FREE INDEED
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
In Ronald Reagan's Independence Day speech of 1986, he said this.
"...In Independence Hall, Fifty-six men came forward to sign the parchment. It was noted at the time that they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors. And that was more than rhetoric; each of those men knew the penalty for high treason to the Crown. ``We must all hang together,'' Benjamin Franklin said, ``or, assuredly, we will all hang separately.'' And John Hancock, it is said, wrote his signature in large script so King George could see it without his spectacles. They were brave. They stayed brave through all the bloodshed of the coming years. Their courage created a nation built on a universal claim to human dignity, on the proposition that every man, woman, and child had a right to a future of freedom.
Most of us love our country... it's has been one of the greatest countries on earth. We have more freedoms than any other nation... but they are being pulled away quickly. If those that pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor or those that have fought and died for our freedoms, could see us now they might wonder what they were fighting for. Freedom comes at a high price... and many paid that price for us here. We owe a tremendous debt to these men and women.
The fact is, no matter what country you are living in, there is no true freedom here on earth given by the world. We live by many rules that restrict us from many things... many rules and laws are set up to limit our freedoms.
Jesus came to earth to give each of us true freedom. The Gospel is written about walking in true freedom... being freed from sin and all bondage. John 8:36 says, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Jesus was clear that this freedom begins with our relationship with Him.
Many people quote Jesus as saying, "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." But we need to understand that those that "know the truth" are those that understand what Christ did for us and trust their lives to Him. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, this only is available to those who "continue in My Word," to those who are "truly disciples of Mine".
Many in this world think that freedom means doing whatever they want or living in a place where we say we are free. But the Bible makes it clear that freedom begins with a loving relationship with God. He is our Creator, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. He desires to bless us physically and spiritually. He promises His children to enrich their lives in every way and free them from all fears and worries.
We only experience real freedom after we make Jesus our Lord, devote ourselves to God's Word, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to direct our lives.
We need to remember that knowing Christ's truth is what totally set us free. Once we come to a close relationship with Christ we no longer need to worry and fear, because Jesus had removed all fear. Remember fear comes from Satan, freedom comes from Christ.
This morning I googled "removing fear" and "obtaining freedom".... 15-20 suggestions came up... not one was biblical. Our world doesn't know enough about God and why Christ came, it does not know true freedom.
The message of the Gospel is the fullness of His plan to give you real freedom, real victory, and real peace. You can be confident and secure guided by His wisdom. "You shall be free indeed".
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