We’ve been talking about Freedom and the opportunity God has given us to Live Free!
God has the best plan for true freedom!
Plan for Freedom The Spirit of God The Word of God The Love of God
We need to be filled with the Spirit of God, transformed by the Word of God and overwhelmed or grounded in the Love of God.
We looked at several passages last week!
John 8:31 Jesus was therefore saying to those Jews who had believed in Him, “If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
We also looked at passages in James and Matthew.
Today, I want to talk about the fact that we are Free to Love and Forgive.
As children of God we don’t have to remain slaves to sin.
Colossians 2:13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him,
Colossians 2:13 having forgiven us all our transgressions,
Colossians 2:14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us;
Colossians 2:14 and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Colossians 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
In Christ we have been forgiven, our sin debt has been canceled and the enemy has been defeated.
Somebody should let the devil know on a regular basis that he’s been defeated, disarmed and crushed.
I guess that means we should stop listening to him and following his lead.
Isaiah 14:16 Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
Isaiah 14:17 who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?”
The disbelief will be overwhelming!
I allowed this man to interfere in my life and cause so much pain and trouble?
This man?
The Scripture is clear that through our partnership with Christ we have the power to walk in victory.
So we should never choose to live in the bondage of hatred again.
We should never choose anger!
We should never choose violence!
We should never choose rejection!
We should never choose bitterness!
We should never choose unforgiveness!
We should never choose envy!
We should never choose jealousy!
We should never choose covetousness!
We should never choose fear!
We should never choose accusation!
We should never choose unloving!
We should never choose addiction!
Romans 6:5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
Romans 6:7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
Romans 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
Romans 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
Romans 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Romans 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
Romans 6:13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God
Romans 6:13 as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
It seems easy to say these things and yet harder to do them.
How can I choose to walk in love and forgiveness?
Step #1: I must be born of the Spirit.
John 3:1-21
Step #2: I must choose to believe the Word of God.
Romans 10:17 Hebrews 11
Step #3: I must take every thought captive and obey God’s Word.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Step #4: I must develop a powerful prayer life.
Ephesians 6:18 Philippians 4:6 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
How many of us remember the 8R’s to Freedom?
Recognize!
Responsibility!
Repent!
Renounce!
Remove!
Resist!
Rejoice!
Restore!
If we refuse to establish these Godly habits in our lives, then our freedom will be greatly limited.
Do you want to be free?
Do you want to be free to love and forgive?
Free to Love 1 Corinthians 13 1 John 4:7-8, 18 1 John 3:16 Romans 8:35-39 Ephesians 3:14-21
Free to Forgive Ephesians 4:32 Matthew 6:9-15 Matthew 18:21-35 Romans 12:17-21 Mark 11:25-26
It’s a choice!
Nobody can take it from you!
You have to give it away.
Let’s refuse to use our freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.
Let’s refuse to let the enemy take advantage of us anymore!
Let’s refuse to go back into any type of bondage to sin.
Let’s truly live free!