FREEDOM

7 4 12 FREEDOM Lk 4 18 21

Scripture: Luke 4:18-21 (NIV) ¹⁸ "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." ²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹ and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY

Note:   One of the greatest sermons ever preached was preached by Jesus Christ at a synagogue located in his hometown. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest because it identifies the ministry of Christ and what he came to do in behalf of sinful man. His text is recorded in Luke 4:18-21. The text reveals the mission and ministry of the Messiah when he comes to the earth. It speaks of how the Messiah will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and will perform a mighty work of grace for all of mankind. It emphasizes several things the Messiah is going to do that should be considered “good news” to the poor and to those enslaved to sin. His message is a message of freedom and the proclamation of the Day of the Lord’s favor. The primary emphasis of the text is on the freedom that will be ours through the work Jesus will do through the Spirit of the Lord. And the results of his work will be freedom for all of mankind who choose to be free by placing their faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul reveals to us in his second letter to the Corinthians “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” What kind of freedom is Paul talking about?  It’s a “spiritual freedom” possible only in Christ Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

1. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that liberates people from their enslavement to Satan and their enslavement to sin. Enslavement to Satan will always result in enslavement to sin.
2. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that can only be obtained in one Way and that is through the acceptance of God’s gift of salvation in his Son, Jesus Christ.
3. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that results in the blessing of forgiveness of sin.
4. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that results in a person being born again by the Holy Spirit.
5. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that results in being able to have a personal intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
6. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that enables the believer to continue to experience freedom from sin in their walk of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within them and guides them into the Way of Righteousness
7. ·         It’s a spiritual freedom that results in our spiritual maturity and our usefulness to Christ as his ambassadors. We take his message to a world that is dyeing and on its way to hell and eternal separation from God.  

True freedom is not being able to do whatever you want, but to do all that you should do as a follower of Christ. This freedom is spiritual freedom. It is never used as an excuse for sinful behavior or to cover up evil or to justify hurtful, selfish behavior toward others.  True Christian freedom frees the individual to do what Jesus Christ desires them to do. Spiritual freedom means that we are willing slaves to Christ. Willing to serve him with a heart’s desire to do everything we do to honor him and exalt his holy name.

Freedom
High atop the United States Capitol dome in Washington stands the statue of the stately “Freedom Lady,” almost 20 feet high. Her face is framed by a crest of stars. A shield of stars and stripes is in her left hand. The sculptured Freedom Lady was brought from Rome during a fierce storm, and the captain ordered some cargo thrown overboard. The sailors wanted to include the heavy statue, but the captain refused, shouting above the wind, “No! Never! We’ll flounder before we throw ‘Freedom’ away.”

Dear friends, never ever throw freedom away. Never ever allow yourselves to once again become a slave to sin. A good friend of mine used to express the danger of sin in the following way:

Three things sin will always do:

·         It will cost you more than you want to pay.

·         It will take you farther than you want to go.

·         It will keep you longer than you want to stay.

That’s a wise admonition and most of us can speak to its truth because at some time or another in our lives we have all been in the world’s pig sty. Thank God that in Jesus Christ we have a Way Home.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!