Living in Freedom: Empowered by the Spirit

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Religion says do, the gospel says done. That is the reality and so you and I cannot earn it but we also can't lose it. This is a powerful reality. We've been sealed by the Holy Spirit, a guarantee in our midst. [00:05:54]

Christ has literally set us free from the bondage of performance based religion and we are no longer slaves to endless rules or you know or being exhausted on there this treadmill saying I just got to perform I got to do things that are enough for God to accept me. [00:06:16]

We haven't been freed from sin to live under the rules again but we have been freed by the spirit for a new way of living and that's what I want us to to come to understand. How do I live in the power of the spirit? How do I access this freedom but then walk in the fullness of it? [00:07:06]

Freedom is found in daily dynamic reality of walking in step of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who empowers us to live out the very love and righteousness that the law and all of its commandments could not help us do. [00:07:35]

All of our human attempts to be justified to God by our own works is futile. There is a life that God has for us. [00:08:06]

There is a life that God has for us, and I want to read for us from Galatians 5, reading from verse 13 through to 25. It says, For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [00:08:14]

But when we do come in the Spirit, by faith in Jesus, when we do come before Him, we say, Lord, the only thing I have is I put my faith in Jesus. And God looks at you and me, and He's judged us through Christ. So all of the penalty was taken by Jesus on our behalf. So this is the type of freedom that we're looking for. [00:11:06]

But there's a fifth freedom that we already need, and this is the one that I think enables us more so in the others, and that's the freedom from ourselves. Because this man, like Paul writes, he's like, who can help me escape from this body of death? Who can set me free from myself? That's my prayer. I'm like, Lord Jesus, please just make me more like you because I don't like this guy that I'm living with. I'd much rather have you than me. [00:12:26]

God invites us to exercise our freedom. And Paul gives us this formula for liberty or for freedom. He says, liberty plus love equals service to others. That is true freedom. When we no longer live for ourselves, but we now love our neighbors as ourself. [00:14:58]

Love replaces the law. In Romans chapter 13, verse 10, it says, Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. If you want to increase in the walking of the Spirit and the freedom that God has, ask God to fill you with His love on a daily basis. [00:15:38]

Love is not a feeling, it's a decision, an attitude, a promise. If we are to love authentically we must choose to do so whether we feel like it or not and that's really is the reality friends often I don't feel like worshiping I don't feel like showing affection towards the Lord and I certainly then don't necessarily feel like doing that towards others but I have to then choose Lord I'm choosing to be devoted to you I'm choosing to love you I'm choosing to follow you and I want you to transform me by your spirit. [00:17:49]

God doesn't want us to live in slave to our old nature just how it is man it's just my heart is but the spirit gives us the power to overcome it there is an inner war that's happening it's real if you haven't realized it yet now I'm telling you you'll be you'll be able to see in a moment if you're giving yourself over to certain aspects that are in the flesh you'll see that they are opposed to the spirit and when you and I begin to make a choice I'm not gonna youlive like this anymore. I'm not going to follow after this anymore. [00:18:47]

You and I cannot find a fight or win the fight alone. We need the Spirit's help, and we also need one another's help. God wants us to surrender, not strive. I really believe this. Paul's answer, again, he says in verse 16, he says, walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [00:25:48]

I can live the life that God has for me, and that he's promised over me, when I realize I don't live anymore. I can't crucify myself. I've been crucified with Christ. Therefore, I no longer live. Galatians 2 verse 20. You and I, on a daily basis, I've got to start the day saying, Lord, I'm giving you everything. I'm laying down my life, my attitudes, my finances, every aspect. [00:26:27]

Watchmanee said the following, you cannot manage the flesh, you must execute it. Ba -pow! Just done. Finished. That is just how serious we have to be if we're going to live in the Spirit, friends. We've got to be that serious. [00:26:57]

The Spirit liberates us from losing the battle of our flesh and empowers us to live a life of true freedom and obedience. [00:27:16]

We are living beings created in the image of God to bear much fruit. What kind of fruit are we supposed to bear? fruit that multiplies. Fruit that gives birth to more fruit. [00:28:10]

The Spirit doesn't produce works. It produces fruit through you and I. And if we look at the ninefold gifts of...fruits that that Paul mentions each one of them is a character of Jesus and maybe a way of looking at them if we look at the three categories the first three we see love joy peace these are the God word fruits they're reflecting your connection with God. [00:28:41]

Can people come and eat from you what are they eating from you what do they receive do they receive from your selfishness and pride and and you know ambition and the very the same should what do they what do they receivereceive from you, or do they receive from you love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self -control. God wants you and I to live in the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. [00:30:34]

Jesus said that in John 15, 8, it says, by this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. That's how we show it, but then how do we do that? How do we increase? We continue to keep in step with the Spirit. That means that we spend time in God's Word. I am transformed on a daily basis. [00:31:01]

God wants us to flourish. He wants us to bear fruit. And that's how we do it. We sometimes feel under major pressure. But later on, God is faithful to bring about that fruit and fruitfulness. [00:33:11]

God wants you and I to live unleashed. He doesn't want us to be bound, but he wants us to be free in the spirit as we walk with him. And I want to encourage you to walk in that fifth freedom, to get free of yourself and full of the spirit. [00:33:24]

God doesn't want us to.try harder. He wants us to yield deeper. Don't try harder. Yield deeper to his purpose. Don't carry this weight of perfection. Don't carry this trying to perform and earn God's acceptance. The Holy Spirit isn't there to judge your effort, but he's there to empower your life. [00:34:36]

The Holy Spirit is a person, part of the triune God, but he's a person who now lives inside of you and me, and we are now seated with Christ, and he's ready to help us every single day. [00:35:09]

You and I need to start with surrender, and that is daily prayer, friends. Maybe just take 30 seconds before you wake up, or as you wake up, maybe before you wake up would be a bit like, wow, you really got a hotline there. As you wake up, before you reach for the phone or the things you need to do, just take a moment. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Fill me today, Lord. Fill my heart, fill my mind with your presence right now. I want to yield myself to you. Before I start walking one step today, I want it to be for your glory. [00:35:31]

The way that I've become most like Jesus has not been necessarily through sitting in a pew on a sunday the most transformation that's happened in my life it's happened because i've spent time with other believers in a smaller group circle and even more powerfully when i've journeyed with somebody on a regular basis we're praying together and i'm sharing with you and we're talking what what's god saying to you in your life what are some of your struggles what do you need prayer for able to respond to that god wants you and i to embrace that. [00:37:15]

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