Long Lasting Liberty

Long Lasting Liberty

Opening Thoughts:

Good morning brothers and sisters. Today is July 2nd and we are just a couple of days from celebrating American independence from Great Britain. 56 men, 56 brave men signed the Declaration of Independence. Some of the more notable men who signed that document included: John and Samuel Adams, John Hancock of Massachusetts; Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, Jame Wilson of Pennsylvania, Richard Henry Lee, and the great Thomas Jefferson. In fact Jefferson, Franklin, John Adams, Sherman and Robert Livingston penned the declaration.

Years ago I stood in the very room where the Declaration of Independence was signed. I remember as we entered the Assembly Room of what was known then as the Pennsylvania State House, there was a great deal of talking and commotion. Funny enough, a silence washed over the 50 or 60 of us that stepped into that room. You could feel the gravity shift as we instinctively knew that it was in this very room that the course of humanity was forever altered. It was in this very room that a nation, our nation was birthed. It was in this very room that 56 men signed the warrant of their death. Commotion gave way to quiet. Noise gave way to reverence, even respect.

Sure, America may have been born in that room but America would have to be fought for, bled for, and sacrificed for for her to remain alive.

25,000 Americans would die in the Revolutionary War.

620,000 Americans would die in the Civil War.

116,000 Americans would perish in World War I.

Another 405,000 Americans would die in World War II.

Nearly 60,000 would die in Vietnam and another 40,000 would die in the Korean War.

Since 9-11, over 7000 Americans have died in what is referred to as the War on Terror.

When you total up all the wars, all the conflicts throughout American history, we have seen 1.1 million American soldiers and servicemen and women die.

There is nothing free about freedom and America has paid a heavy price, a heavy toll, to live up to the ideals found in that Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain, unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

America has endured through the blight of slavery. America has endured through the trauma of Native American relocation. It took years for women to realize their right to vote. No, it has not always been easy, it has not always been fun, but America is still a nation touched by God.

America and Americans have accomplished mighty feats that could have never happened in other parts of the world. Why is that true? The American ideal fosters collaboration, thinking outside the box, and the free, fair and open market. From the first light bulb to the first nuclear reactor, America and Americans have led the way. From being the first to fly to the first to drive, it all happened right here in this great land. We have seen the Berlin Wall fall. We have put men on the moon. We have seen evil horrible regimes fall and given freedom to people around the world who were oppressed. America has given sanctuary to millions and provide refuge to the destitute.

There really is no other place in the world like America.

I say all of this this morning to bring us to this one important truth. As great as our political freedom is here in America, it pales in comparison to the freedom that we as Christians have in Jesus Christ. Id rather suffer oppression here on earth and be free in Christ than to live free on earth and be deprived of my Savior. Similar to my freedom in America, the freedom that I have in Christ was not cheap either. I John 4:10 reminds us that “this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Christ endured the cross, suffered separation from His Father, overcame the evil forces of Satan and hell so that we could have eternal freedom, and supernatural victory. Political freedom, earthly freedom, does not provide me peace. It offers no security. It does not grant me fulfillment or joy in the midst of hardship or trail. American freedom is temporary, fleeting. When the foundations of this world are shaken, so too will be my American freedom. However, even when all things pass away, I will still possess the freedom that I have found in Jesus Christ. I am free from fear. Free from anxiety. Free from wrath, condemnation, judgment, and death. The very sting of death was defeated by my freedom in Christ Jesus. While I am proud to be an American and proud to represent her when I travel God’s earth, I am more proud of my citizenship in heaven. I am even more proud to represent my Savior, my God, my Lord Jesus Christ.

Fill in the blanks for “today’s thought”. Ultimate freedom is found in faith in Christ and by following God’s Word.

While studying for today’s message, I came across a quote by our first President, George Washington. He was a devout Christian who loved God’s Word. He believed that in order to rightly govern this land, he had to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He also believed governing apart from Scripture was foolhardy.

“It is impossible to richly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

Context and Background:

I want to take just a second and give for you the context and background of Galatians 5. Oh, by the way, that is our Scripture for today. Galatians 5:13-18. I am reading this morning from the English Standard Bible. If you would like to go ahead and open your Bibles, that would be great.

Galatians was obviously written by the apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia, a region in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). The letter of Galatians addresses the issue of the Galatian believers being influenced by false teachers who were promoting a distorted version of the gospel.

The context of Galatians 5 is Paul's response to the Judaizers, a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that Gentile believers needed to follow Jewish laws and customs, particularly circumcision, in order to be truly saved and justified before God. These false teachers were undermining the message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Paul vehemently opposes these teachings throughout the letter, emphasizing that salvation is not achieved through works of the law but rather through faith in Christ. In Galatians 5, Paul highlights the freedom that believers have in Christ and contrasts it with the bondage of legalism.

Paul encourages the Galatian believers to stand firm in their faith and resist the pressure to conform to the legalistic requirements imposed by the Judaizers. He emphasizes the importance of walking in the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit, and living in love and freedom rather than being burdened by the yoke of the law.

Galatians 5 serves as a reminder to the Galatian believers, and to all Christians, that true freedom and righteousness come from faith in Christ and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit, rather than relying on human efforts to earn salvation.

Statement of Belief:

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.

Today’s Thought:

Ultimate Freedom Is Found In Faith In Christ, and Following God’s Word!

Today’s Quote:

“It is impossible to richly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

America’s First President, President George Washington

Today’s Scripture:

Galatians 5:13-18 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. [14] For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [15] But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. [16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

How Can Christians Embrace “Long Lasting Freedom”

I. Embrace The Call To Serve vs. 13

So, how can Christians embrace long lasting freedom? Clearly we have marvelous wonderful freedoms in this country. We have the freedom of speech. We are free to assemble. We are free to associate. We are free to worship. Our press is free. These freedoms are guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. Historians have stated that the Constitution of the United States of America is one of if not the most durable document ever written by human hands. What they mean by that statement is that our Constitution holds up under scrutiny, it holds up under attack, it holds up no matter the party in charge, and it remains functional through war, through difficulties, and even through changes in power. While the Constitution is a phenomenal human document, it does not hold a candle to God’s Word. God’s Word is made up of 66 books written over 1500 years and penned by 40 different authors, many of whom did not know each other. They wrote in different locations, in a wide variety of circumstances, and on 3 different continents and in three languages. What makes God’s Word infinitely more important and infinitely more special is because it provides the path for long lasting, nay, eternal freedom. Freedom that can only be founded in Christ. You see brothers and sisters, our American freedom lasts only as long as we are alive or until we are conquered by another kingdom, empire, or country. Our American freedom is guaranteed only as long as the Constitution is protected, valued, and not destroyed. Our Christian freedom cannot be destroyed. There is no regime, no empire, no human kingdom that can ever supersede the Alpha and Omega. Our freedom is guaranteed by the living Word of God and that Word is living and active and is completely capable of defending itself. Ephesians actually calls this living Word a sword and a sword needs no defense because it is a defensive measure all in of itself.

So, how can we have long lasting freedom? Our first point this morning is to embrace the call to serve.

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. “

Simply put, we as believers in Christ were called to serve. We are not called to serve ourselves or to self seekingly serve in the hopes that we will gain applause for ourselves. No. No way. We are called to freedom so that we can serve one another in the name of Jesus Christ.

Christians serve one another. Christians serve one another in the church. Christians serve one another through praying for one another. Christians serve.

I will make a bold statement this morning that might offend. Understand that while I never mean to offend I will never apologize if something that God leads me to say offends the people that it is spoken over.

When I read this passage, all Christians are called to freedom. Our freedom is a calling to loving service one to another. If you claim to be a Christian but you are not actively serving, I think that you should examine your faith. Is your faith real? Is it true? Do you really want to stand before the King of Kings and shrug your shoulders when He asks you about your calling to freedom, a calling to serve? When He asks you how you served the body of Christ, what will you say?

“Well Lord I went to church”.

What’s funny is that there are a lot of “Christians” who claim faith in Christ but who never attend church. I heard a pretty funny story the other day.

Illustration:

A certain family in a Southern Baptist Church had been inactive for years.

The family simply never went to church any more and every effort to get them to attend had failed.

One day one of the sons, name John, was bitten by a rattlesnake.

The father immediately sent for the pastor that he might come and pray for John. The pastor went and this was his prayer:

“Oh wise and gracious Father, we thank You that You have in Your wisdom sent this rattlesnake to bite John in order to bring him to his senses. He has not been to church for years. It is doubtful if he has ever before in all his life felt the need of prayer. Now we pray that this will prove a valuable lesson for him, and that it will lead to his repentance.

“And we also pray, O father, that You would send another snake to bite Sam, and another to bite Jim, and another to bite the old man. We have been doing everything we could for many years, but all our efforts could not accomplish what this snake has done.

“We thus conclude that the only thing that will do this family any good is rattlesnakes. So, please, Lord, send them bigger and better rattlesnakes. Amen.”

Oh friends, if you want long lasting freedom, then embrace the call to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Embrace the call to serve the church.

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

II. Guard Against Destructive Desires vs. 15

So, how can Christians discover long lasting freedom? Verse 15 illuminates this point for us this morning?

“But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”

We should guard against destructive desires.

Remember brothers and sisters, Paul is writing to a church. He is writing this letter to believers. Clearly not much has changed. Even back in those days, church people, Christian people would do really ugly things to one another. Paul warns them against biting and devouring one another. How graphic. How gross. Ghastly. No, the church was not actually biting one another or eating one another but it sure can feel that way. For those of you who have ever been in a church fight, does it not feel like you are being bitten? For real though, what is Paul really trying to communicate?

As Paul puts it here, we end up devouring and consuming each other in order to try to get what we want. We are selfish. Self serving. Narcissistic. The church should never deploy a me first mentality. The alternative is to use our Christ-won freedom to set ourselves aside and serve each other in love. Not only does that lead to greater joy for all of us, it is living as Jesus would as we live free in Him.

So, what exactly are those destructive desires that bring limitation to our freedom?

the Bible is pretty explicit when it comes to listing off these destructive desires. Colossians 3:5 is a list of these desires: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness.

Friends, have you noticed that these United States of America has grown increasingly more pagan. Pagan is to mean anything other than traditional Biblical Christianity. Churches have made a grave error in responding to the paganization of America. Churches across this great land have embraced paganism. Churches have opened their doors to pagan ideology, pagan theology, and worldly philosophy. This transition began back in the 1960’s. I believe when the church opened themselves up to this dangerous direction, it was done with good motives. The thought was that if we open the doors to this worldly mindset, we will pour Christianity over it and therefore transform paganism into faith in Christ. The opposite actually happened. Pagan philosophies ran through the open doors of Protestant churches across America and infected solid Biblical teaching. Churches ran off teachers that stood on God’s Word. They embraced liberalism. They embraced the left. They embraced modern progressive translations of Scripture like the New Revised Version of the Bible where references to God being masculine are translated to gender neutral. The Contemporary English Version of the Bible seeks to use more “inclusive language”. Then you have the Queen James Version of the Bible that has been edited to prevent “homophobic misinterpretation”. In this Bible, if you can call it that, there are not references to homosexuality. Brothers and sisters, when we set aside the truth of God’s Word for various interpretations that conflict with traditional, theological, scholarly work, we are setting ourselves up for significant danger. This is the very thing that Paul warned the Galatian church about all these many years ago. False teachers. Bad doctrine.

I say all of this for a reason. When we see the church paganized, when we see God’s Word compromised, when we see traditional Biblical translation destroyed, it gives way humanistic destructive desires. I brought up all the problems of Pride month last week. The reason that this evil has been able to become pervasive in our country is because the church has grown to weak to stand against it. In hundreds of cases, entire denominations have been infected by this worldview and it has led to all out debauchery.

So, again, if you want to have long lasting, spiritual freedom, guard yourselves against destructive desires. Here is a trick to help you. Good doctrine trumps evil desires. Bad doctrine encourages evil desires.

Church we must continue to do what is right, to love God’s Word as it is written, and speak truth in love.

Romans 12:16-18 ESV

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. [17] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. [18] If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

III. Walk In God’s Spirit vs. 16

So, according to Galatians 5, how can believers see long lasting liberty? First embrace the call to serve. Second, guard against destructive desires. Lastly, walk in the Spirit.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Over the years I’ve been asked from time to time questions about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a mystery to many Christians. The Spirit is extremely hard to describe but we feel its presence in our lives on a daily basis and we have a sense of its guidance when we pray. In fact, we would not be able to understand God or His Word without the presence of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 2:7-10 reminds us of the Holy Spirit’s role in understanding God’s will, “but we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. [8] None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. [9] But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"- [10] these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

The Holy Spirit is a revealer but that is not all He accomplishes. The Holy Spirit is also a Helper. John 14:26 captures the very word of our Savior Jesus Christ, “but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all the things and bring to your remembrance all the things that I said to you.”

The Spirit is a translator, revealing deep truths of God’s Word. The Spirit is a Helper. When we suffer, when we hurt, when we go through trials, we should turn to the Spirit. That is still not all that the Spirit accomplishes. The Spirit is also a filler. He fills us with the very presence of God, guiding us and giving us words to speak when we share the Gospel with people. Again, John 16:13 captures the words of Christ saying, “when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Brothers and sisters, I could go on and on discussing the Holy Spirit with you. I would also encourage you to read for yourself about the Holy Spirit. Know this however, the Holy Spirit will never ever contradict Holy Scripture. The Holy Spirit is faithful to answer you if you seek after Him earnestly. Lastly, the Holy Spirit is praying for you. That’s right, the Holy Spirit prays for you. Romans 8 tells us, “in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to to pray for, but he Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Isn’t that comforting to know this morning. No matter if no one else on planet earth is praying for you, God, the Holy Spirit, prays for you.

But what does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Walking in the Spirit is not some mystical mysterious behavior. Walking in the Spirit does not have to involve speaking in tongues, performing miracles, or preaching. Walking in the Spirit is not performative, it is a practice. To walk in the Spirit means that we as followers of Christ yield to the Spirit’s control. We follow His lead. We allow Him to exert influence over us. To walk in the Spirit is the opposite of opposing Him or resisting Him.

Walking in the Spirit is waking each and everyday and relinquishing control. This may not be the best illustration but I liken it to a ship in possession of a rudder. However, instead of putting your hand on the rudder, controlling the ship under your own power, you take your hand off the rudder and allow the wind in the sails to guide the ship. Walking in the Spirit is a complete and utter trust of God knowing that He will never lead you over the edge, knowing that He will always provide for you, protect you, and grant you peace.

Walking in the Spirit gives the believer ultimate freedom. Ultimate liberty. Instead of trying to make our own way, walking in the Spirit is an understanding that God has already made my way. I can rest. I can relax. I don’t have to worry about the trails of life. I don’t have to fight, or compete. It is an understanding that God is going to meet my needs. When we are walking in the Spirit we are free to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, forbearance, self control. In fact, if you are lacking in the fruits of the Spirit, you are probably not walking in the Spirit. If your life is filled with stress, filled with anxiety, filled with scratching to get ahead, you are not walking in the Spirit. If you are having to fill your life with worldly things to give you peace, rest, joy or happiness, you are not walking in the Spirit. People walking in the Spirit are the most grateful, the most joyful, the most gracious, the most humble, the most thankful people on planet earth. They are grateful, joyful, gracious, humble and thankful because the Spirit has filled them with something that the world promises but cannot deliver. They are grateful, joyful, gracious, humble, and thankful because God has given them Himself and they exist in the knowledge that no matter what comes, God is on their side.

Do you know what walking in the Spirit looks like? It is the picture of a loving Father walking with His son or daughter. The child reaches up, putting her hand in the hand of her father’s. She can now walk confidently because her father will shield her, protect her, and lift her up when trouble comes.

That is freedom. That is liberty. Brothers and sisters, that is available to you this very morning. Walking in the Spirit is Jesus Christ living in you!

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Are you free this morning? We are guaranteed political freedom…right now. But are you really free? Are you a slave to sin? Are you walking hand in hand with Christ this morning? Remember..

If Christ Has Set You Free…You Are Free Indeed!

Bibliography

Websites:

https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/what-makes-the-bible-so-unique/

https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/61012/serving-jesus-by-sermon-central

https://hopeondemand.com/article/how-do-i-follow-gods-call-on-my-life

https://worldvisionadvocacy.org/2019/12/30/16-bible-verses-about-gods-calling-for-our-lives/

https://radical.net/article/greatest-calling-on-your-life/

https://accountable2you.com/blog/overcoming-temptation/

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/stay-awake-to-spiritual-danger

https://hebrews12endurance.com/proverbs-4-23/

https://www.gotquestions.org/Spirit-walk.html