Free Indeed [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright stand firm in your freedom because every manner of diabolical dark destructive thing comes into our life when we give up the gospel of grace and embrace legalistic that's faster. Alan Wright welcome to another message of good views that will help you see your life will Daniel Britt excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In the series Galatians is presented at renewal the church in North Carolina not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now.

It can be yours for your donation this month made to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today special offer. Contact us Pastor Alan.org at pastor.org or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program. Now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright, God is your father and you are free in Christ Jesus. If you've been set free. You are free in the Watson's Olympic athletes and watching their parents is. This is such a delight because parents ever watch their kids try work hard at something and then you have their big moment like that here in some ways your you're feeling it even more intensely than that. Then athlete is feeling it and and what to watch someone like Idalia Reisman's parents were just squirming and feeling every move that she makes in her routine or tote to watch Donnell labels stepdad in all Venice who is is is not just in this Olympics, but you go back and find that he has been doing this for years. Every time Donnell does on the good. He is a rod end and pump in the air and and kissing his side and thought out. That's my boy got me so interested I just look them up a little bit more about the story turns out that Donnell's biological father is actually in Spain and so yeah Alvarez is his stepfather who has has not only essentially adopted him as his son into his heart, but is also been his coach and is here with him because again defected from Cuba swim across the Rio Grande to come and be with him and and in one of the clips I just love aware after Donnell's and and I just and you can just hear you and Stan has my boy asked my boy. It's interesting and a poignant picture if while you contemplate those parents that are watching celebrating sometimes hurting with the kid who hasn't done as well. You see that parent watching so intently. You have to remember there's somebody else that's watching. Just as intently from a different perspective.

The judges just picture in your mind, Donnell stepdad run around pump. It is best just ready to come and just fall upon just kids decided to tell how proud he is of there's somebody else who has no emotion wrapped up in it whatsoever.

Who is simply a judge in the job is to be objective and to look for any mistakes so you can deduct points.

Which brings me to my question of the day. Who is God to you.

Is he like a judge who's watching and inspecting your every move, ready to deduct points if you mess up or is he your father and your coach rejoicing over you of every good thing and belonging for your every success at every point in your life who also is a coach such that if you ever do fall down, he's there to pick you up and show you a better way.

Who is your God, and if you want to get an answer at that question. There's a even deeper question underlying it probably and that is are you under law or are you under grace.

For if you answer the question that God feels more to me like a judge is inspecting me. It probably means that your mind still gravitates as most do, towards a system of the law, a performance-based system where in your idea of God is somehow founded as he is. Most people in America on this wrong belief system that if I'm a good person. That's how I get into heaven that if I do, more righteous acts. Then God will for that look upon me more favorably if you think like that. If you have a worldview or religious ideology that thinks like that that is what Paul is addressing in the letter to the Galatians and he calls that being under the law, and is contrasting that with this tremendous urgency in his heart with the gospel of grace for what he saying is that the gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be mixed with any of that sort of thinking for the very moment that you think that God will love you a little more if you do your floor routine a little better.

The moment that you see God in that light.

You have Paul's going to show us today. Put yourself back up under the law, and legalistic thinking and there is from such tremendous danger to this that really this constitutes much of the essence of the spiritual battle that we face every day. What would you learn today and Galatians chapter 5 verses one through six. Is the nature of what real Christian freedom is. I want to show you today. Not only what this Christian freedom is like and what it is that we've been set free from, but I want to show you and unbelievably beautiful and powerful connection between the hope that we have in Christ and our ability to stand firm in our freedom. Galatians chapter 5. We've been in an unhurried study of Galatians this now.

I think the 15th week and were still not in a hurry willing to take our time. This is one of the most lavish feasts of grace that I know of anywhere in God's word. It is my prayer again today.

That is like God has for us this unbelievably lavish buffet and that for this moment and for your heart and for mine that he would take an input upon our play what we could digest for today and it would be such delicious nourishment that we would we would leave both satisfied and hungering for more.

Galatians chapter 5 verse 14 freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look I pulsate you that if you accept circumcision. Christ will be of no advantage do you testify again to every man who accept circumcision that is obligated to keep the whole law or severed from Christ, you would be justified by the law you phone we can grace for through the spirit by faith we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness for Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor on circumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through the there's a longing in every heart for freedom, not like the brazen giant of Greek fame with conquering lands astride from land to land here at RC washed sunset date shall stand a mighty woman with a torch whose flame is the imprisoned lightning enter name mother of exiles from her beak and hand glows worldwide. Welcome her mild eyes command the air bridge harbor, the Twin Cities frame. Keep ancient lands your storied pop cries. She was silent, lips, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these homeless templates cost to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door. It's not such a coincidence is not without reason that the most famous part of Emma Lazarus's sonnet that is posted inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty is this line, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free because we are made from breathing freedom. We are made for freedom. It is in our design and therefore wars have been fought and the spiritual battle that we face a challenge right will have more teaching moment from today's important series like something is holding you back if you lack an important scene that could change everything.

Is there someone you love hissing stock to help them out what's missing blessing. We all need to get faith filled vision spoken over our lives.

You can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing to Pastor Alan writes new book, it's a blast, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month. Allen Wright ministries once send you the book I thank you for your donation.

Make your gift today discovered the power to bless the gospel is shared when you get to Allen Wright ministries this broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We listened you to get a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him. Allen Wright ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor. Our in.like today's teaching now continues your once again is Alan writing the spiritual warfare of our lives is centered on our freedom and because this is so important. There's probably no other word or concept that is more misunderstood than the concept of freedom.

The battle is for freedom and note well that Paul does not say stand firm and then you will be free. What he says is that Christ has set us free.

Therefore stand firm. If you if you want to get an idea of how it's even possible that a people could ever gravitate or be lured back or attempted toward slavery when they tasted freedom. You know, goof no further than the story of Exodus where we see after one long weekend, how it is that the Israelites are ready to start doubting their whole deliverance and whether was worth it. That just getting a little thirsty or hungry in the desert of life made the start wanting to think about going back to Egypt where they been slaves. How can it ever be appealing to be a slave and and yet this is what's happening in the province of Galatia. If you're new to the study of of Galatians. Essentially what Paul is been saying is that these Judy, I stick teachers, false teachers had come in and had corrupted the thinking and theology of those young Galatian Christians for Paul himself to proclaim the gospel to them and he seen with his own eyes how it was they been born a newborn of of the spirit and how it was a date they began their life in Christ by his grace and by the power the Holy Spirit, and yet now he was getting this word with false teachers and comment who are saying that in addition to accepting what Christ has done for you makes in addition to accepting the cross and the resurrection of Jesus and that God came and died and took your place is so that you would be justified.

In addition to that these teachers would say there are some additional laws. You ought to still keep if you want to be sure they are fully included in the family of God. And so this became a focal bore the Old Testament ritual of circumcision as a sign of inclusion in the old covenant, and so they were insisting that Christians should also have this Old Testament ritual because if you don't then you may not be fully save you may not fully belong to God. They also were evidently emphasizing certain dietary laws from the old covenant or observing special days or or festivals in any of these things. Paul is pleading with all of his heart and is laying out rational, reasonable arguments from them is drawing Old Testament allusions is doing everything that he can to make this point with the Galatian Christians know. Don't let anyone contaminate or pollute the gospel of grace because as soon as you add a little bit along into the gospel of grace. You not only diluted it. You have you have poisoned at an end. The very gospel that sets you free, can end up finding you even further because once you bring in the thought that maybe I need to do this in order to make sure that I'm really say to make sure that I'm really can be blessed by God. Once you start adding any of that in it's like a germ is 11 is like a seed in it. It infects every part of the gospel and so if you bring in a little bit of law.

You are doing more than just adding something to the gospel you are ruining the power of the gospel and Paul will not sit still and watch the power of the gospel be eroded the Gospels too powerful and there's too much is at stake is always saying to the Galatians and by the time you get the chapter 5 is explained.

Justification is explained the power of the gospel and is comes this point any discipline here and is almost shouting stand firm. This is a spiritual battle there so much at stake, stand firm is the language of warfare.

You have been set free delivery by take your freedom from freedom is so misunderstood and it is such a powerful Christian concept that I intend to come back to this in the next message is to the nature of freedom how it it it is conveyed and works itself out in our lives, but let me by way of sneak preview just say that freedom from a Christian perspective is not a freedom from responsibility is the freedom to be responsible. It's not freedom from morality, is the freedom to be morally upright is not freedom to sin is freedom do not have to send think of it this way. Once all these Olympic athletes and hearing their stories of their unbelievable training. The been training. Most of their whole lives and and getting up early in the morning and swim in all those laps run in all those miles lifting all those weights and so on the one hand, you could look at it and say wow they were very restricted life.

They're not free like I am free to lie on the couch any potato chips you can look at. Or you could look at it the other way and then as you could say to me, Allen.

That's a pretty long aisle you got in the church there watching those floor routines and some those agendas and up.

How about you just go running down there and then Pablo handstand to jump up and do a double flip with a twist.

I have to save you.

I'm not free to do that if you brought in that those uneven bars and told me to leap up through the air and do a couple of new flick using terms and then gravel to the lower bar. I have to say I'm not free to that. In fact, if you told me to get in and swim the 400 m butterfly. I have to say I could give you 10 m.

I'm not free to do 400 m of butterflies just now, I'm not ready for that are not trained for that how you see freedom freedom. We speak of it in the gospel is not. Oh, you're free. So go ahead and just, you know, allow the couch and you know send the rest your life southward.

We're talking about a freedom that releases you in to your destiny.

Freedom is glorious and I steal that from you believe I bind you up Paul saying because if so much that is at stake. Look at the incredibly start things that Paul says exist Christ. Verse two will be of no advantage to you if you if you start thinking linguistically, you put yourself under the law Christ to be a no advantage to what is he saying he says. Then after that that if anyone except circumcision. If you accept a little piece of legalism, you're obligated to the whole.

You can't look on and say well, just take a few little pieces of legalistic thinking and bring that and I like what Paul say no is more severe than that is your ear either under grace or your under the law. Once you come under the law to the whole law as as we say is that if I don't come to tell you that you need to keep a certain day, or you need practice or ritual circumcision, then you can agree that you also got agree to every other John Tittle of the law. 20 say the least ominous system and ideology of thought, a way of living. That's how much is at stake.

He then says this was is that is it your first warrior severed from Christ if you be justified by the law. If you want your way of salvation to come by. Keep in law then you just separate yourself from the gift of Christ is as you follow it you fall from grace. Nobody saying here is not speaking to Christians is not saying you are no longer saved because you got this legalistic thinking when he saying is that you're severing yourself from the very nourishment that God has for you. You are removing yourself from the power of the gospel that will fuel your success in living out that gospel. If you come under the law you're removing from your life.

The very power of God. Jesus insisted on this it is. It's by the spirit and by faith that you are to live is just he's making. It is not only pointed, and passionate but he's making a plea.

Please see yes. Allen right Marie Dean it from our series on Galatians and Allen Wright is back here in the studio. In a moment with us for additional insight on how this applies to our lives.

In today's final words they with the power of blessing your life discovering God's grace filled vision for your life by signing Allen rights free daily breast he went fill your heart with grace and encouragement.

Allen writes a daily blessing.

It's free and just a click away. Pastor Alan got away feel like something is holding you back if you lack an important scene that could change everything. Is there someone you love to sing stack invite to help them how much mixing blessing. We all need faith filled vision spoken over, I learned you can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing to Pastor Alan, writes new book, it's a blast, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month. Allen Wright ministries once send you the book I thank you for your donation. Make your gift today and discovered the power to bless the gospel is shared when you get to Allen Wright ministries this broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you to get a special offer.

We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him. Allen Wright ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website. Pastor our and.work freedom is worth fighting for. We've heard that and it's true with Christian freedom as well.

Right. The thing is spiritual warfare and the resolve of of our of our our lives in Christ in the whole armor of God in all of this is to stand in our freedom and not become slaves again to the cycle of of of fear, shame and control that comes with the system of law and we need to recognize Daniel that there's always going to be a temptation to revert back to old legalistic thinking rather than standing firm in the gospel of grace and and so our freedom in Christ. This is a big part of the spiritual battleground and it's there in that spiritual battle that were invited to stay old habits old patterns, even when you are unlearned as a child. Some of the things you did learn as a child or just request that was ingrained in my imaginings exactly exactly to get ingrained and and then when we become new theirs. This is also there's a pool back towards the old. Today's good news message is listener supported production Allen Wright ministries