Our Freedom in Christ - Live with Lon!

Well hello everybody. Welcome to live with one.

Hope you had a wonderful Easter and today were going to be continuing on in our study of the Gospels. But let's pray for okay markets.

Let's take a moment to ask the Lord to make our heart ready to hear from you, Lord Jesus, thank you that you were risen, not just on Easter weekend.

But you are risen, every good so incensed every day of our Christian life is Easter so help us celebrate you and your rising from the dead to confirm your plan of salvation for our soul. Now as we get ready to study the word of God, Lord, open our hearts and make them malleable in the hands of the Holy Spirit illuminate our minds and our spirits that we might really understand your truth today and its implications for our lives and we pray this in Jesus name and every body said a man okay Melissa last week I forgot I got so excited about what I was saying that I forgot to include the most important illustration of all. So if you listen last week to be talking about us being in Christ and our life is hidden in Christ and because of this, we become the righteousness of God is righteous as Christ because God doesn't see us.

He sees the Lord Jesus, and who we are hidden away.I wanted to share with you a great example of this really helps me is the idea of yeast or and Joe, you know how people take Easter they embedded in the go and the total engulfs it and the goal completely envelops it and you don't even the yeast is no longer visible if he didn't know a way in the dough and that's why all of the greatest example that helped me in my mind to get on top of this idea that we are hidden in Christ and if you look at a lump of dough you don't see the yeast you see only the go because the yeast is hidden and if you look at Christ you don't see us and our sin of all unrighteousness in the flesh, but you see Christ and we are hidden away like that yeast is in the go.

And God agrees to see only Christ in whom we are hidden.

Hope that helps and brings greater hope and joy to your life to contemplate that this is how God has hidden us in our sinfulness and our flesh in the Lord Jesus, so that we become the righteousness of God in you. Okay now we want to go back to our study of the Gospels today and read Luke's gospel chapter 13 and I want to pick up here in Luke 13 and remember. Lie Woodlawn and wants all the ministries when we study we got a sale. Come on, ready the Bible on the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible right so are you ready to do that. Well, let's get underway where Luke chapter 13 and we just covered the part at the beginning about how the fig tree bore no fruit and the master God want to cut it down, but the divine dresser said no give me another chance at it the fertilizer to dig around it and then if it doesn't bear fruit. You can cut it down and we talked about how all of this is the nation of Israel at the time of Jesus, who had not repented and not come to Christ and judgment was what they were going to receive and the Lord Jesus said no Melanie have a more chance Adam and of course they didn't repent, even through the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and as we talked about. They were charged and in 135 a D after their second revolt against the Roman Empire. Jewish people were scattered out of Judea across the Roman world never to be gathered together in their own nation again for almost 1900 years so now we move on and we find Jesus in a synagogue on the Sabbath, as he is making his way towards Jerusalem from across we don't know exactly what village this was a but it wasn't uncommon for a Jewish rabbi or teacher to be honored with a guest lecture against the sermon against reading and commentary on the Scripture in a synagogue in local synagogue and so obviously this is what he's doing so we pick up verse 10 of Luke chapter 13. Here we go on the screen. New King James version of the Bible go and he Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath at key, and behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity 18 years and was bent over and could in no way raise herself but when Jesus saw her he called her to him and said to her, woman. You are little sister from your infirmity. And he laid his hands on her and immediately member Jesus healed when he feels he healed immediately.

She was made straight, and glorified God, that you would think after saw an unbelievable healing like this. Everybody in the town knew this woman. Everybody knew that for 18 years. RC was bound over with some kind of infirmity.

This was a front page news healing in that town and Jesus fitted out the open for everybody to see. You would think everybody would be thrilled and be rejoicing and praising God.

Well, not so the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath and he said to the people. There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore, come and be healed. And then, and not on the Sabbath day.

Now remember the Jewish leaders over the years had come up with all these incredibly legalistic rules for what you could do and what can do on the Sabbath all growing out of the 10 Commandments. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. To keep it sanctified to keep it set apart and God had put the Sabbath into his own regulations for the nation of Israel as a favor to the Jewish people. Everybody else in the world of work seven days a week back in the time of Jesus. They didn't have a weekend they didn't get a day off, and God gave the Jewish people a day off to rest and recuperate to enjoy being with her family to relax on. This was meant to be a blessing for the Jewish people, but the rabbis had made it into bondage. They come up with all these roles limiting what you could do on the Sabbath. You couldn't walk but so far they couldn't call, Sabbath, they couldn't do any work on the Sabbath day on and on and on and on and on and this rumor says you can heal on the Sabbath. That's work, you can't do work there six holidays to be healed. This woman should come looking for healing on one of them now.

My grandparents on my dad side my dad's mother and father were Orthodox Jews would come over from Germany at the end of the 1800s and I remember when I was a small child, are you couldn't turn on the light switch is good and cooked a meal had to be cooked the day before you couldn't so you could wash laundry you could make the bear. No, you couldn't cut the grass. Are you couldn't sweep the front porch I can do anything last you break one of these rabbinic rules about what couldn't be done on the Sabbath, so the point is that the rabbis had taken something that was meant to be a blessing for the Jewish people and they had turned it into slavery and bondage into oppression of the Jewish people. So much so that healing was allowed this poor woman after 18 years of being infirmed.

One allowed on the step okay and the Lord answered him, verse 15, the ruler of the synagogue and said you are correct does not. Each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox and his donkey from the stall and lead away the water they had made an exception for this rabbis had also taken keep their animals healthy food was good except you may made that benefited them as the rabbis and ought not this woman, verse 16, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound these 18 years we lose from this panga on the Sabbath and when he said these things all his adversaries were put to shame. They were think of himself and all the multitude rejoice for all the glorious things that were done by him. Jesus. Now I want you to skip over to chapter 14 and verse one and this is another incident and it happened, verse one. As he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath that they watched him closely.

Jesus and behold, there was a certain man before him who had dropsy. This was a disease and Jesus answering spoke to the lawyers and the Pharisees saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath and they kept silent and he took the man and healed him and letting go and he answered them, saying which of you having a donkey or ox that has fallen into a pit will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath.

And they could not answer him regarding these things in Matthew's gospel, Matthew even as is not a man or woman human being worth more than ox or donkey. So these rabbis if it was an emergency with one of their a beast of burden.

They would run and even though the the Sabbath said you were allowed: animals out of the peer number they would've done it anyway to save their animal is not a person worth more than that Jesus is will now these two passages tell us a couple of things one they tell us that Jesus often delivered the same sermon if you will the same truth in his three years of public ministry every single thing that he talked about was not brand-new.

These were two different instances where Jesus spoke the same exact truth about them being hypocrites, and about the Sabbath. Okay, so we need to understand that sometimes people say well the feeding of the 4000 and the feeding of the 5000 of the Bible got it wrong about a thousand people know these are two separate events of Jesus over those three years didn't just do the feeding of the crowd. Just once. He obviously didn't at least twice. So remember that if somebody tries to tell you the two similar passages are contradictory and they prove the Bible is wrong know they don't. Jesus delivered the sermon on the Mount several times at least the basics of it several times, which is why you find it in several of the Gospels in slightly different form abbreviated in one in a different chronological place in another one because Jesus taught those truths several times. Maybe 10 times.

Who knows how many times during his public ministry. Okay now the last thing I want to comment on here before we move on is that in John chapter 14 these miracles were amazing. I want to look at John chapter with me verse 10 Jesus said, do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak to you. I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does the works now watch verse 11. Believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me because I say so or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. This is what Jesus challenges them. If you don't believe that the father and are one because I say so. Women believe it because all the miracles I do. Who else could do them unless they were God himself, and he repeats this John chapter 10 verse 36 Jesus is you choose me of blaspheming because I said I am the son of God. If I do not do the works of my father do not believe me but if I do, though you do not believe me because I say on the son of God, believe the works of the miracles that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him, these miracles that were being done daily throughout the land of Israel by the Lord Jesus. Jesus challenges them.

If you don't believe that I'm the son of God, because I tell you. Believe me, because the miracles love could do these so interested that the blindness of man was so great that they would not even believe Jesus because of these incredible miracles that he was doing to corroborate and authenticate him being the second person in the Godhead.

This is why in second Corinthians. For the Bible says that Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the glory of the gospel might not shine through to them. Remember, your unbelieving friends are not being hardheaded, other not being silly. Other not being ignorant their blind that's why they don't see and understand and so rather than castigating them for some core sort of perceived stupidity or stubbornness. We should pray for them that the Holy Spirit will illuminate them and lift that blindness is so they can see who Jesus is and come to him. Prayer is the key to people coming to Christ prayer for the Holy Spirit to remove that blindness. Satan has put on all of us and I don't believe anybody comes to Christ with somebody is praying for them. To that end. That's true of you that you have a mother or father or grandfather or grandmother friend or sister or brother somebody prayed for you that God would lift your blindness Corley Goodman pray for me and that's what we need to do for others. Okay, now that's the end of the passage, but I want us to ask the most important question so are you ready come on now, here we go one on 2301 yes yes yes and to be here today and be able to be sharing the celebrate word of God with you. You know what I say how soon we combine how we it is. Yes ma'am yes sir now. So what for today I want to do what Elvis Presley said you remember the saying fools rush in where angels fear to tread that little Russian to a theological truth that I think angels are probably scared to deal with. Maybe it's called our freedom in Christ that I'm only going to be able to do, like an executive summary of what I have two resources I want to give you a for you to follow up on this and spend more time thinking about this and studying the word of God about giving Jean Allen I'll repeat them at the end of the first of the book but so your picture of it by Chuck Swindoll. All you get it on Amazon, called grace, awakening the grace awakening and the second is a series of four messages. I do called our freedom in Christ and you can get him on the sermon.

Archives of Lon Solomon ministries going on. Solomon ministries go to the sermon archives and about three pages in your see that series of four messages. Our freedom in Christ, but here's what Assad wants to talk about today. I want us to talk about the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ. Let's look at Romans chapter 8 verse one and it says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. There is now no condemnation for them who are in Christ Jesus and at the end of Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul says whatsoever. Separate us from the love of God show this or that of the other of the other or anything in the created world no. Paul says I am convinced that in Jesus Christ.

Nothing shall separate us from the love of God the father so what does that mean well. This is an expression of the freedom that we have in Jesus Christ. We cannot lose our salvation and we have the freedom in Christ to do anything of it. We were now wait a minute before you blast off for Mars. I didn't say that means we should do anything we want to do. I said we have the freedom to do with without losing our salvation.

And this is the grace approach to the Christian life, and this is what this is what Paul says in Galatians chapter 5 look at this stand fast therefore Paul says in the liberty with which Christ has made us free in second Corinthians chapter 3. Look at verse 17 now the Lord is the spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is question were liberty so what I'm talking about today is I'm talking about a way of living the Christian life. There are two ways to live. We can live in legalistic way. Or we can live by grace living in legalistic legal. His live living in legalistic little lyric legalism is one way of living the Christian life meaning we have all these rules and regulations that that the church and that all the Christians lay on themselves and lay on us and the only way that we are considered to be acceptable and as godly and as pious of people of Christians is when we keep all these legalistic rules that have been laid upon us and limiting actions that we can take. We don't go to movies we don't drink alcohol only we don't smoke a we we don't play cards and on and on and on.

All these things we don't do. We don't cut our grass on Sunday and you know these are very real. Many of us grew up in traditions like this where we couldn't do any of these things and were still to this day playing the by the slavery of these things for us and we might go to a movie, but there's a small part of the husband feels guilty of because we were trained Christians are supposed now. The Bible does not teach a legalism of believers in Jesus.

The Bible teaches liberty. Legalism, liberty, freedom, and this is what we just read with the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty to do anything we want to do without losing our salvation. Now subsequent all in his book the grace awakening comments on this, read to you a sort quote is what Chuck says, bound and shackled by legalists, list of do's and don'ts intimidated and immobilized by others demands and expectations for two men in God's family, merely exist in the tight radius of bondage dictated by those who have appointed themselves are George and jury and he so right now Swindoll took a tremendous amount of criticism for this book, but this is a wonderful book and you said what about with people run often and do all kinds of things and Ms. use their liberty without the danger that is that that's clearly a danger that that is not what the Bible teaches.

It doesn't teach license. It teaches liberty to serve the Lord and to walk in freedom with the Lord and talk covers that in chapter 6 of his book. You need to read his book he balances this out. In fact, let, lest you think that I'm preaching license to sin. Let me say right here.

There are three times where we are told to limit our liberty and that is a biblical concept, limiting our liberty. Yes, we have it, but there's three times were told that we should limit it number one when doing something that we have the liberty to do takes us into sin and offensive behavior to God. Look at Galatians chapter 5 verse 13 it says for you rather have been called to liberty. Yes, only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh.

Do not use your liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, and so yes you have the right to walk into a pornographic movie without losing my salvation. Yes, rather right walk in an adult bookstore and buy something without losing my salvation. Yes.

Do I have the right to do a number of other things without losing my salvation. Yes, but I should limit my liberty here because these things are sin and offensive to God. And this is why Paul goes on to say in chapter 5 verse 16 of Galatians walk in the spirit I say then, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We walk out every day with the Holy Spirit filling us a we won't want to do those things and our conscience and the spirit will testify against doing those things and tell us to limit our liberty. Their number two were to limit our liberty when exercising our liberty will hurt our testimony and our reputation and our credibility with other people on this is first Thessalonians 522 King James version translates it as a boy all appearance of evil. You may have the liberty to do something in writing doing anything wrong but it looks to people like you are it will ruin your testimony and your opportunity to witness with them. I remember when I first came to Washington, my old girlfriend lived here and we were still, I have seen each other and have not seen each other. The Chatham apartment of Alvin Merrifield and sometimes on a Saturday night from Friday night and got Leah and I wouldn't want to go home so I slept there on the couch, not with her. There was no nuts, no hanky-panky going on about all. When I came walking out eight or 9 o'clock in the morning. What were people in the neighborhood think they were going to think I slept on the couch and they were going to think there were there was hanky-panky going on and a good friend of mine who was one of my mentor said to me one you might have the liberty and the freedom to stay their own accounts you ruining your testimony with every body that sees you walking out of there. The next morning, avoid all appearance of evil. Limit your liberty, get on your motorbike and come back home you understand what I'm saying inferred.

We should limit our liberty when exercising. It will cause another Christian to stumble into sin. The apostle Paul says that in Romans chapter 14. He says it is good to neither eat meat nor drink wine nor anything, do anything I with your brother stumbles or is offended you say what's an example of this.

Hey, what if you have is okay for a Christian to drink alcoholic beverages. Yes, we lose his salvation. No, I'm not. I'm not talking about drunkenness here and talk about having a drink or two, but let's say you're with a fellow Christian who has had a huge alcohol problem and he's going to AA or she's going to AA and and their struggling to be alcohol in their life. Is it okay for you to exercise your liberty and take them into a bar and get a drink with you with them. No human caused them to stumble and then I go right off the wagon because they see you have a drink and they go Harry and I want them to go to a party and bring alcohol when you know they're coming to the party.

No of this is this is not loving your brother in Christ, or your sister in Christ. So these are the three times to limit our liberty when exercising. It will lead us into sin or offensive behavior before God.

Number two when exercising our liberty will damage our testimony in our credibility as a witness for Christ in front of unbelieving people and number three when exercising our liberty will cause a brother or sister to stumble into sin. Remember, for person was trying to quit alcohol and is going to AA drinking for them might be sin because God told him to stop in a great affinity for drink may not be sin for you, but it would be for them and it would be wrong to lead them into sin by exercising your liberty in my liberty now that is the fastest treatment of the subject you're ever going to give but I refer you to trucks were involved. I refer you is grace awakening. I refer you to my four messages called our freedom in Christ on our website and friends.

This is why Jesus said look at this is put on the screen Mark 227 the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath rabbis had turned the Sabbath around as though since the man was made to serve the Sabbath tell the Sabbath was made to serve man and in our freedom in Christ. The Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest, but you know if you want to cut your grass cut your grass now.

One last comment. This is what Christians do when they go in the legalist the very same thing that Jesus just talked about turning the Sabbath into a slave master of four people look at this.

Chapter 2 of Colossians and with this were done, it says therefore if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world. Why is the living in the world do you subject yourself to worldly regulations do not touch. Do not taste or do not handle which all concern things that Paris would be using neurologist earthly things according to the commandments and doctrines of men. Legalism is on the commandment and doctrine of man these things watch this.

Do not touch.

Do not taste do not handle these things happen. Appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion false humility and neglect of the body, but they are not of any value against indulgence. The indulgence of the flesh, and I love how the ESV will put it on the screen. Translate this into these regulations. Parentheses have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion.

Legalism itself may man's rules to please God and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh and Phillips and his translation says that these self-imposed legalistic regulations do not honor God. They honor man's pride of men and women walk around Christians walk around. I don't smoke or drink or prosecutor hang around with them which do and I don't go to movies not play cards and I don't have alcohol and I don't dance and I will listen to rock music and look at me and pyres me again. Okay about what about their flesh, they gossip the do they think terrible thoughts about other people do they refuse to forgive others on a need to improve and conniving.

Sometimes what do they lust over men or women in their minds when they walk around and do they call it what other people have of Autocare view walk around with you don't smoke or drink or customer to what the Bible is saying is all that is is man-made religion.

All that is his heart. You be hard on your flash with a bunch of rules but it doesn't stop the indulgence of the flesh, it doesn't control the desires of the flesh.

These legalistic rules. It just makes you look good. That is, it doesn't serve God in your life and serves your own pride you understand what I'm saying to you, how do we control the indulgence of the flesh will Colossians goes on listen chapter 3 verse one if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. When Paul said, if we live in the spirit we will not feel the loss of the flash, the real Christian life is about controlling the indulgences and the desires of the flesh which only is done by walking with the spirit is not done with rules and regulations from without legalism from without. That doesn't control the flesh. Some of the people who are the most legalistic and seemingly pyres people that you ever would want me I've seen those same people do some of the nastiest, cruelest, meanest, most ungodly and unrighteous things to others that you could ever imagine of a non-smoker because of drink or two or dance or go to movies but it doesn't stop the flesh would be in the flesh with me so we waited so do the flesh is by walking in the spirit every day be filled with the spirit every day and then limiting our liberty. Yes when it's appropriate, but enjoying our freedom in Christ.

We need to enjoy our freedom in Christ Jesus said, I'll close with this John chapter 8 look at this Jesus and and if you continue in me you shall know the true and the truth shall make you free, skip down to verse 36 therefore, if the son makes you free, you shall be free in D now free from the penalty of sin. A yes, free from the condemnation of hell yes but it doesn't stop there. As Paul said in Galatians 5 we have freedom in Christ that applies to our everyday living, as well as eternity so check out those other resources I gave you and her. I hope God will use this to set you free.

If you're not misprint heavenly father, thank you for the chance to cover this very important subject.

Today help people not misunderstand what I'm saying and how people might think that freedom means license. It means freedom and liberty to enjoy life as a follower of Jesus, knowing that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and that they have the liberty to enjoy their life without worrying about losing their salvation and I pray these things in Jesus name.

And everybody said amen amen angels fear to tread out projects, Ruskin of this is the word of God and this is true, and I hope you follow up with the resources I gave you. May God bless you and see you next week online