Freedom

“There is something about that word “Freedom” that cuts to the heart of humanity…

No matter what our battles are, if you’ve committed yourself to Christ He has given you the ability to be free in Him…

Yet there are still some that desire to live under a law that cannot save them… some would prefer to go back…

First we see Hagar, a slave – she’s in bondage…

God is telling us here, ‘It is the strength of the flesh that leads to bondage…’ when we try to serve God in our own power it leads both to self-righteousness and failure… “without faith it’s impossible to please God…” (Heb. 11:6)

Then God connects the allegory with the “present Jerusalem” – which will one day be destroyed by fire… when we try to pursue God through our own law we will not inherit eternal life… but fire…

But then we see Sarah, a free woman – no bondage in her…

If you are in Christ, a child of Sarah, you are free of all outward and inward bondage… God desires that we would live in this freedom…

You are a free citizen of the New Jerusalem… a child of holy laughter… and we don’t deserve this gift… We Gentiles like the “barren” woman can rejoice because we now through Christ can know God…

“Now you” (v28) both Jew and Gentile are not born naturally but supernaturally by the power and work of Christ… if we are children of God it’s not by our own strength and ability that we are, but the grace and promise of God that we are His children…

Those who live under the law and seek to be justified by it, and mock those that don’t live under their law, and will be cast out…

The idea was that they had to become Jewish before they could become a Christian…

By being “circumcised” they would be seeking to be saved by that action… but it would gain them nothing and disclaims the work of Christ and salvation by faith… and all blessings knowing Christ brings into our lives…

Moral standards and principles for believers must be something we do out of gratitude and love towards God in the power of the Holy Spirit… not as something to earn favor from God…

Saving faith is a living faith in a living God, not an intellectual agreement, but an active trust that surrenders control to Christ’s leadership… it’s not enough to agree with points of theology…

This faith will transform our lives… faith that does not truly love and follow God, that has no concern for the work of God, and has no interest in resisting sin is not saving faith…

We may not be trying to live under ceremonial law, but have we created a law unto ourselves that we’re trying to keep, and if we keep that law then somehow all is well between us and God?

By doing this we are eliminating our dependency upon His grace and faith…

Sometimes we come to Christ in grace and faith, then we go and put ourselves under the law as though our good behavior was what saved us… or will keep us saved…

Freedom is not given to encourage us to fail, but in grace to thrive… our freedom from the law was never meant to allow us to indulge in sin…

How easy it is to run from one error to another error…

God has called us to live lives of love, not self-indulgent sin…

Churches are, more often than not, destroyed from internal conditions than external attacks…

If we’re led by the Spirit we’re “not under the law…” not under the curse or bondage of it… not under the guilt or power of sin…

(V19) The “works” flesh is plural – they coming from fragmented places within our lives… it’s why in some people they can seem great in one area and awful in other area’s…

But “the fruit” of the Spirit is singular, its consistent, and connected, coming from one source… we no longer have to have compartmentalized lives… the Fruit of the Spirit is a natural outgrowth of His grace within us…

This is God’s desire for us:
• Free from a law of self-righteousness
• Free from a flesh of lustfulness
• Free to live out and experience the fullness of God’s love…
• Freedom is the desire of God for our lives…”

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