So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and

you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him,

“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.

How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly,

truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not

remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free

indeed. (John 8:31-36)

All… are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside;

together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to

deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their

paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know

that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be

held accountable to God… But now the righteousness of God has been manifested… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall

short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness… that he might be just and the justifier of the one

who has faith in Jesus…

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” …It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification… Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God… For while we were

still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person

one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we

have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have

now received reconciliation. (SELECTIONS FROM ROMANS)

Freedom In

Christ

• JESUS SETS US FREE…

• IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE BONDAGE OUTSIDE OF CHRIST (EPH. 2:1-3; ROM 6:18-23)

• THIS WOULD BE OUR REALITY IF IT WERE NOT FOR JESUS!

• FROM SIN, GUILT, HOPELESSNESS (ROMANS 7:24-8:3)

• THROUGH TRUTH… ABIDE IN HIS WORD (JOHN 8:31-32)

• FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH (ROMANS 5:17-20)

• THROUGH HIS EXAMPLE… SHOWS WAY (HEB. 2:10, 15)

OUR FREEDOM IN

CHRIST

• JESUS SETS US FREE…

• JESUS IS OUR YEAR OF JUBILEE! (LEVITICUS 25:10-13)

• EVERY 50TH YEAR (49TH?) A SPECIAL SABBATH YEAR OBSERVED

• EVERYTHING RESTS, DEBTS FORGIVEN, LAND AND PROPERTY RESTORED, ENSLAVED SET FREE, AND LIBERTY

PROCLAIMED

• JESUS DECLARES THE YEAR OF JUBILEE ARRIVED (LK 4:16-21)

• IT’S AT BAPTISM THAT THIS FREEDOM IS GIVEN (ROM 6:3-7)

• FOLLOW PAUL’S PROGRESSION – WHEN IS ONE SET FREE?

• WHEN IS ONE ABLE TO BE AN INSTRUMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?

• ACTS 8 – REJOICING NOT TIL AFTER BAPTISM. FREEDOM!

OUR FREEDOM IN

CHRIST

• EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM

• WE HAVE FREEDOMS IN CHRIST. AS CITIZENS IN KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, WE HAVE RIGHTS (EPH 1:2-3; HEB 4:16)

• “THOU SHALT NOTS…” – WHAT ABOUT “THOU SHALTS?”

• PRAYER – APPROACH THRONE WITH BOLDNESS. CONFIDENCE IS GIVEN TO GOD’S PEOPLE IN PRAYER

• WHAT IF WE DON’T EXERCISE OUR RIGHTS AND BLESSINGS WE ARE GIVEN IN CHRIST? MISERABLE, INEFFECTIVE PEOPLE

• THERE IS A SPIRIT OF FREEDOM. OUR DEMEANOR SHOULD REFLECT THE FREEDOM WE HAVE (ROM 8:15; I PET 2:16)

OUR FREEDOM IN

CHRIST

• EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM

• WHY IF WE CAN LIVE IN FREEDOM WOULD WE CHOOSE TO RETURN TO A STATE OF BONDAGE? IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!

• ALLOW SIN TO DWELL IN OUR LIVES (ROMANS 6:16-17)

• ALLOW OTHER THINGS TO RULE OVER US (2 PETER 2:19)

• A WORKS BASED MENTALITY IN SALVATION (GAL. 5:1-4)

• OTHER THINGS BECOME GODS TO US (GAL. 4:8)

• IS YOUR FREEDOM IN CHRIST BEING CHAINED? SIN, WORLDLINESS, LACK OF DEVOTION… LIVE FREE!

OUR FREEDOM IN

CHRIST