Sermon #14631 Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title:
Text: Romans 8:21
Subject:
Date: Sunday Evening –
Tape
# W-50b
Introduction:
Nothing in all the
world can be compared to freedom. In just three days almost everyone in the
·
Cuban Refuges.
·
Freed Captives – Hostages.
·
Freed Slaves.
Obviously, you have not come here to hear and I have
not come to talk about political freedom. I have come to talk to you and
I hope you are anxious to hear about a freedom that will liberate your soul.
The title of my message tonight is -- Liberty – Glorious Liberty! Our text will be Romans 8:21.
Romans
Our text
speaks of both bondage and liberty, “the bondage of corruption and the glorious
liberty of the children of God”. “The
bondage of corruption” -- is that bondage into which sin has
brought us. It is the bondage of nature, the bondage which makes us all
miserable slaves and prisoners. This bondage of corruption is the forerunner of
the everlasting torments of hell’s bondage. Unless God intervenes, it will
bring us and our children into eternal misery at last.
All who live in the dungeon
of sensuality and corruption, as the willing bond slaves of sin, dragged from
place to place by the chains of envy, malice, anger, and wrath shall spend
eternity in the darkness and corruption of hell under the wrath of God, unless
the Son of God makes them free.
“The bondage of corruption” holds multitudes in abject
servitude to fashion, style, and social approval. It makes us all, by nature,
slaves to our own corrupt passions; and that man who is a slave to his own
passions is a slave to the worst possible despot.
Physical slavery is the most immoral, debasing abuse of humanity imaginable.
However, this “bondage of corruption”
is indescribably worse. This is the bondage not of our bodies, but of our
hearts, our minds, our souls! This satanic “bondage of corruption” manifest itself in many ways…
·
The Bondage Of Sin.
·
The Bondage Of The Law.
·
The Bondage Of Social Acceptance And Approval.
·
The Bondage Of Religious Tradition, Custom,
And Superstition.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God
came into this world to deliver God’s elect from “the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of
God”. He came to set the captive free, to open the doors of the
prison which held his people in captivity, to break the oppressive chains and
shackles which held us captives to sin and Satan. Christ is the great liberator
of men’s souls. He came to set his people free.
Proposition: Salvation
is the deliverance of chosen, redeemed sinners by the grace and power of God “into the glorious liberty of the
children of God”.
That is my subject tonight. I want to preach to you
about -- Liberty – Glorious Liberty! I realize that this is a very controversial subject.
But it is controversial only because of the prevailing errors of ascetic, legal
religion which have become so universally accepted that all men call liberty
licentiousness and bondage godliness. All human religion is bondage, operates
upon principles of bondage, and seeks to keep people in bondage.
Tonight,
I want to stop the mouths of those who would bring the children of God into
bondage. However, I hope to go beyond the quibbles of theological
controversy and give you some very plain, practical instructions about the
matter of Christian liberty. I want
us to look into the Word of God and see what God has to say to his people about
their liberty in Christ. I want every child of God to know that since
Christ has made us free, it is our responsibility both to stand fast in the
liberty of his grace, refusing to be brought again under the yoke of legal
bondage, and to use the liberty he has given us for the glory of his name and
the good of his people.
Divisions:
1.
Jesus Christ alone is the great Liberator of men.
2.
Faith in Christ brings us into “the
glorious liberty of the children of God”.
3.
There is a glorious liberty yet to be revealed.
I. JESUS CHRIST ALONE IS THE GREAT LIBERATOR OF MEN.
No one
ever comes to enjoy true liberty before God, true liberty of heart and mind,
true liberty in his soul, until he is set free by the merit of Christ’s blood
and the power of his grace. It is this liberty of grace that I want for you.
A. However, I must first warn you to beware of false
liberty.
Everything
good, every work of God’s grace is imitated by Satan. He is a master
counterfeiter. Multitudes are deceived by him with a false liberty. Therefore,
I warn you.
The word
“liberty” has bee greatly abused by many. I have personally heard men use it to
excuse and justify everything from
1. A Religious Profession
Multitudes
are so naïve and gullible that they think a mere profession of religion is
liberty from the curse of the law and the wrath of God. They think they are
free because they profess that they are free!
2. Self-righteousness
Many a man
grows weary of his evil ways and seeks freedom by making an outward moral
reformation. Really, most of what passes for Christianity is nothing more than
a reformation of life.
3. Antinomianism
Antinomianism
is a vile, atrocious thing. It says, “Since salvation is by grace, it does not
matter how I live, or what I do.” We are frequently called antinomians, just as
Paul was (
May God
the Holy Spirit keep us from a false liberty. It is
far better to be in bondage and know it than to be in bondage and think your
bondage is liberty.
B. However, I do want you to see that the Lord Jesus
Christ truly does make sinners free (John
John
8:32-36
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They
answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in
bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered
them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever
committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the
house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed."
Romans
Galatians
4:6-7 "And
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Galatians
5:1
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
True
liberty, the liberty of grace, the liberty of life and peace in Christ is
obtained only by the power and authority of God’s eternal Son. Only the Son can make you free.
Let me show you the significance of those words.
During the
days of our Lord’s earthly ministry there was a custom among the Greeks and
Romans. When a man died, if he left slave they became the property of his
eldest son. If the son said, “I proclaim these slaves, left to me by my father,
free men”, those slaves were forever free and could never be taken into slavery
again. Under Greek and Roman law, that was the one, certain way by which a
slave could obtain his liberty. If the son proclaimed freedom, the slave must
go free.
Do you see the illustration?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the great Heir of promise. If he, the Son of
God, makes you free, you shall be free indeed!
1. The Lord Jesus Christ purchased freedom for his
people by his precious blood (Gal.
2. The Son of God comes to chosen, redeemed sinners in
the preaching of the gospel and proclaims liberty to captives (Isa. 61:1-3).
Isaiah
61:1-3
"The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; he hath sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our
God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be
called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be
glorified."
a.
He proclaims liberty accomplished.
b.
He proclaims liberty freely and unconditionally.
c.
He proclaims liberty available.
3. However, the Lord Jesus Christ is more than a
proclaimer of liberty, he accomplishes liberty, effectually brings his elect
into the glorious liberty of his grace by the power of his Spirit.
“He breaks the
power of cancelled sin;
He sets the
prisoner free!
His blood can
make the foulest clean;
His blood
avails for me!”
Note: The instrument by which the
Lord Jesus brings liberty to his people is the Word of God (John
John
The preaching of the gospel is like the blowing of
the jubilee trumpet. The more clearly the truths of the gospel are preached and
understood, the more fully liberty is enjoyed. Bondage comes from error.
II. FAITH IN CHRIST BRINGS US INTO THIS “GLORIOUS
Galatians
4:1-7
"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing
from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors
until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children,
were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no
more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through
Christ."
The moment
a sinner is born again by the Spirit of God and becomes (experimentally) a
child of God by faith in Christ, he begins to enjoy true, lasting liberty
before God. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, as we mature
spiritually, we enjoy that liberty more fully; but the liberty is ours the
moment we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is both
our privilege and our responsibility to walk in, enjoy, and protect this
liberty which the Lord Jesus purchased for us by his blood and gave to us by
the power of his grace. Any return to bondage is to give up the liberty of
grace (Gal. 5:1-4).
Galatians
5:1-4
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto
you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I
testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the
whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."
Let me
describe that liberty which is ours in Christ Jesus. May God give us grace ever
to promote it and walk in it for the honor of his name.
A. In Christ we are free from sin, Satan, and the law.
This is
where the liberty of grace begins. When a person comes to Christ in faith, he
is set free from that bondage in which all men by nature are held as prisoners
and slaves.
1. The Lord Jesus Christ frees his people from the
bondage of sin (Rom.
Romans
6:14-18
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because
we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be
thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart
that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from
sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."
Believers
are not free from the being of sin, the body of sin, or the acts of sin. All
God’s elect, so long as we are in this world, have to contend with sin. But in
Christ we are no longer under the dominion of sin.
a.
The guilt of sin has been removed by the blood of Christ.
[1 Peter 4:1]
"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath
suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin."
b.
The condemnation of sin has been removed by that same precious blood (
c.
The power of sin has been broken by the power of God’s saving grace.
2. In salvation the Lord Jesus also delivers his people
from the power of Satan.
By nature the devil holds a usurped dominion over
the all men, blinding them, binding them, deceiving them, and taken them
captive at his will to do his bidding.
In
salvation the Spirit of God dethrones Satan. He enters the hearts of God’s
elect, binds the strong man, and takes his house. He turns men and women from
the power of Satan to God. He translates us from the power of darkness into the
Illustrations:
The Dungeon
Pilgrim and the Roaring Lion
3. The Lord Jesus Christ has also made us free from the
law (Rom.
Romans
6:14-15
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because
we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
Romans 7:4 "Wherefore, my
brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye
should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we
should bring forth fruit unto God."
Romans 8:2 "For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death."
Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Galatians
3:23-25
"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith
which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that
faith is come, we are no longer under a
schoolmaster."
a.
We are free from all the types and shadows of the ceremonial law.
b.
We are free from all the rigors of Old Testament dietary laws.
c.
We are free from statutes and curses of the law.
d.
We are free in Christ from the bondage, terror, and rule of the law as
a way of life.
The Word
of God is so abundantly clear in this matter that error here is inexcusable. In
Christ God’s people have no covenant with the law, no curse from the law, no
condemnation by the law, and absolutely no obligation to the law.
Christ has satisfied all the law for us and we fulfill all the law by faith in
him (Rom.
4. Perhaps you are thinking - “What can be wrong with teaching God’s
people to live by the ten commands as a rule of life?” Let me show you.
a.
It is a direct violation of the Word of God (Col. 2:16-17).
b.
Legalism promotes pride and self-righteousness.
c.
Legalism always produces severity, judgmentalism, and a condemning
spirit.
d.
Legalism denies the finished work of Christ and causes men to look not
to him alone for everything, but to him and to themselves…
·
For Assurance.
·
For Sanctification.
·
For Acceptance With God.
·
For Worthiness.
·
For Peace.
There
can be absolutely no mixture of law and grace. We must never wear a garment of
linen and wool before God, or plow with the ox of grace and the ass of our own
works in the same yoke!
This
liberty that we have in Christ goes beyond these doctrinal matters. According
to the teachings of the New Testament, it reaches to the common, everyday
affairs of our lives.
B. Our liberty in Christ gives us total liberty from
all the religious customs, traditions, and superstitions of men.
Pharisees,
both ancient and modern, impose heavy burdens upon the consciences of men and
women by which they make void the Word and commandments of God. We must never
allow ourselves to become the servants of such things. We have no obligation to
adhere to religious tradition. Indeed, we must not adhere to the oracles of men
in spiritual matters (Matt. 15:1-6; Col. 2:6-8, 16-18, 20-23).
Matthew
15:1-6
"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of
Colossians
2:6-8
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been
taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you
through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
Colossians
2:16-18
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping
of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up
by his fleshly mind."
Colossians
2:20-23
"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why,
as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not;
taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the
commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom
in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to
the satisfying of the flesh."
Neither
the
C. In Christ God’s people are perfectly free to use
every creature of God for their food, happiness, comfort, and satisfaction in
this world.
In the Old Testament things were divided into clean
and unclean categories for the purposes of ceremonial purification. The
Levitical law made the use of some things unlawful. But in this gospel age we
are given liberty to use every creature of God. Nothing is common, or unclean
of itself (Acts
Romans
1 Timothy
4:3-4
"Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain
from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them
which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature
of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with
thanksgiving:"
We are
perfectly free to use those things which are neither commanded nor forbidden of
God, matters of indifference, as we see fit (Rom. 14:2-3, 13-15, 20-23; 1 Cor.
8:9-13). I will lay down no rules about those things. Let me simply offer a few
biblical guidelines about the use of those things which are matters of
indifference.
1. Do not make any of these things a point of merit
before God.
Indifferent things become
idolatrous if you make the use or nonuse of them a means of obtaining favor
with God, a means of religious devotion, or a means of obtaining peace of
conscience.
2. Use all things in moderation.
Eating is not wrong; but
gluttony is. Drinking a glass of wine is not wrong; but drunkenness is.
Entertainment is not wrong; but reveling is. Use all things wisely, abusing
none.
3. Carefully avoid offending your brethren.
To offend a brother is to
cause him to go against his own conscience. This we must avoid at all costs to
ourselves. My brother’s conscience is more important than my own comfort,
happiness, and satisfaction.
4. Make your use of all things subservient to the glory
of God, the gospel of Christ, and the welfare of the church.
One more
thought about these matters of indifference - John Gill gave
this word of caution - “Care should be taken, on the one hand, lest such things
should be reckoned indifferent, which are not indifferent, and so any precept,
or ordinance of God be neglected; and on the other hand, such as are
indifferent, should not be imposed as necessary, which may lead to superstition
and will-worship.”
In all things make love for Christ and
his people the basis of your actions. Use all things wisely, for the glory of
God. And abuse none.
D. Once more, in Christ we are free to worship and
serve the Lord our God.
No man can or will truly worship God except by faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. But all who are in Christ are free to do so (Eph.
1. In Christ we are free to
call upon God in prayer.
2. In Christ we are free to all
the ordinances of the gospel - Baptism - Church Fellowship - The Lord’s Supper.
3. Those who are in Christ by
faith have freely given themselves up as bond slaves to him.
We hold
ourselves, and all that we are, and all that we possess in reserve for our
Master, his cause, and his family.
“Ready to go,
ready to stay,
Ready my place
to fill;
Ready for
service, lowly or great,
Ready to do
His will.”
_____________________________
“All for Jesus, all for
Jesus!
All my beings
ransomed powers:
All my
thoughts, and words, and doings,
All my days and all my hours.
Let my hands
perform His bidding,
Let my feet
run in His ways;
Let my eyes
see Jesus only,
Let my lips
speak forth His praise.”
E. And in Christ we are freed from the fear of death (Heb.
Hebrews
2:14-15
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also
himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who
through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
Through
his incarnation, sufferings, and death he has delivered us, who, through fear
of death, were all our lifetime subject to bondage. Death, formidable as it is,
is no longer king of terrors to God’s elect.
1. We have no reason to fear the death of this body.
Trusting
Christ, believing that we are in him, and having a good hope that we shall ever
be with him, we choose to depart this life and be with the Lord.
·
We know that to die is gain.
·
In the prospect of death and eternity, we can sing, “O death, where is thy sting! O grave, where
is thy victory!”
·
We both live and die in hope of the resurrection.
2. And in Christ, we have no reason to fear the second,
eternal death (Rev. 20:6).
Revelation
20:6
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such
the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with him a thousand years."
Being
justified by his grace and redeemed by his blood, the second death has no power
over God’s elect.
“Bold shall I stand in that great day!
For who ought
to my charge shall lay?
While through
Thy blood absolved I am,
From sin’s tremendous curse and blame?”
III. Still, the Word of God has something more to say about our liberty in
Christ - THERE IS A GLORIOUS LIBERTY YET TO BE REVEALED.
This is the liberty spoken of in our text. This is
the liberty which the sons of God shall have in the world to come.
A. As soon as the believer dies, he shall be with
Christ and with the spirits of just men made perfect - And he shall be free
from all sin.
1. We will be free from all the
corruption and defilement of sin.
2. We will be free from the
very being of sin!
3. And we will be free from all
the consequences of sin.
I do not
pretend to know all that awaits us in heaven. But this I know - There we shall
be free from everything associated with our sin!
·
Free from all unbelief!
·
Free from all doubts!
·
Free from all fears!
·
Free from all distresses!
·
Free from all evil thoughts!
·
Free from all temptations!
·
Free from all punishment!
·
Free from all pride!
·
Free from all conflict!
B. And when Jesus Christ comes again, these very bodies
shall be raised to “The Glorious
In the resurrection, these
bodies shall no longer be sinful, but glorious. And they shall not even bear
the scars and pains of sin!
1. This body shall be free from
every pain and disorder.
2. This body shall be immortal.
Body and
soul shall be joined together in perfection. We shall be like Christ. We shall
be with Christ. And we shall never be in danger of the bondage of sin again!
This is “The Glorious
Application:
1. Brethren, this liberty we
owe, in its entirety, to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us therefore use our
liberty for him.
Would
you be made free? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Amen.
[1]
See Sermon #433 and Doctrine #42 preached at