My July 5, 2009 Sermon, 'FREEDOM in Christ'

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I've titled my Sermon: FREEDOM in CHRIST. ...The truth will set you FREE! (John 8:32).
As we know, --We are in the midst of the 4th of July Holiday Weekend.
This is a time of FREEDOM Festivals & Parades, Displays of Patriotism, & Dancing in the Streets, Shopping-Sales, Traveling, Barbecues, Picnics, and a whole lot of Fireworks, --all in celebration of our country's --hard fought-- FREEDOM!
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Our nation's Declaration of Independence was signed, on July 4, 1776.
And now, --after 233 years -- we are still celebrating our nation's FREEDOM.
But, what is freedom really? Consider the freedom that is of God; that is, --
the precious gospel of Jesus Christ, -- God's Truth; --wherewith lies the divine power to set all men FREE!
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"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you FREE." (John 8:31-32).
God has given all persons, all nations, the means of true and everlasting FREEDOM, through Him, our Lord Jesus Christ.
That is, --freedom from this world, --freedom from the law of sin and death, freedom ---EVEN FROM THE STING OF DEATH !
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"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:55-57).
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God has sealed the Bible New Testament by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary.
This is God's new and better covenant for all mankind, --fulfilling for us, all of the law and the prophecies of the Old Testament,
--which the Bible says was but a schoolmaster, a mystery, or a shadow, of what was to come.
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I tell you, --No human being could make these things up!
Only God himself could withstand such tests of time, throughout the ages,--with 100% accuracy in both science and in prophecy.
To those who have eyes to see, and ears that hear,
--yes; the truth of God has made us FREE!
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--That is; FREEDOM through God's own sacrifice, God's only son, Jesus Christ, the perfect lamb,
By this, we know that God is compassionate, loving, and 'just.' Because God is 'just', --the truth is, that sin must be paid for. --yet our sins He paid for us in full, on our behalf, that we might be saved.
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"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13).
Jesus Christ has successfully given us the means of FREEDOM from the curse of the law of sin and death. Jesus Christ is given all power (authority) in heaven and in earth. (Mat. 28:18).
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Now, "... The 'JUST' shall live by FAITH." (Gal. 3:10-11).
" That in the ages to come (like now) he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:7-10).
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Therefore; --Christians have been set FREE,
because WE ARE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD,
AND SAVED THROUGH OUR FAITH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.
Yes! Jesus Christ is, and he demonstrated, --WHO HE SAID HE WAS!
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Christians are set FREE BY God's grace, THROUGH our faith
-- that Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matt. 28:18).
Christians are set FREE BY grace, THROUGH faith, believing that:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was ...
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made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. .....The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-5, 14).
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......... We are Saved --Set FREE-- BY God's loving GRACE :
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
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Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
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For he that is dead --Set FREE is FREED from sin. " (Rom 6:1-7)
We are Saved --Set FREE BY God's Grace THROUGH FAITH.
FAITH IN CHRIST IS OUR MEANS OF TRUE FREEDOM.
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Knowing, believing that we are saved from death, --BY God's Grace, THROUGH FAITH, -- and not of works-- than we can recognize how our Faith brings : FREEDOM from Fear.
Those who TRUST in Christ, NEVER HAVE TO WALK ALONE.
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Heb 13:6 says: "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
Faith brings: FREEDOM from Self Performance.
While Christ continually works to change us to be more like Him, there is great peace in knowing that He accepts us just like we are.
"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." (Rom. 7:14)
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Faith brings: FREEDOM from sin.
In the face of sin's guilt, we can experience "no condemnation." Through Christ, we now have the power to say "no" to the things that would destroy us.
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Rom. 8:1)
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Page 6a
"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:4-10).
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Page 6b ...Continuing into Chapter 2, (1 John 2: verses 1-6) :

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
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The potential for evil, or sin, resides within each of us. Within ourselves alone, no matter how hard we try, every one of us still falls short.
The Bible is clear; we cannot free ourselves from our own bondage.
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We are totally dependent on God and His grace.
"As it is written, There us none righteous, no, not one:........For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; Being justified FREELY by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:..." (Rom.3:10, 23-24).
Faith is our trust. Faith is our FREEDOM!
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Brothers and sisters in Christ,
we need to let our FREEDOM in Jesus Christ ring out to all of our friends, family and relatives, to ALL NATIONS,
'baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe whatsoever He has commanded us: and, lo, He is with us, even unto the end of the world. Amen.' (Mat. 28:19-20).
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(INVITATION:)
Finally, I would like to reach out an invitation,
in the name of Christian FREEDOM
to any persons here who have not yet been scripturally baptized
into Christ, for the remission of their sins.
"All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23).
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Perhaps now in spirit, you might have come to sense God's calling you
from bondage, from out of this fleeting world,
to the everlasting FREEDOM that is in CHRIST.
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Perhaps you were baptized earlier in your life, but for the wrong reason, --and not for the remission of sins.
Perhaps you were 'sprinkled' with water, instead of being submersed. Did you 'come up out of the water,' or were you sprinkled?
Perhaps you have been baptized, but as an infant who had no clue as to what was going on.
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Maybe you have been taught, that babies need to be baptized in order to be saved. But, can babies believe? Can babies repent? Can babies confess? Do babies really sin?
Will God really send a baby who has not been baptized into everlasting hell and damnation?
And, where in the Bible does it declare a need for any such thing, as a so- called 'Sacrament of 'Confirmation' in a baby's later, or adult, years?
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I tell you, --God's Word certainly does make the babies FREE!
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." (Ezek. 18:20).
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Page 10.
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE.
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made FREE?
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Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servent of sin.
And the servent abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth EVER.
If the Son therefore shall make you FREE, ye shall be FREE indeed." (John 8:31-36).
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The Lord's 'church' was established in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, 33 A.D. This is when the apostle Peter preached, through the Holy Spirit,
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and answered to the people there, who were highly remorseful,
and asking Peter and the rest of the apostles, " What shall we do?'
"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ FOR the FORGIVENESS of your sins.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit......'
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With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'SAVE yourselves from this corrupt generation.'
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2:38-41).
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Now; there may be someone here who has not yet experienced this eternal joy, or known about,
--the true and everlasting FREEDOM, which the Bible talks about,
which is available to those who receive Jesus Christ, --to those who believe and obey the gospel, by repenting of their sins, and by putting the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on in water baptism.
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Baptism into Jesus Christ is dieing to self, in the likeness of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection;
--that is, to rise up out of the water in holy baptism, a new creature, a new life, in Christ, FREE from the bondage of this world, and to the Law of the Old Testament, FREEDOM to become one with Christ, to follow and trust Jesus God, your maker, -- throughout life; God, who will clothe you in eternal FREEDOM and PEACE in all circumstances.
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And at your Baptism, --God will give you the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to help you in every way, your own body even becoming a temple of God.
"... when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" (1 Peter 3:20-21).
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Like the Ethiopian nobelman eunuch, said to Philip,
who had been explaining to him the Scriptures about Jesus,
--"See, here is much water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.
And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
And he commanded the chariot to stand still:
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and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
And when they were come up out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip,
that the eunuch saw him no more:
and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:36-39).
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Page 14.
Now, in like manner, --you can also experience this FREEDOM in Christ!
--See here we also have much water [show the baptistry],
-- what doth hinder YOU NOW, to being baptized into Christ Jesus?
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I encourage any person, or persons, who is here this morning, who have never yet been baptized into Christ, for the remission of their sins, and who are indeed old enough to comprehend what they are doing, and who do believe,and are ready to confess that Jesus is the Son of God; who have repented of their sins, and are desiringto put Christ on in scriptural baptism,
-- while receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit -- to please come forward, when the congregation sings our invitational song.
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Like the Ethiopian Nobelman; as soon as he came upon much water; why not make use of this opportunity that the Lord has given you? "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the nameof the Lord." (Acts 22:15-16).

If you feel that GOD is calling you now, to FREEDOM IN CHRIST, --please come forward, up to the front pews, as we sing:.....

( "Just As I Am," Page 924.)
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Sunday Morning Sermon, July 5, 2009, by Donald Cole, Randolph Chruch of Christ, NJ