Free Indeed! Free Forever! Debt Free in 2017!
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. ~ Isaac Newton
Because of Christ, we are free indeed and free forever.
Freedom is a treasure and a legacy. Freedom is a treasure because it is valuable. Freedom is a legacy because we did not create it, we only inherited it. Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. We have the responsibility to live a certain way and we have the responsibility to share it.
When Jesus says He makes people “free indeed” he is talking about freedom in the total sense, at every level. On the national holiday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior we not only celebrate the work of the man but of an entire movement of which he is the most visible figure. He is a figure that cannot be hidden, though many others are hidden in history.
The civil rights movement was more than a movement of freedom, it was a movement of the exercise of the rights of freedom. Because key people in the movement were believers in Christ, such as Rev. Dr. King, they were “free indeed.” They possessed the spiritual and moral strength to resist the oppression of wrong and evil people and work to bring about change. People will religion are not free indeed. Only people with the freedom that Christ gives are fully free.
Because they were (and we are) free indeed, they conducted their fight on the highest moral ground. “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” Rev. Dr. KIng
Because of Christ and his preparation, Dr. King possesed the spiritual and intellectual capacity to be prophetic and proactive. He and the ministers who led the movement were closer to God and smarter than their oppressors. This is another advantage of possessing freedom through Christ. Psalms 119:98 reads, Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.
In our text, the Jewish people, who would later come into the fullness of freedom through Christ, only had their past to embrace. They said, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” The people assumed they possessed all the freedom they needed. We don’t want to make that same mistake in only leaning on religion or what people define as freedom.
We don’t know what we don’t know. That is why Christ came to show us more. He did not bring more religion into the world, He brought the power of a relationship with God through the New Birth…this is the source of “free indeed.”
Here in the 21st-century many people are not living in the full measure of freedom because they have not experienced freedom indeed through Christ.
The Civil Rights movement was not a secular movement, though it affected society. Prayer was the foundation of the movement…something that many historical accounts omit. History has recast the movement as a secular movement. No, it was a God inspired movement led by preachers and believers in Christ. It was a movement that included not only black men and women, but courageous white men and women. The Civil Rights movement was one of the most prophetic movements of the 20th-century because God was honored and people were lifted to a higher place.
Freedom Definition in the civil context: The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint; Absence of subjection to domination or despotic government.
A despot is: A ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel and unfair ways.
Freedom in the spiritual context: The power to know God, love God, love others, act in accordance with the will and Word of God. It is the power to be free from sin, demonic, and carnal influence to fulfill the Character of Christ.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.” (M.L. King) One cannot think and talk in this manner unless one is “free indeed.”
We Are Free Indeed and Free Forever. That is why we are empowered and can empower others.
Definition of empower: Help people gain power or authority to do something great
Free indeed is also financial freedom: "Free indeed" must also include freedom from debt. The Bible says “The borrower is servant to the lender.” (Prov. 22:7) People who are free indeed should also be free from debt. Ultimately, we are stewards, not owners. A steward is someone who manages the property and affairs of an owner.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
Everything we have is a gift from God. We have a tendency to act like we “earned” things, but that’s not the full truth. Without our life, time, talents and opportunities provided by the Lord, we wouldn’t have anything! This is true also for people who do not acknowledge Him in their lives.
Consistent with freedom in the fullest sense of its meaning, I am pleased to announce that in 2017 New Covenant Church will be completely debt free! This is an expression of “free indeed.”
I want to also share that if you are connected to this ministry through your prayers and support, you share in our collective blessing and breakthrough!
If you want to learn more about our 2017 "Building His Kingdom" breakthrough, visit the NCC website.
Because of Christ, we are free indeed and free forever.
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Listen to the message, "Free Indeed! Free Forever!" http://bryanhudson.podbean.com/mobile/
