FREEDOM IN CHRIST

Faith in Christ is necessary for one to begin the Christian walk, but faith is deeper than mere belief in the existence of Jesus. Faith involves an element of movement, which hinges on a conscious, daily choice and interaction with the Father. So, we must be careful in where or upon what we choose to ground our faith. We can either falsely move forward with faith in our feelings, which are controlled by circumstances, or we can truly move forward with faith in the reality of who Christ is and what God has revealed through scripture, which is divine truth. Feelings are misleading and ever-changing, but God’s word is firm and eternally consistent. Even though we cannot foresee life’s trials and triumphs, we are called to deny ourselves, including our feelings, and move forward in faith because we have been provided with solid, grounded truth as our trustworthy foundation. Christians do not have a blind faith. We were never asked to take a leap, be positive, and hope for the impossible; instead, we are asked to daily believe in Jesus and the One who sent Him, who is able to do the impossible and has shown His faithfulness. This involves an intentional effort to discern the voice of God as He reveals the individual steps for us to take in life. In His sovereignty, God has stretched out a pre-ordained path for each of us, and He is lovingly calling for us to follow His voice and walk with Him as He mercifully lights our individual steps and gives us the grace and courage to follow through.

As we saw in this past week’s memory verse of Ephesians 1:3, we have been given the entirety of every good gift and inheritance that God offers us as His children through Jesus Christ. We do not have to work to achieve God’s spiritual blessing, freedom, and forgiveness. They were each unconditionally granted to us so that we will be able to walk confidently in Christ without restraint, free from the burdensome weight of sin and the struggle of our own futile, self-righteous efforts. So, whenever we sin as a result of trying to have our needs met within the earthly realm, we do not have to beg God for forgiveness, hide from Him, nor take on the sin as our identity. Our sins do not identify us nor do they need to provoke us to move into a sin-confess cycle. As God’s children, we are identified in Christ, so if the divine Creator does not label us according to our sins, then neither should we create a sin label for ourselves. Sin does hinder our relationship, but God has already made the first move and extended forgiveness to us. We can boldly run to the Father with a repentant heart and seek His restorative power. Our Father God grants each of us unmerited and unlimited favor, grace, and love; in Him, there is no condemnation.

Being truly free in Christ is centered upon our understanding of who we are in Christ.  As humans, we were each given a natural desire to be secure, have significance, and be accepted.  Originally, these were all holy and wholly fulfilled in the Creator to created relationship.  After the fall of man into sin, that relationship was eternally altered, but our original God-given needs and desires remained the same.  However, sin repels a holy Creator, so we are born already distanced from God, with tendencies to go our own way and seek false fulfillment for those needs and desires.  When we realize that those God-given needs (originally envisioned and crafted within us by the God of the Universe) can only be perfectly met by the Designer, then we will be able to be freed from false expectations of the surrounding items, people, and accomplishments to completely satisfy our needs.  We can then see the freedom and full satisfaction that was restored by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who opens all relational doors to the Father.  As the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-44) conveys, our grave has been divinely opened, and we must step out and allow Christ’s hands of love to release us and fulfill our needs, thereby removing the world’s grave clothes that so ensnare and limit us.

Belief (Faith), at its foundation, is a choice. My wife recently shared a quote with me that says “It doesn’t take any more effort to believe that one can than to believe that one cannot.” However, in the Bible, there is a significant difference between Faith and Hope. Hope is based on circumstances that we desire to see. A wish that somehow things will turn out the way we want, but Faith in the Bible is based on promises; specifically the promises God has made to his children in the scriptures. One of my favorite verses has come to be 2 Peter 1:3-4

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

So it is placing faith in these “great and precious promises” that we are allowed to participate with God and enjoy the benefits of believe him. Recently, in our Freedom in Christ study, we compiled a list of promises that we associated with doubts and fears that are common to everyone. My wife typed up that list, which I’m providing to you below. Read over these every day and remember that God has ALREADY provided “everything we need for life and godliness”!

• Why should I worry about the future when God holds the future and tomorrow will have enough worries of its own. Matthew 6:34
• Why should I be consumed with thoughts about food for man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the son of God and my heavenly Father already knows I have need of food and clothing. Matthew 6:31
• Why should I concern myself with how I look in my clothes when God says my body is more than clothing. Matthew 6:27
• Why should I insist on working out for my physical body to be “good enough” when my body is already a temple of the Holy Spirit.
• Why should I believe that God is distant when he has promised to complete the work he has begun in me. Phil. 1:6
• Why should I feel that I have to perform and achieve for God’s acceptance when God made Jesus who was sinless to be sin for me so that in him I might become the righteousness of God. 2Cor. 5:21
• Why should I feel God will tell me no to a promise when all of the promises of God are yes in Jesus. 2 Cor. 1:20
• Why should I feel that I am alone when Jesus said, I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:20) and that he will never leave or forsake me. (Heb. 13:5)
• Why should I believe I’m worthless when Jesus died for me to have eternal life with the Father. John 3:16
• Why should I feel depressed when I can recall to my mind and therefore have hope, because of the Lords great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lam.3:22,23
• Why should I ever be in bondage for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17) and It is for freedom sake that Christ has set me free. (Gal. 5:1)
• Why should I believe that any of my efforts will make me more accepted by God or anyone else when I am complete in Christ. (Col. 2:10)
• Why should I believe that the enemy’s plan can prosper against me when I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
• Why should I believe that God isn’t listening to me when I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 2:18)
• Why should I believe the thought patterns of the enemy when I am free forever from condemnation. (Rom. 8:1-2)

*Adapted from Neil T. Andersons “Who I Am in Christ” p.273

• Father God I renounce the lie that you are distance and uninterested in me. i joyfully accept the truth that You are intimate and involved.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you are insensitive and uncaring toward me. I joyfully accept the truth that you are kind and compassionate.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you are stern and demanding of me. I joyfully accept the truth that You are accepting and filled with joy and love.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you are passive and cold toward me. I joyfully accept the truth that you are warm and affectionate toward me.
• Father God I renounce the lie you are absent or too busy for me.  I joyfully accept the truth that you are always with me and available for me.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you impatience, angry, or never satisfied with what I do.  I joyfully accept the truth that you are patience and slow to anger with me.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you are mean, cruel, or abusive toward me.  I joyfully accept the truth that you are loving and gentle and protective of me.
• Father God I renounce the lie you are trying to take all the fun out of my life.   I joyfully accept the truth that you are trustworthy and want to give me a full life. I know your will is good, perfect and acceptable for me.
• Father God I renounce the lie you are controlling or manipulative of me.  I joyfully accept the truth that you are full of grace and mercy, giving me freedom to fail.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you are condemning are unforgiving. I joyfully accept the truth that you are tenderhearted and forgiving of me.
• Father God I renounce the lie that you are a nit-picking demanding perfectionist.  I joyfully accept the truth that you are committed to my growth and that you are  growing me as your child.