Freedom-Gal 5:1
“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (Gal 5:1, NLT).
Does anything enslave you? Are you truly free?
“Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
“Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might …” Abraham Lincoln.
“…learn to see yourself as God sees you and not as you see yourself in the distorted mirror of your own self-importance.” Thomas Kempis.
“God wants you to learn to endure troubles without comfort … and to become more humble through adversity.” Thomas Kempis.
“He has great tranquility of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are … in the sight of God.” Thomas Kempis.
Theme: No one can be happy without freedom. Unhappiness comes from enslavement.
- We humans are enslaved beings.
- We humans enslave one another.
- Freedom involves making a choice/decision.
- The way to freedom.
I. We Humans are Enslaved Beings
- “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they are.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
- “Jesus responded, ‘I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin’” (Jn 8:34).
- “…all have sinned…” (Rom 3:23).
- “…sin is crouching…it desires to have you…” (Gen 4:7).
II. We Humans Enslave One Another (by our demands, expectations, power)
- “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.” Abraham Lincoln.
III. Freedom Involves Making a Choice/Decision
- { do what you ought } “Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.” Abraham Lincoln.
- { respect differences } “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Voltaire.
- { unanimity is not unity } “The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion.” John F. Kennedy.
- { unencumbered } “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb 12:1).
IV. The Way to Freedom.
- { soaring, flying } “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles…” (Isa 40:31, NIV). [“wait for” (ESV, NASB); “trust” (HCSB, NLT)]
- { set free } “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:31-32). [“abide in” (ESV), “continue in” (NASB, HCSB), “remain faithful to” (NLT)]
- { set free } “Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free” (Jn 8:36, HCSB). “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17). “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (Gal 5:1, NLT).
- { how you see yourself } “If you want to learn something that will really help you, learn to see yourself as God sees you and not as you see yourself in the distorted mirror of your own self-importance. This is the greatest and most useful lesson we can learn: to know ourselves for what we truly are, to admit freely our weaknesses and failings, and to hold a humble opinion of ourselves because of them.” Thomas Kempis.
- { embrace suffering as inevitable } “Plan as you like and arrange everything as best you can, yet you will always encounter some suffering whether you want to or not. Go wherever you will, you will always find the cross… God wants you to learn to endure troubles without comfort, to submit yourself totally to him, and to become more humble through adversity.” Thomas Kempis.
- { praise or blame } “He has great tranquility (freedom) of heart who cares neither for the praises nor the fault-finding of men. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure. You are not holier if you are praised, nor the more worthless if you are found fault with. What you are, that you are; neither by word can you be made greater than what you are in the sight of God.” Thomas Kempis.
- “Great tranquility (freedom) of heart is his who cares for neither praise nor blame.” Thomas Kempis.
- “Praise adds nothing to your holiness, nor does blame take anything from it. You are what you are, and you cannot be said to be better than you are in God’s sight.” Thomas Kempis.
- “Grant me prudently (freedom) to avoid him that flatters me, and to endure patiently him that contradicts me.” Thomas Kempis.
- “As a solid rock is not shaken by a strong gale, so wise persons remain unaffected by praise or censure.” Buddha.
Does anything enslave you? Are you truly free?
