March 6, 2011
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7 PM Midweek Service
Youth Bible Study, Friday, March 25, 7pm
Bondage or Liberty
John 8: 31-36
As the Lord preached the gospel "many believed on him”. But as soon as the Lord spoke of being made free those who did not believe, protested, saying, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?”
The Servant Abideth not in the House Forever
The Lord Jesus answered those who claimed freedom by their natural relationship to Abraham, saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant 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.” Those who have not been born of the Spirit of God and given faith in Christ Jesus are children of the flesh, of the bondwoman, under the law and must be cast out as allegorized in Abraham’s son Ishmael (Galatians 3: 21-31; John 3: 19-21)
What is Bondage?
Bondage is the natural state of every person. Each are born under the curse and power of the law of sin and death. No sinner has power to escape but is under the threats of the curse constantly. (Galatians 3: 10.) This is true not only of those who live a profane life, but even those who are the straightest in religion (James 2: 10.) All who are born of the flesh are on the same ground—cursed! (Romans 3: 13-19, 23.)
What is it to be Free Indeed?
The Lord said, “but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Those born of the Spirit of God and given faith in Christ have been made free indeed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is mixed with everything the believer does, yet no threat of the law shall ever be executed upon one for whom Christ died.
How Has the Son Made his Children Free?
The Son of God was made of a woman taking on him the nature of his elect (Hebrews 2: 16). He was made under the law, proven the spotless Lamb of God without any sin of his own (Galatians 4: 4-5; 1 Peter 1: 18-19; 2: 22.) In the perfection of obedience, Christ willingly submitted to the LORD who laid on him the iniquity of all his elect, who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree (Isaiah 53: 6; 2 Corinthians 2: 25; 1 Peter 2: 24). Therefore, God was just to curse Christ in place of his children (Galatians 3: 13.) The iniquities which separated his children from God, the sins which hid God’s face from his children, separated Christ from God in our place when he cried out, “My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?” (Isaiah 53: 9; Matthew 27: 46.) Having bruised our Substitute with his stripes every believer is healed and God is just to show us mercy. In that Christ died, he died unto sin once: but in that Christ liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Isaiah 53: 5; 1 Peter 2: 24; Romans 6: 10-11; 8: 1-4; Hebrews 8: 12; Isaiah 26: 12.) So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Hebrews 9: 28.) By his blood, Christ has delivered us from the penalty of sin. In regeneration, we are delivered from sin’s dominion and our conscience is purged from the guilt of sin. When we lay aside this earthly frame in death, we shall be freed from the body and being of sin into“the glorious liberty of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:23).
Will Complete Freedom Make a Believer Continue in Sin?
Does your liberty in America make you want to live in a third world country? The price our Redeemer paid to make us free causes sin to break the believer’s heart and makes us draw nearer to him (Psalm 51.) Freedom in Christ is the only soul-refreshing good news that will make a sinner truly obedient from the heart, glorifying God in their body and in their spirit because they are not their own but bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20). He shall ordain peace for us because he has also worked all our works in us (Isaiah 26: 12). His Spirit refreshes, revives, guides, and holds us up, saying to the believer--"My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12: 19).
How Do I Obtain this Freedom?