FREEDOM

July 1, 2007 AM Service

FREEDOM

INTRODUCTION:

July the fourth, is the day set aside in our country to celebrate our freedom.
Freedom is the desire of all men.
A recent news story showed a group of people from Cuba trying to get to the coast of Florida in an old blue station wagon which had been converted into a boat!
It is not uncommon for a large group of people to crowd into the sweltering hull of a ship in an effort to be free.
It is physical freedom for which these travelers risk their lives.
In our country we have the following freedoms:

Freedom of religion and speech;
Right to bear arms;
Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure;
Freedom from slavery;
The right to vote and many other freedoms.

I. The scriptures abound with references to spiritual freedom found in becoming a

servant of God. "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is

in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them;

Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to

the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners. The LORD opens the eyes of

the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the

righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and

widow;" (Psalms 146:5-9).

II. In Christ we enjoy the following freedoms:

Freedom from sin and death

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him", (Romans 6:1-8).

B. Freedom from deceit and false hood:

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him,"We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:32-36).

Freedom from the former things of which we are ashamed: "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:20-23)
Free from the entanglement of sin: Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1).

CONCLUSION: