The Culture of Freedom

(John 8:31-36) To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

(Romans 6:17-18 BSB) But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

The Chain of Slavery

• What is slavery?
• What actually makes you a slave?
• What are the real but invisible chains?
• What’s the difference between a slave and a prisoner?
• We will always, always, always SERVE what we feel we need!

“To know the truth” = is not a reference to the information you know or have been taught. The Bible is not teaching that your freedom is based on the accuracy of the information that you have collected.

The literal translation of these words from their origin implies something far more personal and internal. To know the truth is referring to an “applied truth”

• Collected truth or even an understood truth.
• “To know” is closer to your heart than it is to your head. It’s an applied truth. Applied truth is transformational truth.

There are 3 ways you can respond to this truth. Paul helps us understand

1. The ________________________

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolish, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  1Corinthians 2:14

2. The ________________________

The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.  1Corinthians 2:15

3. The ________________________

Brothers and sisters I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk not solid food for you were not ready for it. You are still not ready. You are still worldly.  For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.  For these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Galatians 5:17 ESV

Con Carne

• Discernment is >off<
• Judgment is >off<
• Desires is >off<

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:12-14 NLT

1. __________________your objective.

(James 4:2-3) You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

2. _________________ what you will do.
3. _________________ results.

(Isaiah 58:8-9) Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…