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The Greatest Freedom Is the Freedom Found in Christ

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20130704_freedom

Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [He], and [that] I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How [can] You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, [but] a son abides forever. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
(John 8:28-36 NKJV)

 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:22-23 NKJV)

Comments

  1. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord for this. Thank you Lord Jesus and thank you Chris.

    Today, midday day at work my wife sent me this text. (I had just come through a bit of a battlefield again with my child whom I dearly love.)

    From my wife’s daily devotional (not BLB)

    ‘Jesus came to set us free. The Lord does not want us to be controlled by fear, guilt jealousy, bitterness, unforgiveness or inadequacy, which steal the peace and joy Christ promised.’

    ‘The greatest freedom is the freedom found in Christ’ Hallelujah

    Psalms 94:17 from Steve’s post.
    “Unless the LORD had been my help my soul almost dwelt in silence” Hallelujah. Thank you God for this word also. Thank you Steve.

    Today the Lord Jesus yet again enabled me not to dwell in silence but to speak out in my workplace against man’s deceit, the injustice I was confronted with.

    Indeed Christ’s way is the hard way where the path is narrow. But with the Lord going before His children, we have victory through Him.

    To God be the glory.
    In His Son Jesus Christ
    Mark H NZ

  2. The truth I know is that He has set me free. He has placed on my head the Spirit of Grace with an assurance that the path laid out before me is sure and safe. Why do I know this? Because He is not a man that He would lie. In The Beginning He spoke His Son as Light (check out the Hebrew rendering), He has given pasture to the sheep of His flock, and because of The Blood the Mercy Seat is a welcome sanctuary exposing all that enter to the love of Daddy God by His Son, The Messiah.

    Hope everyone had a great celebration of liberty on the 4th

    Mark (Cov)

  3. Mat 5:15, Luk 11:36 We were involved with our own purpose before we believed the Gospel of Jesus. Now we live for Him Who purchased us with His blood.
    Luk 4:18, Mat 28:19, Rom 10:8-21, 2Ti 4:2
    We are to continue the Acts as His Spirit directs.
    Acts 13:38-41

  4. Rom 1:25 describes the condition of this world that is at the heart of the matter, violating the first commandment. The lie of this world that worships and serves the creature more than the Creator. God is. As the creatures become more self absorbed they diminish and gradually extinguish life, light, love, righteousness etc.
    Jhn 1:4, 9, Rev 21:11
    This is the testimony the world needs to hear.

  5. We who the Son Set Free are Free indeed!!!

    My freedom in My Savior is something I will never take for granted.

    Those forgiven much Love much He says…. Said truly for me.

    He is truly my light and the light the world will see because He lives in me…..

  6. So were born again and were free indeed and “all hell” can’t stop us from seeing Jesus Christ on the return. Ya God!!!

    Were free in the aspect of were going to heaven, we have eternal life, But how do we get “free” right NOW?

    John 8 has a word “know” and it’s “know by experience”, so it’s the application of the Word of God that makes us “FREE”, is it not?

    If we don’t experience the Word? How can it help us?

    If we don’t apply the Word, how can it help us?

    Jim

  7. Churches are a refuge from the worlds’ assaults that succor and refresh the body of Christ. We are called to be holy, sanctified and righteous yet are to be witnesses to the multitudes. We are not called to collect in isolation but to proclaim the Everlasting Gospel, the glory of God in our everydays. This structure casts the seed, disperses the Word of God more effectively than cathedral worship with all manner of rites and identities.
    Similarly it is the personal experience, the witness that communicates the Word of God to others. Lists of multiple passages from the bible provide insight into to Spirit of God and are necessary verifcation for the expression of witness. Discussion and interpersonal dialogue provide clarity and communicate the intended message. In this manner people come to understand the message one hopes to convey.
    2Cr 2:13-17

  8. I agree Bob,
    When I was a brand new baby. My heart became very broken because the Word of God was hurled at me like a weapon.

    I was so abused previously I took it so personal and thought GOD my father was just correcting me in the fashion I had known previously.
    Telling me how bad I was and had been. That I could never measure up and that I should be destroyed. I was a failure and could not possibly make it to Heaven. Wrong!!!

    GLORY BE TO JESUS!!! Because of Him I now have the Holy Spirit IN ME, teaching me and I was able to get the deliverances’ I needed in order to learn to stand and fight for the LOVE OF GOD.

    He changed me from the inside out. Now through Him and Him alone I am a new creation striving to the throne to hug My daddy everyday I live here and to worship Him in all eternity.

    Sharing with others His Love, His Mercy and, His Grace.

    Obedience to His Spirit is better than sacrifice I have learned.

    To hear Him, To rest in in Peace, To share my relationship with him and others is my purpose….

    To seek Justice, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with my GOD.

    Who He really is and Yes I follow His word, His conviction, and His teachings as best as this Fleshly child can.

    He promises if I call upon Him he will answer always.

    I was one of those trodden down sheep by those knowledgeable Christians who had no Love in their harden hearts…..They may have meant well but they were not of God not My Daddy that is.

    If we have hurt, hate, or anything not of God in our hearts we think we need to correct others by spitting out Gods word at them.

    In my case when I did that I hurt some very broken people who didn’t understand just like me in the past.

    Father let me feel what I did and trust me I stopped it was awful to see that damage to ones heart I had inflicted with the word of GOD. Shame covered me and I repented.

    When this happened on the blog before I left because I was getting attacked, but today I stand and I will not leave. I will pray.

    I pray to my Father “YHWH” , that you will come and remove that which is not of you from this blog. As spoken before if its does not edify you and the others in the church it should cease to be spoken. Our words have the power of life and death, please remove the death from this place. Stop any separation and division the adversary is trying to bring into our camp. Remove all that is trying to kill, steal, and destroy what you have built. Remove the distaste from this place. Please stop what is trying to hurt and separate what you our Savior has grown here. In Jesus Name Amen….

    We are free indeed!!!
    May your word stand…
    Donna

  9. God is love. God is grace. God is Forgiveness. God is life. Donna, we share our Father with whoever looks on the blog and through our living. Jesus in us AMEN.

    • Bob,
      That I also agree with. We are ALL His children. He wishes not to lose even one.

      We are His light in the world. A very dark one, changing fast.

      May the LORD of the light overtake all of us with His unfailing Love and Forgiveness. 🙂

  10. Absolutely it is doing the Word, o ya. There’s a lot of word were applying all the time, it’s like being on auto pilot, the Word is just part of you, you don’t think about it anymore. Do we think about walking down the street with our Head and shoulders back anymore, no, ya at first. But it’s part of you, you just do it. We apply the Word that way and we benefit from that Word.

    Have you ever heard, not sure it’s true though, haven’t worked it through to detail, but phrase going like this: “You can’t live on yesterdays Word, Only today what you apply. mmmmm

    Kinda makes since, but not sure about it?

    Anyway God Bless

    Jim

    • Jim, you have the heart for the Everlasting Gospel. Jesus in us. Phil 3:12-21

  11. I have a patron who comes into my place of employment. She is 26 but has the mind of an 8-10 year old. Every time she comes in she knows the other patrons and with sweetness and love says, “Hi brother John!” She hugs that person and then says we’re having a meal at church tonight, will you come or some sort of invitation to church EACH and EVERY time. She never pushes she just invites. Her love for them and for God is always evident.
    Her simple invitation and expression of love is what God calls us all to. To dine with Him and have a relationship with Him.

    I’ve watched and seen so many “so called” Christians express impatience, rudeness, superiority, unkindness and disregard for this beautiful child of God. I watch as they roll their eyes, avoid and belittle this young woman.

    I realize she reminds them of things they don’t want to acknowledge. Their intellectual belief in their right standing puts them at a disadvantage where her simple belief assures her right standing.

    I’ve learned something so very very valuable from this beautiful child of God. Simple love, simple obedience to God’s word and a simple witness to others.

    It’s man that complicates the matter and he does it to his detriment.

    • Matthew 19:14
      But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

      Father Abba,
      Make me more like this young woman and less like me.
      In Jesus name.
      Amen

  12. Tess, Amen 🙂

    Father is so Loving, easy , gentle, kind, long-suffering, merciful, and forgiving.

    We really have little to any concept of His enormous Love, infinite Heart and Mind.

    We must humbly accept nothing from Him can be earned by our own behavior only our love and acceptance of His Son and His behavior for us.

    Then Mercy and Grace live though us.

    Who the son sets free is free indeed!!!

    He called us each in His own way, not ours.

    He chooses each of us based on His Criteria not ours.

    He created each of us as individuals all different with different circumstances to overcome.

    He decides when and where we will be and what we will become.
    HE IS GOD and GOD IS LOVE…..

    We have to choose to Love Like Him.
    Unconditionally and Totally

    Her behavior is how we all should be as a loving child, she is covered by her love for Him who loved her first.

  13. Hallelujah

    This morning this song has been gently humming along in my mind. I love the Holy Spirit of God who brings these ‘out of blue’ so to speak. Thank you Jesus.

    ‘Our God is an awesome God’

    ‘When He rolls up His sleeves
    He ain’t just puttin’ on the ritz
    (Our God is an awesome God)
    There is thunder in His footsteps
    And lightning in His fist
    (Our God is an awesome God)
    Well the Lord wasn’t joking
    When He kicked ’em out of eden
    It wasn’t for no reason that He shed His blood
    His return is very close and so you better be believing
    that our God is an awesome God’

    ‘Our God (our God) is an awesome God
    He reigns (He reigns)from heaven above
    With wisdom (with wisdom) pow’r and love
    our God is an awesome God’

    People consider the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness. John 3:14
    Numbers 21:7-8 “So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpenet, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it shall live.”

    The power of sin is as a serpent’s venomous poison, a little quickly spreads and leads to death.

    The teaching of Jesus Christ likens sin to yeast in bread, a little grows into a lump, puffing a person up in pride. Galations 5:9

    God tells us that all who beheld (look to) His Son Jesus Christ as their substitute for sin will find life. Romans 5:21,
    Romans 6:23

    Just as the serpent was lifted up to give life to all who looked on it in faith Numbers 21:9, so Jesus was lifted up onto a cross and crucified to give life to all who will come to Him in faith.

    Just as the serpent on the pole represents the sin brought into the world by Satan (the serpent of old), so Jesus Christ took in His body the penalty of sin brought by the serpent.
    2 Corinthians 5:21

    The serpent lifted up represents to the Spirit filled believer the works of Satan defeated by Jesus being lifted up on the cross, His crucifixion and then His resurrection.

    Yet, there is still more in this teaching of the bronze serpent made by Moses.

    Consider that the serpent was made of bronze. This speaks to me of reconciliation, the two being made into one. Ephesians 2:13-14.

    How might this be you mght ask?

    Consider also the teaching to Moses by God for the construction of the altar in Exodus 27:1-8. The altar was overlaid with bronze, as were the pots, shovels and utensils to be used at the altar, all were made of bronze.

    Bronze is a metal alloy. It is made from two metals, copper and tin else two metals copper and zinc for brass. How are these metals fused together? By FIRE.

    When Jesus died on the cross God sent fire from on high into His bones. Lamentations 1:13.

    What does Daniel see of the vision of the mighty being in Daniel 10:5-6? This Mighty being has legs as of burnished bronze.

    What does John tell us of He whom he saw, the First & the Last in the book of Revelation 1:13-18, His feet were like fine brass or burnished bronze as if refined in a furnace. Revelation 1:15.

    In the song written at the start of this blog it is declared
    ‘There is thunder in His footsteps’

    In Genesis 3:15 the offspring of Eve would have his heel bruised by the serpent and the feet of Eve’s offspring would bruise the head of the serpent. Who is this offspring but only the Lord Jesus Christ. He who John saw in vision with feet as of burnished bronze, and He who Daniel in Daniel 10:5-6 saw with legs as of burnished bronze.

    It is the bruising of the Christ’s heel from the sons of disobedience, that is, Satan, which through the piercing of the nails, shed the blood of the lamb.

    It is the blood shed by the lamb, not only from His pierced feet, but also from His pierced hands, the thorns in His temples and the lashes of the whip that alone brings the freedom
    that Chris has written of. Thank you Lord for this message from Chris.

    It is the shed blood, the salvation wrought in the furnace of God’s fire by the Lord Jesus’ submission to His Father on the cross that reconciles those who were once an enemy, separated from God and makes them one with the Father’s Christ. Ephesians 2:13-14. He who is one with the Christ is one with the Father and no longer an enemy of God but now at peace.

    This is a deep symbolism pointed to in Revelations 1:15 “His feet were like brass, as if refined in a furnace.”

    The Christ who as the song writes of, has ‘thunder in His footsteps’ crushed the head of the serpent by subjecting Himself to the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ did this for you and for me.

    The bronze altar, the bronze utensils of the altar and the bronze serpent each point us to men once separated from God being made one in Christ. Two metals made into one by fire.

    Just as bronze, a strong alloy, is made from two weak metals so God’s people are made whole and strong through the person of Jesus Christ.

    The cross of Jesus Christ is a message of reconciliation, being made one with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Leviticus 17:11 At-One-Ment (Atonement) Ephesians 2:13-14.

    Hallelujah for He who calls us out of the darkness into the kingdom of His Son Colossians 1:13, to make us one with Himself.

    This is by God’s Son Jesus Christ who enables us to stand in the fire not as idolators but as children of the Living God, just as Shadrech, Meschach and AbedNego stood in the fiery furnace in Daniel 3:23-25.

    Praise God for your words Chris “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”.

    ‘Our God is an awesome God!!’Amen

    In Christ
    Mark H NZ.

  14. Mark H, I needed that ! Timely. 🙂

    Father has had me reading of the crucifixion the last couple of days in John 19 and Mark 15 & Matthew 27.

    I think mostly to help me get my eyes back on Him and off myself and others.

    I felt convicted about fearing man more than God recently. However its been another lesson for me 🙂 As always with gentleness and love. Condemnation is not of God I am learning.

    I got revelation on this one part of those scriptures.

    When the darkness came and Jesus felt the separation sin created, as he became sin, He cried out to His father in anguish spoke of in two of the scriptures. Pure anguish.

    I have felt that anguish in those times I have gotten off track with the slightest act of disobedience, maybe just a word out of season type thing. Or a unwarranted fear.

    It was awful, it is awful, I cry out, My soul cries out immediately “ABBA” Daddy where are you, what have I done?

    Upon my understanding that I have exited His wings of protection I feel fear, loss, and every evil that lurks in the darkness that it not CHRIST.

    In these scriptures above I have understanding of the darkness of eternal death that loomed for the three hours there as he hung upon that cross and that in the moment he gave up His soul for me the light entered back into the world so we can have the oneness with our Father that He had while here walking and teaching. Walking in the oneness with the Holy Spirit guiding.

    I am free from death and through His Spirit dwelling in me I never have to be afraid of the dark or darkness anymore. YEAH !!!

    He will be with me, in me always it is written. If God is with me what can man do to me.

    So free we are indeed, Amen
    Donna