Romans
6:16 (NLT)
Well
then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go
on sinning? Of course not!
God’s
grace has set us free.
We
just celebrated 243 years on us being a country. 243 years of political
freedom. But are we really free?
Freedom
is the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint of choice or action.
True
freedom comes from God. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says “Now the Lord is the Spirit,
and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
Jesus’
death and resurrection are what makes it possible for us to be free. It is the
Holy Spirit indwelling us that makes freedom real in our lives. People can live
in politically free countries, like the United States, but still not experience
real freedom. Real freedom comes when we know that sin and death don’t control
our lives. Only through Jesus’ death and resurrection and the indwelling
presence of the Holy Spirit can that freedom be experienced.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is acknowledging that it is only Jesus’ death
and resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s presence that make us free.
Peter
says in 1 Peter 2:16 that we are to live as people who are free and not use our
freedom as a cover-up for evil, but live as servants of God. And Paul says in
Galatians 5:13 that we were called to freedom and we are not to use our freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh, but live as servants of God.
God
has provided freedom so that His people can live as His servants serving
others. God has not provided freedom so that we can use it for evil or for us
to use it as an opportunity for selfish purposes. Freedom was not provided to
us by Jesus for us to use it for ourselves, but to use it to honor Him. When we
use our freedom to honor Jesus it creates even more freedom in our lives. When
we use freedom to do what we want, it can lead us back into slavery to sin and
death.
In
Galatians 5:1 Paul says that Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and
do not submit again to a yoke of slavery God wants people to be free yoke to
all who labor and are heavy laden. Jesus promises rest when we take His yoke on
us. We can have rest because when we are yoked with Jesus, He does the heavy
pulling and we can find true rest.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing freedom in Jesus as we take
His yoke of rest.
We
are given a warning about freedom in 2 Peter 2:19. Peter says, “They promise
freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a
person, to that he is enslaved.”
There
are many things that people promise will bring freedom to us. Those things
cannot bring freedom because they are not Jesus and only Jesus brings freedom.
Anything that controls our lives we are thus enslaved to. If Jesus controls our
lives, we can experience freedom; but if anything else controls our lives, we
are enslaved.
Raise
the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing Jesus to control our lives and
give us real freedom.
I
joined with most of our nation in celebrating the founding our nation and the
political freedom that we enjoy by being an American. I want to celebrate with
even more joy and passion Jesus and His death and resurrection that brings me
true freedom.
In
Freedom by Jesus’ Grace Raising the Roof and Remove the Walls,
Joe
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