Real Freedom
We are in times when globally people are talking about freedom and working so hard towards political, economic, social, cultural, financial, psychological or marital freedom. The systems of this world seek to mimic God’s intended purpose, but they miss out on Him because more often than not, they are totally dependent on the wisdom of men rather than on the Spirit of God. The kind of freedom the world is campaigning for in our times is contrary to real or true freedom.
Some people think real freedom comes from having a lot of money and having no one to question how the money is spent. Some others think that real freedom is having a lot of free time with no accountability of how they spend it. For others, it is having friends, talking and doing anything with them and not being questioned at all. Politically, some think it is having unlimited power and doing anything what one wants, without accountability and responsibility.
There are some in church who are deceived to think freedom is doing anything in the name of service without being accountable to anyone (serve when they feel like serving). These are deceptive, variety of mentalities about freedom. Any freedom without accountability and responsibility is no freedom at all.
True freedom is only received though the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Today, we have to allow ourselves to understand the true freedom, which is rewarding and fruitful both is this world and in the life to come.
It is one thing to say you are free and it’s another to truly live in true freedom and liberty (John 8:1-36). John 8 is a chapter that talks about freedom, from the words of Jesus. Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, and when He comes back in the morning all the people come to Him; He sits down and teaches them (verses 1-2). Note that Jesus went to the mountain to pray, fellowship or commune with the Father.
Jesus did not do things on his own accord, not bearing His testimony or judgment alone. This is evident on how He answered the Pharisees concerning how He bore witness to Himself, saying that His witness was true; for He answered them and said to them:
John 8:14-18
“...Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
Freedom defined in worldly standards is not true because it is based on the flesh, and what is of flesh is temporary, while that which is of the Spirit is permanent and imperishable. There is an assurance in verses 16 that the judgement, decision of Jesus is of Him and the Father who sent Him. Therefore, anyone who wants to have freedom to do the things of God with liberty must spend adequate time with God; be it worship, evangelism, preaching, ushering, dance or choir.
Jesus spent time on the Mount of Olives before coming to speak to crowds; we need to spend time in prayer, fasting, and in His Word and receive freedom in the Spirit, before ministering to people and serving in God’s work.
For one to be freed it means one is in bondage or slavery. There are two forms of slavery: one is either a slave of sin or righteousness.
Romans 6:16
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Slavery to sin leads to death, while slavery to righteousness brings eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). The excellent way is to surrender to obedience which leads to righteousness, right standing with God, for Romans 6:18 assures us we have been set free from sin, now we have become slaves of righteousness and since we have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, we have our present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.
John 8:3 introduces forth a woman (slave to adultery) who was caught in adultery, in the very act. If one has chosen to remain in bondage, one shall surely be caught in the very act, it is usually a matter of when.
Bondage or slavery has consequences, the Law of Moses commanded that one should be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:22-24) if one is caught committing adultery. In verse 36 the woman found real freedom and liberty because if the Son liberates one [makes one free], then one shall be really and unquestionably free. What sets one free is knowing the truth since Jesus is the way, truth and life (John 8:32). Being in Jesus gives one total freedom for He says if we abide in His word, we are His disciples indeed and we shall know the truth, and the truth shall set us free.
Many Christians are struggling to be good, for they do not understand their actions. They do not accomplish what they wish, for they do the very thing which their morals condemn. The good news is that Christ Jesus, the Anointed One, was sent to release the captives for He said to the woman in John 8:10, “where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She answered "no", and Jesus spoke to her saying neither did He, and that she should go and sin no more. There is no condemnation or guilty of wrong for us who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit (Romans 8:1) and since we have the Spirit of God in us and where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Galatians 4:31, 5:1 assures us who are born again that we are not children of a slave woman but of the free and in this freedom Christ Jesus made us free and completely liberated us from the yoke of slave which we were once put off.
Galatians 4:3-7 also assures us that we also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under the rules of the Hebrew rituals and subject to the elementary teaching of a system of eternal observations and regulations but when the proper time had fully come, God sent His only beloved Son, born of a woman, born subject to the regulation of the law to purchase the freedom for us who were subject to law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred among us and be recognized as God’s sons.
Let’s choose to remain in righteousness, abiding in Christ Jesus since each one of us shall give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12). Indeed, we were called to freedom and we should not let this freedom be an incentive to our flesh and an opportunity or excuse for selfishness but through love we shall love one another.
Amen.
-- Pastor Mary Mugo
(1/03/15 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry)
Pastor Mary is a pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), next to Eastgate Restaurant.
Some people think real freedom comes from having a lot of money and having no one to question how the money is spent. Some others think that real freedom is having a lot of free time with no accountability of how they spend it. For others, it is having friends, talking and doing anything with them and not being questioned at all. Politically, some think it is having unlimited power and doing anything what one wants, without accountability and responsibility.
There are some in church who are deceived to think freedom is doing anything in the name of service without being accountable to anyone (serve when they feel like serving). These are deceptive, variety of mentalities about freedom. Any freedom without accountability and responsibility is no freedom at all.
True freedom is only received though the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Today, we have to allow ourselves to understand the true freedom, which is rewarding and fruitful both is this world and in the life to come.
It is one thing to say you are free and it’s another to truly live in true freedom and liberty (John 8:1-36). John 8 is a chapter that talks about freedom, from the words of Jesus. Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, and when He comes back in the morning all the people come to Him; He sits down and teaches them (verses 1-2). Note that Jesus went to the mountain to pray, fellowship or commune with the Father.
Jesus did not do things on his own accord, not bearing His testimony or judgment alone. This is evident on how He answered the Pharisees concerning how He bore witness to Himself, saying that His witness was true; for He answered them and said to them:
John 8:14-18
“...Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
Freedom defined in worldly standards is not true because it is based on the flesh, and what is of flesh is temporary, while that which is of the Spirit is permanent and imperishable. There is an assurance in verses 16 that the judgement, decision of Jesus is of Him and the Father who sent Him. Therefore, anyone who wants to have freedom to do the things of God with liberty must spend adequate time with God; be it worship, evangelism, preaching, ushering, dance or choir.
Jesus spent time on the Mount of Olives before coming to speak to crowds; we need to spend time in prayer, fasting, and in His Word and receive freedom in the Spirit, before ministering to people and serving in God’s work.
For one to be freed it means one is in bondage or slavery. There are two forms of slavery: one is either a slave of sin or righteousness.
Romans 6:16
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Slavery to sin leads to death, while slavery to righteousness brings eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). The excellent way is to surrender to obedience which leads to righteousness, right standing with God, for Romans 6:18 assures us we have been set free from sin, now we have become slaves of righteousness and since we have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, we have our present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.
John 8:3 introduces forth a woman (slave to adultery) who was caught in adultery, in the very act. If one has chosen to remain in bondage, one shall surely be caught in the very act, it is usually a matter of when.
Bondage or slavery has consequences, the Law of Moses commanded that one should be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:22-24) if one is caught committing adultery. In verse 36 the woman found real freedom and liberty because if the Son liberates one [makes one free], then one shall be really and unquestionably free. What sets one free is knowing the truth since Jesus is the way, truth and life (John 8:32). Being in Jesus gives one total freedom for He says if we abide in His word, we are His disciples indeed and we shall know the truth, and the truth shall set us free.
Many Christians are struggling to be good, for they do not understand their actions. They do not accomplish what they wish, for they do the very thing which their morals condemn. The good news is that Christ Jesus, the Anointed One, was sent to release the captives for He said to the woman in John 8:10, “where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She answered "no", and Jesus spoke to her saying neither did He, and that she should go and sin no more. There is no condemnation or guilty of wrong for us who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit (Romans 8:1) and since we have the Spirit of God in us and where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Galatians 4:31, 5:1 assures us who are born again that we are not children of a slave woman but of the free and in this freedom Christ Jesus made us free and completely liberated us from the yoke of slave which we were once put off.
Galatians 4:3-7 also assures us that we also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under the rules of the Hebrew rituals and subject to the elementary teaching of a system of eternal observations and regulations but when the proper time had fully come, God sent His only beloved Son, born of a woman, born subject to the regulation of the law to purchase the freedom for us who were subject to law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred among us and be recognized as God’s sons.
Let’s choose to remain in righteousness, abiding in Christ Jesus since each one of us shall give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12). Indeed, we were called to freedom and we should not let this freedom be an incentive to our flesh and an opportunity or excuse for selfishness but through love we shall love one another.
Amen.
-- Pastor Mary Mugo
(1/03/15 Sunday Service Sermon, Teaching Transformation Ministry)
Pastor Mary is a pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), next to Eastgate Restaurant.
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Blessings.