by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Proclaim Freedom
1 Peter 2:16, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. The King James Bible translates 1 Peter 2: 15-16 as, “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
Grace that comes from God to the repentant sinner is not a license to continue to sin, therefore, it is not to be used as fire insurance to save people from the gates of hell even though they choose to stay enslaved to sin. The flesh, this world’s view and the devil convince people that they have freedom to live as they like. Jesus pointed out this way of thinking was not true. The truth is that unrepentant sinners are in bondage – but in Christ repentant sinners are set free to choose to whom they want to be enslaved.
Through Romans 6:16-23 the Lord wants you to: Remember Something. Christians can only “Proclaim Freedom in Christ” when they live like they remember their decision to accept the ultimate price paid for their sin and that they have invited Jesus to be both Savior and Lord of their lives. Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Those who live in a nation with a motto, “In God We Trust” take notice of Christians who live sacrificially for the Lord because these illuminated Christians are able to find God’s will for them and live it out. Those who live in America notice the huge difference between those who are truly born again and those who have only a form of godliness while denying the power of God.
Do Something. Serve the Lord with the same enthusiasm and fervor that you served sin. When I was without Christ I could work for my dad pitching hay bales, go to my work at the State Hospital and stay out late into the night drinking and tasting the false sweetness of sin. Jesus said the most important commandment is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) By way of application the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
Proclaiming Freedom in Christ is achieved by living by the whole counsel of God’s Word enjoyed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Proclaim Freedom
1 Peter 2:16, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. The King James Bible translates 1 Peter 2: 15-16 as, “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Grace that comes from God to the repentant sinner is not a license to continue to sin. Therefore, it is not to be used as fire insurance to save people from the gates of hell even though they choose to stay enslaved to sin. The flesh, this world’s view and the devil convince people that they have freedom to live as they like. Jesus pointed out this way of thinking was not true. The truth is that unrepentant sinners are in bondage – but in Christ repentant sinners are set free to choose whom they want to be enslaved.
Through Romans 6:16-23 the Lord wants you to:
1.) Learn Something. Born again Christians shall not be dominated by sin. Every day the Christian has the authority to pray, “Lord, ‘Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.’” (Psalm 119:133) This prayer in found in Psalm 119 which gives praise to God for His word and gives the only way of living pure in God’s sight, by living according to the Word of God. There are only two choices on the shelf: become a slave to sin by not prayerfully reading and meditating upon the Word of God or become a slave to righteousness in Christ by prayerfully meditating upon and obeying the written Word of God.
2.) Know Something. You can only serve one master. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Luke 16:13 NAS) “Wealth,” (mammonas) here is placing your value on what you own, making your life’s vision to gain possessions and/or fame. It is the worship of materialism. (Complete Word Study of the New Testament) I remember when Arabian Horses were my god. They still are a god to many. I nailed horseshoes on horse’s feet for the purpose of serving man’s idols, for fame and for the hope of getting wealthy. After becoming a Christian I learned stewardship. Then I enjoyed the liberty of trimming horse’s feet and nailing horseshoes on because those horses belong to the Lord and I was taking care of His possessions. Know for a fact, people can choose slavery to the world’s view or choose slavery to Christ by making time to learn Biblical stewardship.
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Proclaim Freedom
Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance.” Hebrews 13:7 says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Jesus warns not to let possessions and money be the guiding purpose in how you live. (Matthew 6:24) The Apostle Paul teaches that idolatry is not the first stage of religion, but the deliberate act of apostasy. When mankind chooses not to worship their Creator, the Lord surrenders them over to all forms of idolatry. When we consider the whole counsel of God’s Word, we see that idolatry is widened to include anything that leads to the dethronement of the Lord from the spiritual heart of mankind. (International Dictionary of the Bible)
Idolatry in the heart of mankind has caused people in America to reject the whole counsel of God’s Word and leave the original foundational truths which first governed the United States of America. Those the Lord is talking about actually make a covenant with sin, make a choice to sin and actually make provision for the flesh to participate in sin. Their brand of sin often becomes apparent because they make it their custom to give servitude to all who can and will publish and promote their sin.
Americans apart from a personal relationship with Christ will appoint politicians, judges and officials who make laws that give them liberties to indulge in their desired life style. They hire religious leaders who will tell them what the itching ears want to hear, thus bringing mockery to the house of God. They find doctors, specialists of all kinds and others of influence to bring credibility to their lifestyle. Even in the height of their indulgence the people of America are in bondage. Broken homes, unplanned parenting, single mothers, drug abuse, crime, and unfulfilled dreams at the very least are robbing families of the full enjoyment that God had originally planned for the home.
The removal of God and Christ from our public schools has produced bitterness, unrest, unclear vision and wrong motives for achievement. Striving for wealth and fame has replaced the joy found in servant-hood.
In a country where there is more accessibility to different ways of learning and feeding oneself the Word of God, there is less knowledge of God’s Word today than what our “Founding Fathers” had when this nation was established. Most of them had great knowledge and walked in healthy fear of the Lord. The bondage of self-fulfillment has replaced the hunger for God’s righteousness and the holiness of Christ in too many churches. Any message pointing people to the whole counsel of God’s Word is disregarded as much today as it ever was in the time of Jeremiah, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.
Through a relationship with Christ, Christians can by choice live for all to see, “In God We Trust.” It all begins with a true faith in Christ Jesus.
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Proclaim Freedom
1 Peter 2:16, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. The King James Bible translates 1 Peter 2: 15-16 as, “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
There was a song written over 175 years ago that has blessed many in America titled, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.’” Listen to these words. “My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing: land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring! My native country, thee, land of the noble free, Thy name I love; l love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills like that above. Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees. Sweet freedom’s song: Let mortal tongues awake, let all that breathe partake; let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong. Our father’s God, to thee, Author of liberty, to thee we sing: Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by thy might, great God, our king!”
Christians in America are called by God’s Word to live in such a way that proclaims freedom, freedom from the bondage of the flesh, the lures of the world and from the lies of the devil. The Liberty Bell has a portion of Leviticus 25:10 prominently displayed in a band around the top: “…proclaim liberty throughout the land.” (America’s Christian History)
Just what are the benefits and responsibilities of living in a country founded by God fearing men? How do Christians express a life of liberty? There are many Biblical truths to answering these two life changing questions. Yes, there are many Biblical truths to grasp on this very important theme.
Make time to search out this series, “Living Responsibly Before Christ and Men.” In answering these two questions I will be covering powerful truths such as, “Recognizing God’s Sovereignty Over All Things,” “Praising the Lord for the Freedoms We Enjoy” and “Practically Living in the Freedom Christ Purchased for Us.” Learn how to proclaim freedom in Christ!
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Proclaim Freedom
1 Peter 2:16, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. The King James Bible translates 1 Peter 2: 15-16 as, “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
The first step to proclaiming freedom is to recognize God’s sovereignty over all things and praise the Lord for the freedoms we enjoy. Psalm 37: 3-4 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.”
This psalm was written by King David in his old age, (The Treasury of David) and was inspired by the Holy Spirit calming the minds of the people of the Lord as they are faced with everything that stands against the truths of God’s Word. King Solomon, the son of David, knew of the sovereignty of God and he was not ashamed to praise the Lord. In 1 Chronicles 6:4 we read of him saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hands fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David…” King Solomon “…showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statues of his father David…” (1 Kings 3:3) When the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, Solomon responded with, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart…” (1 Kings 3:5-6)
Let the Holy Spirit probe your heart with these questions. Do you recognize God’s sovereignty and are you able to praise Him for the fulfilled promises found in His written Word? Are you hungry to know God’s written Word? Are you found righteous in Christ Jesus and upright in heart?
During a time of praising God and humble service, Solomon asked for a very special endowment. His prayer was, “…give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong…” (1 Kings 3:9) Solomon, king of Judah and Israel is known for being the king whose reign was peaceful. The people enjoyed freedom, and he had world wide fame because of the wisdom God had given him. (Who’s Who in the Bible; Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31)
The Founding Fathers of the United Sates of America knew that the fear of the Lord was needed before they could enjoy liberty. The Jefferson Memorial includes these words of Jefferson, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.” (America’s Christian History)
Americans must have the same convictions as our early founding fathers. They must walk in a reverent fear of the Lord, and recognize that His justice cannot sleep forever. We need statesmen, who are hungry for a discerning heart to govern the citizens of the United States of America.
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