“FREE INDEED”

I do not find in scripture where fallen man is said to be free in any sense. We are described as being in bondage with our will and affections bound to our depraved natures and only willing and wanting that which is sin. When free will was exercised by our father Adam, our whole race chose sin and fell in sin in him. Men by their own wills took the Son of God and crucified Him hanging Him on a tree. Their cries vocalized their wills and they said, “We will not have this man to rule over us.” They would not will to come to Christ and this because they were slaves to sin. Man is described as being taken captive by the Devil at his will! We are never described as free agents but as rebel sinners, dead in trespasses and sins. If a man is in a prison cell chained tight, you could not call him free in any sense just because he can walk from one side of his cell to the other! No, such is our bondage and the slavery sin that we must be totally liberated by One outside of ourselves, the Lord Jesus Christ. This liberation requires His blood and His power! “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) These are words spoken to slaves who until they are set free by Christ, know nothing of freedom. This Christ did in His cross death and by the work of His Spirit. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” (Luke 4:18) Believers in Christ are free from the law, free from the bondage and guilt of their sin, free from the dominion and power of sin, free from the Devil and free to worship, praise and serve God forever! They are “free indeed!” Though Christ’s death afforded them this liberty, they are yet found bound in their experience. What a great day it is when the Spirit of God takes the gospel of Christ and reads it to their hearts and minds like an emancipation proclamation! “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Ro 8:2) But there are ever those who would bind the Lord’s redeemed ones again. We cannot worship or praise God aright in such a bound up condition. Paul says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1) Only as those free in Christ can we worship Him! Only as liberated bond servants can we serve Him and give Him glory! ( Exo. 21:1-6) We have been loved freely, justified freely and therefore we love Christ and follow Him freely!

GS

OUR MOTIVATION

What is our motivation to serve the Lord? Most churches induce people to work for God with one of two methods (generally with a mixture of the two). [1] Threats of punishment. Many preachers instill within their hearers a need to be faithful and serve God otherwise the Lord will lay heavy stripes upon them. By this tactic people are moved to activity by a fear of what God will do to them if they don't obey Him. They therefore attend, give, and try to serve God out of slavish fear. "If you don't tithe, God will get His money at the doctor's office, or at the auto repair shop. If you don't attend, God will make you sick so you will not be able to attend." The motivation, therefore, is not to gratefully and lovingly serve God for His glory, but serve Him in order to keep the Lord off your back and to keep you out of the proverbial dog house! [2] Promise of rewards. This motivating principle says that the more you do for the Lord, the more He will give you when you get to heaven. Do a lot and get a lot; do little and get little. This is a mercenary motivation, laboring for wages.

Years ago I sat under the ministry of preachers who said to us that it will be very sad for some Christians when they get to heaven. They will arrive there by the skin of their teeth and receive no rewards from God because they did not serve Him. One professor in the Bible College I attended used to teach that there will be some believers in heaven who will live in a mansion on Main Street, having earned a higher place in the kingdom of God by their faithfulness and good works. Others, however, will live in a shack in the slum section of heaven and be ashamed that they didn't obey the Lord and earn some rewards. What nonsense!

In the Word of God, neither threats or rewards are used by the inspired writers to move the children of God to serve Him in this world. The motivating principle is always to serve the Lord with thanksgiving and love because of what He has done for us through and by Christ Jesus. Paul said, "The love of Christ constraineth us" (2 Corinthians 5:14). When the apostle would encourage the Roman believers to a life of commitment to the Lord, he did not use threats of punishment nor did he use the promise of rewards. He said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). God has showed us mercy for Christ' s sake. All of our sins were washed away in the river of Christ's blood. He satisfied the demands of the law and by His atonement He fully and finally put away our sins. It is, therefore, the most reasonable thing in this world to serve the Lord in light of all He has done for me! We are not slaves, afraid of what the Master will do to us if we don't serve Him, we are sons and rejoice to labor in the cause of God. And we do not serve as hirelings, for reward. We want no more than Christ! "The Lord is my Portion said my soul" (Lamentation 3:24). I shall, therefore, seek to serve Him in this world moved by the most effectual of all motivating principles, the power of love - Christ's love to me, and my God-given love for Him. And if I am privileged to serve Him and do good things in this world, I desire no credit, for my service to the Lord is only because of His enabling grace. The Lord, therefore, must (and shall) receive all the glory. "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).

Jim Byrd

THE UNCOMPROMISING GOSPEL

"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10). This matter of our salvation is so wisely structured that God can show mercy upon poor sinners without compromising the righteous demands of His justice. In the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, mercy and truth are so met together, and righteousness and peace have so kissed each other, that it is now not only an act of lovingkindness and tender mercy for God to pardon our sins and receive us, but it is an act of strictest justice. God has accepted the righteous obedience of Christ Who made full satisfaction to divine justice on the behalf of all His fallen sheep.

Jim Byrd

3 Message Set on CD available upon request:

Pastor Jim Byrd preaching in our meeting this past weekend:

The Declaration of Grace – Ephesians 1

The Triumph of Grace – Ephesians 2

The Revelation of Grace – Ephesians 3

Or listen to them online at http://www.sermonaudio.com/allsovgrace