THE PROCLAMATION - Christ has set us free!

What did Jesus come to do? Luke 4:18

– Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives. He has come to set us free.

THE PERVERSION - Our freedom is for us to do what we want to do.

What is the lie taught by false teachers? II Pet 2:19

– These false teachers alleged a liberty apart from righteousness and denial of self. This is no liberty at all, for if one is not in submission to Christ (evidenced by loving and serving one another), then he is in bondage to his own fleshly desires and selfishness.

 

THE PURPOSE - We are to serve one another in love.

What is our calling as Jesus’ disciples? Mark 10:32-45

- Greatness in the kingdom is based on our becoming a servant – following in our master’s steps.

The Gentile (unsaved) world measures greatness in how much authority one has over another –

God measures greatness in how much we serve. The greek word is slave.

What is the degree of love and concern we are to show others? Mt 22:36-47

– We are to love others as ourself

How is this love expressed? I John 3:16-19

– Love is meeting needs

THE PROBLEM - We are in a battle.

Where were the Jews missing the mark? John 8:31-37

– The Jews did not see that they were in bondage, that they needed to be set free. Jesus said that he who sins is in bondage to sin. Religious man looks at his own religious heritage, good works, piety, and is blind to his sin and need for a righteousness outside himself. In the same way, we need to see our need to be free, and that as we are selfish, we are in bondage.

What is our condition before knowing Christ? Rom 6:18-23

- Before Christ saves us, we are in total bondage to sin. We are in prison.

What is our condition after regeneration?

- When He saves us, we are declared righteous based on His sacrifice, and set free from the sin

that has us bound. The prison door has been opened. We now have a choice, to walk in that

liberty, by yielding ourselves to righteousness, or to remain in bondage.

Why don’t we always serve others as we should? Rom 7:14-25 -

The struggle (Rom 7) is between what we know to be true (our freedom), and what we feel (I Pet 2:9-11). Since our redemption is not fully manifested (I John 3:1-3), and as such, we are in a battle with our desires and propensity to selfishness. We need to acknowledge the battle and confess our weakness and our sin (I John 1:9) if we are to ever have victory.

THE PROVISION - Christ has won the victory!

Where will we find the strength to win this battle? Rom 8:1-4

- Praise be to God – victory is possible because it has been won for us! We have been set free. We

need to walk in it.

Is love hard work? I Thes 1:3 -

How did Paul use his liberty to serve others? I Cor 9:19-27

- Within the bounds of truth, Paul gave up his own "rights" for the sake of reaching many diverse groups of people with the gospel. This is a prime example of one who set his own desires aside to serve others. Paul speaks of this requiring effort, striving, beating etc.