Ellis
Now this morning I want to talk about freedom and being free. For God knows that there is nothing like being free.
It is by far the greatest gift given to mankind. To be free in anything is a good thing and a great thing. Freedom to become anything that we want to be. Though sometimes the decisions that we make are not in line with what God says, we have the freedom to make them — freedom of choice.
It is a privilege given to us by God Himself. And, to not be free takes away a person’s ability to enjoy life and it slowly but surely seeps the very life out of them.
To not be free in anything is a miserable feeling. When God made man this is the way He made him; to not be confined, to be free, and not under the control of another. To be able to do as one wishes. Always remember that.
My community friends, there are people this morning who are not free. I’m not talking about being in slavery. That’s bad too, but I’m not talking about that kind of slavery. People in Communist countries who are not allowed to make their own decisions but have those decisions dictated to them by their government are not free. Even animals can lose their will to live when they are taken from their natural habitat, put in cages and kept there. Eagles, certain birds, cats and dogs — just to name a few — sometimes give up and die when their freedom is taken away; man and animal were meant to be free.
All of us at some time or another have been held captive by something; a job that we did not like but had to work, being in jail or prison for years locked behind bars, told when to go and when to come. It can make you feel like you are suffocating so that when their time has been served and they are released, some will breathe a breath of fresh air and say “Free at last!” Let a wild animal out of a cage and life will come back into them. Perhaps all of us at one time or another said the words ‘’I’m free!’’
But now with freedom comes responsibility! And with responsibility comes accountability! And with accountability comes consequences!
We are accountable to God for the decisions that we make good or bad. But, when we are freed from something negative it’s a good feeling. How many of us at one time or another have spoken the words ‘’I’m free!’’ It may not have been in a physical prison, but you were in a prison of another kind — a prison of debt that was choking you, a relationship that had a stranglehold on you, a prolonged illness, chronic pain that you needed relief from, migraine headaches that had you confined, relationships that were toxic, enemies that were a thorn in your flesh, disobedient children that kept you in dire straits. But through the power of prayer, God gives you a breakthrough.
“Praise the Lord, I’m free!”
Deliverance from that abusive relationship, praise the Lord, I’m free! Relief from financial stress and you are debt free, somebody knows that that’s a “hallelujah” and a “thank you, Jesus, I’m free!” Miraculously healed from the chains of dialysis and migraine headaches, free from a bad habit you have been trying to break. A marriage that had you on a merry-go-round, divorced from a domestic abusive spouse. You exclaimed with a smile on your face, “Praise the Lord, I’m free!”
Friends, it’s a terrible thing to be bound up, tied up and your freedom is taken away; ask some wife or husband whose spouse physically and verbally abuses them and that can carry over into your spiritual life You would be surprised at some Christians who are not enjoying their spiritual freedom simply because they allow something or somebody to bound them up. People who are in churches are strained, stressed and even told how to dress; not free to be and do what God has called them to do, they stay there in captivity and waste their gifts and talents; some just dry up altogether, and they lose the joy, excitement and enthusiasm of their salvation.
They are bound.
But community, God didn’t save us from sin, break the power of Satan over our lives, give us freedom through the blood just for us to be bound up by man and tradition! We need to break free and declare that nothing or nobody is going to hold me in captivity! Not the devil, not my family, not my church or people; Jesus has set me free!
Jesus himself said “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed,” (John 7:36). He also said “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” (John 7:32).”
Community, Jesus wants us to be free! He died so that we could be free! Free to worship … free to praise … free to serve …free to do the work of ministry, free to enjoy life, free from the bondage of sin and the power of Satan.
We don’t have to be a slave to nothing or nobody! The cross of Calvary where Emmanuel’s blood was shed tells me that I’m free! Friends, I love being free! Don’t let anything or anybody take your freedom. “But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin… Being then made free from sin, you became servants of righteousness (Rom. 6:17,18).”
“I’m free, praise the Lord I’m free.”