A RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM

Sunday April 10, 2011

“It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom.”

                                       - Galatians 5:13-14 (The Message)

Way back in 1941, Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech on what his vision for the world would be.

 -- It became known as his “Four Freedoms” speech.

 -- It so inspired painter Norman Rockwell that he made a series of paintings each depicting one of the freedoms.

 “We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression--everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way-- everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world.”
            --President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Message   to    Congress, January 6, 1941

-- This was a bold vision at a time when the country was still recovering from the Great Depression and just entering WWII.

Warren Wiersbe wrote that he would add a “fifth freedom:”

“Man needs to be free from himself and the tyranny of his sinful nature.”  - Be Free, p. 127

 -- You can live in a free country and still not be free.

 1) You can be in bondage emotionally to fear, worry, anger and guilt.

    2) You can be in bondage psychologically and physically to drugs, alcohol, gambling or pornography.

    3) You can be in bondage spiritually to doubt, unbelief or false doctrine.    

(Illus.) Missionaries, Peter and Wilma, told us about the animal sacrifices that still go on in the country which they served. These animal sacrifices are little more than tradition and ritual but they have been given such a prominence that if people cannot afford the animal they will actually beg and steal just to get one for the sacrifice. So they actually break one law in order to fulfill another! This is the futility of religious law keeping as it dehumanizes people and fails to meet their deepest spiritual need.

 -- As great as living in a free country is, there has to be more than just a political freedom to address the deepest needs of the world.

      1) There has to be a spiritual freedom that can give people hope regardless of their outward circumstances.

     2) There has to be a “fifth freedom” that delivers us from ourselves and the tyranny our sinful nature.

1. FREEDOM IS THE CALLING AND RIGHT OF EVERY BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST.

 We are not called to bondage but we are called to freedom.

 -- Bondage is the devil’s plan not God’s.

     1) He deceived man into spiritual bondage (Genesis 3).

     2) He has always tried to bring God’s people back into bondage if we they free!

      3) The cruel practice of slavery which is still being practiced in the world today; was not God’s plan but his.

      4) Dictatorial leadership in the world that thrives on fear and intimidation was not God’s plan but his.

 -- God’s plan for us has always been freedom.

     1) The whole Bible is one great big story about deliverance and freedom.

    2) From Genesis to Revelation, God has our spiritual freedom in mind.

    3) Freedom is the destiny of God’s people in every age.

 (Illus.) When God delivered Israel from their bondage in Egypt He was not only giving them a national freedom but a spiritual freedom to worship Him without hindrance. Not every nation has this freedom (e.g. China & certain Islamic countries).

 Ultimately, it is at the cross where true freedom begins.

 -- It begins there because that is where the “fifth freedom” is addressed.

 -- That is where our freedom was purchased once and for all.

 -- The cross is the greatest symbol of freedom of all time.

     1) Just as the Statue of Liberty, the Declaration of Independence and the American eagle are symbols of our national freedom, the cross is the symbol of our spiritual freedom.

      2) The cross alone can deliver us from the penalty and power of sin.

 Regardless of our circumstances, we become a free citizen of the kingdom of God the moment we trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior.

-- The moment we surrender our sins to him along with all of our hurt, all of our pain and all of our brokenness, we become free agents of the kingdom.

 -- This is the most valuable freedom in the world, the greatest privilege there is!

 But with privilege always comes responsibility.  

 -- What we do with our freedom is of the utmost importance.

 -- It is one thing to be free; it is another thing to use our freedom responsibly.  

 2. FREEDOM MUST NOT BE USED AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLESH.

(The Message Bible: “an excuse to do whatever you want to do…”)

  Man is prone to use his freedom for the wrong things.

 This manifests itself in a host of evils.

 -- Selfishness, lawlessness, chaos and rebellion.

 -- Godlessness, depravity, ruthlessness and violence.

     1) This is not what God had in mind when it comes to freedom.

     2) God does not set us free for this purpose.

     3) Jesus didn’t die on the cross for this purpose.

This kind of “freedom” is a destroyer of freedom not a proponent of freedom.

 -- It is a subtle yet very prevalent distortion of true freedom.

 -- It is an imposter of true freedom.

 (Illus.) God did not set Israel free so they could make a golden calf and have a wild party in the wilderness (Exodus 32)! Yes, that’s what they did with the freedom they had cried out for, for so long (Exodus 2:23). You would think that the freedom they had longed for and prayed for, for so long would have been more valuable to them. But when Moses took longer in getting back to them than they expected after being on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, they got impatient and decided to make a golden calf to worship and have a party! Somehow they got the idea that that was freedom!

God did not set them free for idolatry and depravity, He set them free:

 -- so they could be free to worship Him without hindrance.

 -- so they could establish a free, yet orderly nation with a land all their own.

-- so they could be the people they were destined to be, the one through whom the Savior of the world would come.

 But they abused their freedom as an excuse to “indulge the sinful nature” (NIV).

a. Freedom does not mean there are no boundaries.

(Illus.) How free are a group of toddlers playing on a play ground with no fence in a heavy traffic area?

  -- Something that looks restrictive can actually be a preserver of freedom.

 -- Something that looks free can actually be a destroyer of freedom.

 When we are irresponsible with freedom we endanger ourselves and others.

 b. Freedom also does not mean there is no accountability.

Being accountable is being answerable to someone.

  -- Like an enlisted man in the army to a commanding officer.

 -- Like an employee to an employer.

Being unaccountable is not really freedom, it’s just rebellion.

 -- And rebellion, the Bible says (are you ready for this?), is “as the sin of witchcraft” (1 Samuel 15:23).

-- We don’t need to put on black clothes and ride a broom to be a witch (or a warlock), all we have to do is be unaccountable.

(Illus.) A friend of the famous comedian W.C. Fields went to see him in the hospital. He was surprised to see Fields reading a Bible. This seemed odd because W.C. Fields was not known to be very spiritual or moral for that matter. The friend said, “I didn’t know you were religious.” Fields said, “I’m not.” The friend said, “Then why are you reading a Bible?” W.C. Fields replied, “Just looking for loopholes!”

He was looking for a freedom without boundaries that catered to his selfish nature. He was looking for a freedom that was irresponsible and unaccountable. But that is not a biblical freedom nor is it a true freedom; it is an imposter, an illusion of freedom.

3. THERE IS BUT ONE GUIDING PRINCIPLE WHEN IT COMES TO USING OUR FREEDOM RESPONSIBLY AND THAT IS SERVING ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE.

The key to a responsible freedom in Christ is to serve one another in love.

 -- Serving takes the focus off of ourselves and puts it on someone else.

-- It is a constructive and profitable way to use our freedom rather than a destroyer of freedom.

 -- It is the way Jesus used his freedom!

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  - Mark 10:45 (NIV)

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone served one another? We probably wouldn’t recognize it!

-- We are more concerned sometimes with being served than serving.

-- We are more concerned with being the center of attention than giving attention to someone else.

a. The motivation for serving must never come from ulterior motives.

-- I.e. with strings attached.

-- Even though there is a joy in serving, the object is not what we get but what we give.

b. The motivation for serving must never be begrudging obligation.

-- I.e. to do it because you feel you have to rather than because you want to.

-- Although there may be times when we feel reluctant about serving, God will honor our obedience to Him.

c. The primary motivation for serving is always love.

-- Love for God and love for neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40).

-- It is love that fulfills the law not adherence to religious rules and jumping through legalistic hoops!

If we truly love someone as our self we will not do them any harm, thus fulfilling the law:

“⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”    – Romans 13:8-10 (NIV)

-- “Neighbor” means not only our friends but also our enemies (Matt. 5:44).

-- It is easy to love those who love us, but not so easy to love those who might despise us.

(Illus.) The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) is an example of this. A teacher of the law was looking for “loopholes” regarding the identity of his neighbor. Jesus told him about a Samaritan who showed mercy to a man in need who probably despised him.

-- That is not just a sentimental love; that is a sacrificial love (Greek: agape

     1) A love that is willing to stoop down and serve even an enemy.

     2) A love that Jesus showed when he stooped down to serve a world that was his enemy.

(Illus.) As a Pharisee, Saul of Tarsus was zealous for the law but had no clue what love was (Philippians 3:4-6). It is hard to imagine how the same man could later write the “love chapter” (1 Cor. 13). That’s because he really wasn’t the same man, Jesus had made him a different man!

-- Jesus made him a free man when he changed Paul’s life.

-- And he used that freedom to serve others in love!

Conclusion:

Freedom is way too valuable to just spend on ourselves.

-- It is way too valuable to use as an excuse to do whatever we want.

-- It is given to us to be given to others.

We need to use our freedom in Christ to serve one another in love.

-- Not to do our own thing but to do God’s thing.

-- Then we will enjoy a responsible freedom.

-- Then we will glorify God!