Freedom, The Grand Proposition Part 2

Galatians 2:17-21
But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

 

Colossians 2:8-10

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority.

Ruth is a 44 year old stay at home mother of five from Pennsylvania. When asked why don’t you attend church she replied:
“I’m active in Scouts with my daughters, and my husband and I both coach teams for our kids. I feel if we were involved in a Church that would mean other commitments. And I can’t say that the activities we have now model anything other than moral, uplifting behavior. So I don’t see how church could add much to our lives.”

When a relationship with all mighty God and service to the institution he established is compared to athletic teams or boy scouts, something is wrong at the core of ones value system!

In Christ I have:
A new life
A Love that endures
A liberty and freedom that I can celebrate

I. A new life
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me”

When Paul says “I no longer live” He is stating that Paul the self- righteous Pharisee died, but Paul the great Apostle remained!

To think that God would die for us is a remarkable thought! To know that Jesus would allow sin to be placed on him, the sin of the world-our sin-in order to pay a debt we owed is incredible!
If you were to ask Jesus today the one reason for his coming to earth, He would sum up his entire ministry in one statement: He came to seek and to save that which was lost. That’s us!

Paul is teaching us an invaluable truth that through Christ’s death we live! Christ lives in me! He became the substitute for our death, taking our place.

History records that during the Civil War, many acts of violence were committed by both the armies of the north and the south. Once such act occurred in October of 1862 in the town of Palmyra, Missouri.
The commander of the army ordered ten men shot in reprisal for the work of an informer in the town who leaked information to the enemy. Several men were being detained in Palmyra jail as prisoners of war at that time, and ten were selected from among them. One of the number was William T. Humphrey, the father of several children. His wife pleaded for his release because of the children and her poor physical condition. Because of this, the commanding officer struck Humphrey’s name from the list and chose the name of Hiram Smith, a young man without a family. Hiram agreed to take the place of Humphrey, stating that perhaps it was better for a single man to die than a man with a family.
The ten men were shot on October 17, 1862 in what has come to be known as the “Palmyra massacre.” At the Mount Pleasant Church cemetery, there is a stone erected at the grave of Hiram Smith by G. W. Humphrey, the son of the reprieved man. It reads: “This monument is dedicated to the memory of HIRAM SMITH, the hero who sleeps beneath the sod here, who was shot at Palmyra, October 17, 1862 as a substitute for William T. Humphrey, my father.”

In a very real way your life and mine becomes a living-breathing monument to the one who rescued us from imminent danger- the Lord Jesus Christ!

And that’s why Christians bristle and are saddened when someone like Ruth says:
“So I don’t see how church could add much to our lives.”

Paul writes "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me"

Other organizations have their place, and we’re to support them and our children’s athletics, but when they take precedence over God’s work and his church, something is wrong!
As we discussed last week, our response to the life we receive by the GRACE of God, is to do the good works and live our lives for him. It’s not a part-time option.
A wife who is 85% faithful to her husband is not faithful at all. There is no such thing as part-time loyalty to Jesus Christ.

And so we find that we have new life in Christ.

II. A Love that endures:
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”

Paul meant that now Christ was living in him and through him. In other words, the meaning of life for me is that Jesus Christ is now my life. He lives His life in me.

It is like a glove, for example. A glove cannot do anything by itself. It needs a hand to fill it. When the glove has a hand inside, it is enabled to do all sorts of things. We are like a glove. What we need is the Lord to fill us with His power. Then we will be able to do all things through Christ, who is living in us. And that is precisely what we have now in Christ. Colossians 2:9-10 says, "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him." In Christ we have all sufficiency.

In the December 4, 1989 issue of Newsweek magazine, there was an article about a little known mental disorder called erotomania. It is a mental illness in which a person has the delusion that he or she is the object of someone’s love.
Some imagine love affairs that continue for years, yet it all exists only in the imagination of the sufferer. The title of the article was "The Delusions of Love." While romantic love may have many delusions, there is no delusion about God’s love.

The Apostle Paul is reminding us of the matchless love of God, and that includes us! His reminder challenges us to stay close to the Lord, to refuse to relegate devotion to God as simply a good thing to do. It’s the only thing to do, in response to our rescue!

The Ruth’s of this world see church attendance as a good thing, a moral thing, but not any more important than a den meeting for a local boy scout troop! The Ruth’s of this world, and there are many, see devotion to God as a good thing but not necessarily the best thing and certainly not as important as spending every weekend coaching a little league team!

What is our response? The Apostle makes clear where his allegiance is: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

In Christ I have:
A new life
A Love that endures…and

III. A liberty that I celebrate:
”I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

In essence the Apostle is stating that because of Christ’s horrific death, he and all those who follow the Lord have present benefits that are incredible! Life becomes a celebration! Our lives surrendered to the one who surrendered his for us, leads to fulfillment, not confinement!
And that beats any scout meeting or athletic event hands down!

It’s not that spending time volunteering for community groups are wrong, not at all. We need to get involved in helping our community when we can.
When that involvement takes the place of Worshiping God and celebrating the rescue He accomplished on our behalf on the cross, then it becomes not only wrong but senseless!

“I’m active in Scouts with my daughters, and my husband and I both coach teams for our kids. I feel if we were involved in a Church that would mean other commitments. And I can’t say that the activities we have now model anything other than moral, uplifting behavior. So I don’t see how church could add much to our lives.”

I want to say to Ruth: You’re right. The Church can’t add anything to your life! Until you come to the one who established the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ!
When He becomes your heart your passion you will be drawn to Him and what He loves, and Jesus loved the Church so much died for it!

D.M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, "I don’t like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the teacher and example."

Stearns replied, "If I presented Christ in that way, would you be willing to follow Him?" "I certainly would," said the stranger without hesitation. "All right then," said the preacher, "let’s take the first step. He did no sin. Can you claim that for yourself?"

The man looked confused and somewhat surprised. "Why, no," he said. "I acknowledge that I do sin." Stearns replied, "Then your greatest need is to have a Savior, not an example!"

Ruth needs a Savior and so do we!

In Christ she can have:
A new life
A Love that endures
A liberty to celebrate

" I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20