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11 Oct: 

“Freedom in Christ” - What is it?

Freedom is a basic human desire so it is little wonder to find out that God offers us freedom – specifically “freedom in Christ”. So what does this mean to us and for us?

First, freedom in Christ is seen in contrast to the bondage of sin. Romans 6:20-23 says, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." In other words, sin enslaves people for spiritual death and eternity apart from God. Knowing Christ provides freedom from the control of sin and eternal life with Him.

Second, freedom in Christ is seen as the only true form of freedom, because it provides lasting freedom beyond this life. John 8:36 notes, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." In Christ we will be free from sin and the resulting death (this world and the next). We now know the truth which sets us free as believers (John 8:31,32 “So Jesus said to those believers: If you continue in My word, then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.).

Third, a person who has experienced true freedom in Christ is called to live as His servant John 14:15 (If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.) We are set free to serve Christ. The freedom found in Christ gives the believer a desire to live for Christ as a servant (Col 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”  This attitude reflects the attitude displayed by Jesus Himself during His time on earth (John 13:1-20; Philippians 2:5-11).

Fourth, those who find freedom in Christ also become His children. John 1:12 teaches, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." As Galatians 4 also notes, we are now children and heirs of the inheritance of eternal life with Christ for eternity.

This freedom does not mean sin is completely removed. Paul spoke of his ongoing struggle with sin (Romans 7:15-20), yet also noted that sin no longer controlled him  (Romans 6:1,2). He was now a person who sought to live a transformed life because of his new life in Christ (Romans 12:1-2). This included putting off old habits and developing new patterns that honored God (Ephesians 4:22-32).

In short, we experience true freedom in Christ by knowing Him, walking in His ways, and engaging with the changes He makes in and through our lives as we focus on service to Him and to others (love God with your all and love your neighbor). This freedom transcends the human freedoms desired in this world, providing peace in this life and freedom with Christ forevermore.

Christ came to free us from sin through His atoning sacrifice. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that Jesus "shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death". The wages of sin  IS death (Romans 6:23) but Christ paid the death penalty for us, freeing us from death row through His sacrifice.

We have been set free, but, as Paul wrote, this freedom does not give us license or permission to continue to do the very things that brought on the death penalty (Romans 6:11-22). Paul wrote in Galatians 5:13, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). We have been called to liberty in Christ, receiving forgiveness of sins through His shed blood, now knowing freedom from guilt, an awareness of the truth of God and, as a free gift, the hope of eternal life.

Because of Jesus and His death and resurrection on our behalf, we have these freedoms:

 

1. Freedom from guilt. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
2. Freedom from shame. “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Rom. 10:11).
3. Freedom from God’s wrath “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9).
4. Freedom from fear of death. “But has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10).
5. Freedom from bondage to sin. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14).
6. Freedom from the curse of the law. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).
7. Freedom from legalism. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).
8. Freedom from Satan’s dominion. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13).
9. Freedom to approach God. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19).
10.  Freedom to relate to God as His child and His heir. “Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Gal. 4:7).
11.  Freedom to partake and enjoy every spiritual blessing. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
12.  Freedom to bring our concerns and requests to God. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).
13.  Freedom to walk with God throughout life. “For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ’I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (2 Cor. 6:15–17).
14.  Freedom to authentically love others. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7).
15.  Freedom to live out God’s purposes in your life. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
16.  Freedom to enter the gates of heaven. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2–3).

 

 

4 Oct:  When Is A Disaster NOT A Disaster?

Last week I spoke to the idea of our being found justified and/or righteous based on our faith in Christ Jesus who died for us. That faith must work in our lives so that we have a “living” faith not a “dead” faith as James says in his letter: James 2:17. 20 “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”

One of the first places for that faith to work in our lives is to sustain us through our struggles and trials. It is our faith which allows us to take up our cross and follow Christ “faithfully”!!!        James also addresses this issue:   James 1:2-4, 12“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness   (faithfulness)   have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”   “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial for he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”     

So at times, when we are going through a difficult situation, we may find ourselves wondering about its origin. Consider the event which transpired during Christ’s life here on earth: John 9:1-3 “As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him’”

Jesus was asked whose fault it was that this situation happened? Jesus answered by shifting the focus from whose fault it was  to  what purpose it served. This indicates that the man’s blindness may be considered as a privilege/opportunity, not a punishment. It seems that that God wishes for us to consider difficulties as opportunities in which to bring glory to God.  Jesus was encouraging us to see situations as an opportunity for Him to display His works in our lives.

So, if some disaster is occurring - Why Might It Occur?

Divine Act of Judgment – The Bible contains many examples of God taking direct action in judgment against a people and punishing them for their evil deeds. We can look to the examples of the flood in Noah’s day, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the ten plagues in Egypt, citizens of both Israel and Judah taken into captivity and many more. One important point to notice that these all had in common is that these judgments were announced by God beforehand.

• Before sending the flood, God announced its coming to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13).
• Prior to the destruction of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” So He told him, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know” (Genesis 18:17-21). It is clear from Abraham’s response that he understood the Lord’s intention was to destroy the cities (Genesis 18:22-33).
• When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He told him that Pharoah would need to be stricken:  “But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I will do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go” (Exodus 3:19-20).
• Hosea prophesied beforehand that Israel would be carried off into captivity: “Israel is swallowed up; they are now among the nations like a vessel in which no one delights. For they have gone up to Assyria, like a wild donkey all alone… now I will gather them up; and they will begin to diminish…” (Hosea 8:8-10).
• Similarly, Jeremiah revealed to Juday their coming captivity: “‘Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them… This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years’” (Jeremiah 25:8-11).

In every case, God clearly indicated what He was going to do. We can see this pattern with other examples of divine judgment as well – judgment against various nations (Amos 1-2), the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:1ff / Luke 21:20ff), and the overthrow of the Roman empire (Daniel 2:44).

However, when we think about disasters that occur today, what prophecy could we turn to in order to show that God is actively bringing judgment against the ones involved? There is no such prophecy. Therefore, we should be wary to attribute such things to God. We have a divine obligation to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, NKJV). This means we must speak according to what has been revealed, not according to our own speculation and imagination.

Consider this as well: even during the time when God acted in people’s/nation’s lives not everything was because it was the hand of God. We see this clearly in the life of Job as well as the lives/deaths of those mentioned in Luke 13:1-5 “Or do you suppose that those Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices or the eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you no!  but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”  So, Jesus was clearly stating that these horrors were NOT incidents under God’s influence or design.

 

Since God has NOT made any direct revelations against people and nations today, we should be hesitant to   assume  that God IS now doing so.  Today we live in a different time in God’s scheme of redemption. God certainly used and judged nations in the Bible, but it was all working its way to one thing: Christ – His arrival, His sacrifice, His resurrection, and His ascension to His throne to rule over His kingdom. Paul said God’s “eternal purpose” was “carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). All of God’s actions in the Bible point to this. Rome was the last empire/nation in divine prophecy (Daniel 2:44). Now the focus is not upon nations, but upon individuals from the nations becoming part of God’s kingdom (Acts 10:34-35).

So, if some disaster is occurring and it is NOT divine judgement - Why Might It Occur?

Actions of Evil Men – There will always be wicked people in the world who cause suffering for others. Because of this perpetual reality, God ordained civil government with the mission to be “an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (Romans 13:4). Unfortunately though, history shows us that it is sometimes the government that is the evil force behind persecution (Revelation 17:5-6). In fact, the example that Jesus used first was of the evil actions of Pilate, a Roman governor (mixing the blood of those offering a sacrifice with their own blood). Sometimes tragedies happen because evil people seek to do harm to innocent victims. In 2 Cor 11:23ff Paul makes a whole list of sufferings that he had endured for the cause of Christ. Bad things do happen to good people without just cause.

This was the primary reason for the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. God was not using these men to execute judgment against the United States for various sins. Rather, there was a group of evil men who, in the name of Islam, carried out a carefully planned attack that killed thousands of people. To paraphrase Jesus’ words: Do you suppose that those three thousand on whom the twin towers fell were worse culprits than others? I tell you, no. Those people did not die in those attacks as a punishment for some sin, but they died as victims of the actions of evil men.

So, if some disaster is occurring - Why Might It Occur?

 

Matters of Happenstance – Another reason why people fall victim to various disasters is simply the matter of time and chance. The wise man wrote, “I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). People often want to believe that all things happen for a reason. The Scriptures teach us that this simply is not the case. We sometimes find ourselves as victims of bad luck, coincidence, and happenstance.

So, if some disaster is occurring - Why Might It Occur?

Consequences of Foolish Behavior – Sin, foolishness, and irresponsibility all have consequences. Tragedies often occur due to negligence or irresponsibility: a construction crew may do a poor job and it later collapses : a driver may not be paying attention and strike another driver or a pedestrian, a worker may be negligent in necessary safety precautions and injures a co-worker. We must not jump to the conclusion that God somehow caused these things to happen in order to teach us a lesson (though there are some lessons in these events). Instead, we must acknowledge the reality that sometimes tragedies occur because of someone’s foolish behavior.

What These Events Teach Us

Even if these events are caused by something other than God’s direct action, there are still some important lessons for us to learn from them:

Life Is Uncertain – James reminded his readers of the uncertainty of life: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:13-14). Therefore, since life is uncertain, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Obedience to God Is a Priority – Jesus used the examples of the deaths of the Galileans at the hands of Pilate and the victims of the collapse of the tower in Siloam to emphasize the importance of repentance: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). Repentance means we turn from disobedience to obedience. The Bible teaches that obedience is not an option. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Heb. 5:9  points out that Jesus is “to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation”. We need to make certain that we are walking as near the truth as we can.

God Will Ultimately Judge Us – When Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5), He implied that all unrepentant sinners, regardless of how or why they die,  will suffer the same ultimate fate – eternal destruction.  Therefore, we must prepare now for the divine judgment that will happen in the last day. Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Conclusion

When disaster strikes, rather than speculate about God’s involvement, let us learn the lessons that we can take from these tragedies. Scriptures speaks to the value of tribulations and testing in building our faith.  Life is short and we must always be prepared to meet the Lord in judgment. Therefore, let us serve Him in faithful obedience. Then, regardless of when or how we might pass from this life, we can look forward to the eternal reward in heaven