FREEDOM
BORN A SLAVE, LIVING A FREE MAN
Wayne Roberson written June 7, 2011
Outline
(1) Born a slave
(2) Bought at a price
(3) Living a Free Man
Other references:
INTRODUCTION
The Title of today’s message is: Freedom
“BORN A SLAVE, LIVING A FREE MAN”
Are you living as a slave of Sin?
We will see:
We are born a slave
We have been bought
We can choose to be set free
(1) BORN A SLAVE
Before we can appreciate where we are, we must understand where we came from.
Consider with me these scripture references,
In John Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
Here we see, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Before we come to Christ, we are slaves.
As a slave,
we are in need of redemption.
we are under a yoke
we need a new owner
we must be bought
Paul expressed his feelings for this condition in
O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
There was a time when the only way man could be JUSTIFIED was by keeping the Law of Moses.
Today, our deliverance is in Jesus Christ because Christ came to fulfill the law on the Cross of Calvary.
Jesus Said:
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Paul explained the situation this way:
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, Romans 8:3
As slaves, we are in need of a new owner.
We are in need of JUSTIFICATION.
Jesus Christ paid the price for our JUSTIFICATION on the Cross of Calvary.
When we accept the work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary as our substitute,
God’s Holy Spirit comes to live within us and
We are not our own.
We are Bought at a price
(2) BOUGHT AT A PRICE
In 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, Paul speaking to the church at Corinth
Beginning in verse 19,
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? [20] For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross of Calvary paid the price for the penalty of sin.
PLEASE, OPEN YOUR BIBLES TO ROMANS CHAPTER 5
WE WILL BEGIN WITH VERSE 12……READING THROUGH VERSE 20
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
[13] (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
[14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
[15] But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense (Adam) many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.
[16] And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.
[17] For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
[18] Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
[19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
[20] Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
I have placed this CAPSULE of scripture here in the middle of this sermon
because it is pivotal in the explanation of today’s message.
In these eight verses, Paul repeatedly compares Adams offense to Christ’s FREE gift of righteousness.
These eight verses explain God’s provision for man’s JUSTIFICATION through faith in Christ and Christ alone.
BELOVED, IT IS BY FAITH AND BY FAITH ALONE
IN CHRIST AND IN CHRIST ALONE……….AMEN?
Before we come to Christ, we are a slave to sin
…………………….we are in Bondage.
The scripture compares this bondage to a yoke.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
We take the yoke of bondage off when we:
“stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free”
We are LIVING A FREE MAN when we
“stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free”
Which leads me to my third and final point,
(3) LIVING A FREE MAN
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36
We can be made free from the bondage of sin,
“By Faith” in the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary we are set free.
When we receive Christ, ………..
His righteousness becomes our righteousness
Look back at verse 17 with me:
For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
This is the GREAT EXCHANGE
This is where we are transformed from a CREATION of God to a CHILD of God
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17
As a New Creation, it is NO LONGER our nature to sin.
We can identify with Paul when he said:
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.
Our old SIN NATURE is crucified with Christ,
when we are transformed BY FAITH in Christ.
“BUT WAIT A MINUTE.” you say.
I have received Christ and put my faith in His work on Calvary
And I still sin.
WHILE THIS IS TRUE FOR EACH OF US….
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT AS A NEW CREATION
SIN IS NOT OUR NATURE
IT IS NOW A CHOICE
But, thanks be to God
The sacrifice of Christ on the Cross of Calvary paid the price for the penalty of sin.
It is important not to confuse the penalty of sin with the consequences of sin.
Even though we are forgiven we will still experience the consequences of sin.
In my opinion, too many people blame God for the consequences of sin.
.
PERHAPS THE GREATEST CONSEQUENCE OF SIN IS THE BROKEN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD OUR FATHER
NOT BECAUSE HE DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM US BUT
BECAUSE WE, LIKE A DISOBEDIENT CHILD, DO NOT FEEL LIKE CRAWLING UP IN HIS LAP.
Christ delivered us from the penalty, the bondage of sin.
But, when we chose to Sin, we put on the yoke of bondage, again.
CONCLUSION
We are born a slave to sin
Christ died to free us from our bondage
We can choose to walk free or we can take the yoke of sin around our neck
The choice is ours
Now, let us make APPLICATION of these truths
When we choose to walk free from sin,
We Enter into God’s Rest.
In God’s Rest we are FREE from legalism that attempts to improve our relationship with God by works of righteousness.
When we choose to sin,
The Holy Spirit of God who lives within us
Pricks our conscience and calls us to repentance
The cycle is repeated until we learn to make the right choices, moment by moment and day by day.
If I could be so bold as to attempt a present day application of the principle within Joshua 24:15
I would say to you, “Choose you this day who you will serve, the god of this world or Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross of Calvary that you and I might be Free from the bondage of sin.
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
INVI TATION
UNSAVED
If you have NOT known what it means to become a child of God and receive your new nature, I invite you to make that transition today.
YOUR CONDITION IS DESCRIBED IN SCRIPTURE
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
THE CONSEQUENCES ARE
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
THE REMEDY IS
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
If you have never received this gift,
Won’t you come to Christ and confess your need for forgiveness?
As is our tradition, the alter is open for you to make your decision and commitment known.
Remembering the words of Jesus
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:33
Won’t you come?
SAVED AND CONVI CTED
The alter is open for you if you need to renew your commit to God to walk in intimate fellowship with Him.
Perhaps, you have voluntarily taken up the yoke of sin, neglecting the Freedom He has provided.
Won’t you come?
SAVED AND NUMB
You may be saying to yourself, “I know all this. I have heard it before.”
Perhaps, you are anxious to leave this place and go do something else on the Holiday Weekend.
I want to invite you to pause and rejoice at the great truth of our JUSTIFICATON in Christ.
Because it is in realizing this truth that we can resist the enemy …………reminding him (Satan) that we are made RIGHTEOUS by Jesus Christ……….and NOT by our own WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
If God has spoken, we do not need to tarry.
If God has not spoken, we do not need to tarry.
Won’t you come?
While we sing.
AFTER THE INVI TATION
May I leave you with this blessing?
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
[25] To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
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