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The Unalienable Rights of Independence: Liberty
July 13, 2019

Last week we considered how life is an unalienable right of independence. Liberty, or freedom, was also listed as another unalienable right in the American Declaration of Independence. Christians are promised liberty through Jesus, provided we continue in the teachings of Jesus. It is through the truth that He taught we are able to be free. Until we surrender to Jesus, we are a slave of sin. it is through Jesus that the power of sin diminishes in our life as we replace the lusts of sin with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We learn that overcoming sin is not merely the absence of sinful acts, but involves growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. We are promised by Jesus to be free if we continue in the teachings of Jesus.

John 8:31-36
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed

Peter wrote about false teachers in his second letter, and warned that false teachers appeal to the lusts of the flesh. There are those who claim there is no sin, or that because of the death of Jesus we will be forgiven of everything we do, as if we are licensed to sin. Some appeal to the pride of life by preaching a prosperity gospel. The abundant life that Jesus promises is made possible through the fruit of the Holy Spirit; having gobs of money is not necessarily a sign that God approves of what we do; lack of money is not necessarily a sign that God is displeased with what we do. When we become focused on money and material goods as a sign of faith, we are driven by those things, not faith itself. There is a difference. If we believe it is money that establishes our relationship with Jesus, we become enslaved to that money instead of becoming enslaved to Jesus. There is a difference. We can deceive ourself and make our life much more worse later on. We can be worse than we ever were.

2 Peter 2:18-22
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The test if we are free is the exercise of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is through the free exercise of the Holy Spirit that we have an abundant life. As we have love, joy, peace , longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, we crucify the flesh and the lusts of the flesh as our life is abundant and there is no space for sin.

Galatians 5:13-26
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

If indeed we are free, we are to act as free men, letting the fruit of the Holy Spirit be easily seen.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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