the issue here is freedom , notservice.


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Freedom in ChristSo in regard to Christian liberty, we know we are free. This is the clear teaching of the New Testament, and no Christian can

call it into question. However, the faithpart comes in when we are persuaded of the truth; when we see that it intimatelyinvolves us.

I think the thrust of verse 3 is found inverse 14: the one weak in faith is the onewho knows he is free, but his conscience

will not allow him to practice that freedom.


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Freedom in ChristThis is not a state of Christian maturity:this is not something to boast about. Thisis a believer whose faith is failing him.

So we have a dichotomy drawn up for us:there is no excuse for a believer not toknow , but there is provision for thebeliever who is not persuaded .We must walk gently and lovingly withthose believers.


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Freedom in ChristWhich brings us to the third principle: thathaving freedom and practicingfreedom are two separate things .

If we are free to eat meat, then we areequally free to no t eat meat.If we are free to drink wine, then we are

free to not drink wine.If we are free to esteem a day, then weare free to not esteem a day.


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Freedom in ChristAnd this is the most important point onthis whole issue of freedom in Christ: thatwe are free to not practice our freedom,

just as we are free to practice it.This is seen in Romans 14:21: "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine,nor to do anything whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or ismade weak." As believers in Christ wehave the freedom to not practice thosethings that may cause a problem.


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Freedom in ChristTwo more short principles that follow fromthe third principle: there are two validreasons to practice our freedom not to do

something. The first reason is that weare to by love serve one another . Thisis found in Romans 14:20-21 as well as inGalatians 5:13.

We have freedom to refrain from certainpractices and things that would causedamage to the other believers around us.


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Freedom in ChristA variation of the theme is found in 1Corinthians 8, where we do not eat foodsacrificed to idols, because it may destroy

our testimony to the unbelievers around us.The second valid reason not to practice ourfreedom is that we are not to use ourliberty for an occasion to the flesh .


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Freedom in ChristThere may be a brother who knows and ispersuaded that something is all right andhe is free in Christ to do it: but he finds

that that thing is an occasion to the flesh,that he cannot be trusted in that thing.Then, he is free to not practice it.

Once again, he may not give up hisfreedom, but he is perfectly free to not dothat thing .


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Free!We are free because were forgiven.We are free to say no to legalism.We are free to say no to freedom.We are free from abusive emotions andanxiety.We are free to do what we want to do.

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Free because wereforgiven

forgiven much = loves much forgiven little = loves little Does that make any sense?

You mean just because I grew up with parentswho were Christians, just because I went tochurch 3 times a week as a kid, just because Inever did drugs or ran around with the wrong

crowd just because I didnt have a conversion experience, I dont love Jesus asmuch as someone who did have theexperience?

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There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God , and are justified freely by Hisgrace through the redemption thatcame by Christ Jesus. ( Romans 3:22-24 NIV)

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all have sinned and fall short Did you ever consider the fact that part of Gods forgiving us is his trusting us?

IsaiahMosesPeter

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Free to say no tolegalism

What is legalism? Strict, literal adherence to the law or to aparticular code, as of religion or morality. ( The

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language )

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What is legalism? literal adherence to the law Keeping rules for rules sake. ( The HolmanBible Dictionary )


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legalism

What is legalism? literal adherence to the law Keeping rules for rules sake. Seeking justification by observing the law.We being Jews by nature, and not

sinners of the Gentiles, yet knowing that aman is not justified by the works of thelaw but through faith in Jesus Christ, even

we believed on Christ Jesus, that wemight be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be

justified. ( Galatians 2:15-16)

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What is legalism? literal adherence to the law Keeping rules for rules sake.

Seeking justification by observing the law. An attitude of strict and rigid adherence toMosaic Law, expressed in Scripture as relianceon observing the law ( Revell Bible Dictionary )

as a means to salvation, (Romans 10:2-3)as a means of spiritual growth, (Galatians 3:1-3)as a criterion of acceptance in the Christiancommunity, (Galatians 2:11-14)

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What is legalism? Legalism is an unhealthy stress an emphasis rather than a carefully defined position with agiven number of creedal points. Jim McGuiggan

No one teaches that we will get to Heavenbased on strict law-keeping.

Yet by our actions we sometimes practice legalismwithout preaching it.Its easy to do our own U.S. legal system is basedon strict law-keeping, so thats what we see day-to-day.

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What is legalism?So, other than the fact that its not ascriptural concept, whats wrong with

legalism?


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Who is a God like unto You, that pardons iniquity, and passes over thetransgression of the remnant of His

heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights inlovingkindness. (Micah 7:18)

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The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness;but is longsuffering to you-ward, not

wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Free to sa no to


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Free to say no tofreedom

The same man of God who wrote, wherethe Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom also wrote, I make myself a slave to

everyone and It is better not to eat meator drink wine or to do anything else thatwill cause your brother to fall . Just because we have a freedom doesntmean we have to exercise it.

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This is distinctly different from being freefrom abuse.

Ill never be good enough to go to Heaven.

I cant talk to my friends about Christ becausethey know how I really am and theyll think Im ahypocrite.

After what Ive done, I just cant go to church thisweek. I dont know when Ill be able to show my

face there again! Im so frustrated; every time I pray forforgiveness for __________, I go and do it again!

Free from abusive emotionsand anxiety

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This is distinctly different from being freefrom abuse. Five times in Luke 12 Jesus says, do not

be afraid.

Free from abusive emotionsand anxiety

And this is in the same chapter that He tellsHis disciples that men will plot to kill them, andwill drag them before the synagogues,

rulers, and authorities. He also tells them your Father has been

pleased to give you the kingdom.

Free to do what we want


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Free to do what we wantto do

The God Who gave Adam and Eve thechoice of whether or not to eat theforbidden fruit gives us the same choice.

BUT Adam and Eve paid the price for theirdisobedience.We can choose to be disobedient as well.Some of our sins will have physical

consequences, even though we may haverepented and received forgiveness.

Free to do what we want


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Free to do what we wantto do

The God Who gave Adam and Eve thechoice of whether or not to eat theforbidden fruit gives us the same choice.

We can also do whatever we want to do,and as Christians, we should do what wewant to do.

Paul wrote to the Romans that he wasntalways able to do that. (Romans 7:15-21)


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Romans 7:15-21For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practice;but what I hate, that I do.

But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.So now it is no more I that do it, but

sin which dwells in me.


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Romans 7:15-21

For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing: for to will is

present with me, but to do that which is good is not.For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I

practice.

But if what I would not, that I do, it isno more I that do it, but sin which dwellsin me.I find then the law, that, to me whowould do good, evil is present.


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It is for freedom

It is for freedom thatChrist has set us free.Stand firm, then, and donot let yourselves be

burdened again by ayoke of slavery.

a freedom-filled life in christ

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