libertyTag Archive -

Grace and Freedom: Reborn to Be Wild!

October 4, 2011 in Jesus Movement with 0 Comments

Remembering The Jesus Movement

A few years ago I wrote a book, Reborn to Be Wild. It was all about the Jesus Movement revival of the 60s and 70s.

I’m a Jesus Movement convert, and in the middle six chapters of the book I answered the question,“Why did the Jesus Movement quit moving?” from my perspective.

A Lie We Believed

One of the lies we believed that domesticated us to the point of irrelevance was: Grace and freedom are dangerous.

Really? Then why did Paul write his most scathing letter to the Galatians? Read it for yourself. If you’re not already anesthetized by the institutional church, it will awaken your wild heart in Christ.

One of my favorite sentences from the book captures the truth of Galatians:

Grace isn’t optional; it’s necessary. Freedom isn’t dangerous; it’s glorious!

Question: Are you afraid of grace and freedom?

Why?

I promise you that if you risk trusting the truth of Galatians, it will unleash your Christian life.

Use Your Freedom (Galatians 5:7-15)

September 27, 2011 in Bible Teaching,Church of the Open Door,Ed's Sermons with 0 Comments

Series 42 / 56 Galatians: Grace in Your Face

Use Your Freedom!

Galatians 5:7-15

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

 

In 49 AD a delegation of Judean religious teachers came to the predominately Gentile church at Syrian Antioch and started teaching the Christians that those who were not circumcised as followers of the Law of Moses could not be saved from their sin by simple belief in Jesus (Acts 15:1). They were part of a conspiracy to undermine the Gospel of grace sending emissaries of the lie to the daughter churches planted by the church at Antioch (Acts 15:23).

The most vulnerable to the lie were the fledgling assemblies of the Roman province of Galatia. Paul and Barnabas had planted these churches on their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). Paul’s response is swift and strong. He will not tolerate this false gospel—that works are essential to salvation—to take root in the lives of these new Christians and churches. On the eve of the Jerusalem Council, Paul writes his most passionate letter, reminding the church of the real basis of our salvation.

In the first section of the epistle proper, 1:11-2:21, Paul defended his apostleship. In 3:1-4:31 the Apostle clarifies the implications of justification and sanctification by faith and why it’s true. His final section (5:1-6:10) demonstrates how this grace works in life. Grace works through liberty. Christ set us free to demonstrate His righteousness in ways that transcend any enslaving set of rules or moral codes (5:1-12). This liberty isn’t so that we can indulge the self-centered desires of our flesh as we did before we trusted in Christ. Using our freedom in that way will cause us to lose our inheritance in the coming kingdom (5:13-21). We’ve been set free to walk in the Spirit (5:16-18) so that we can display Christ’s righteousness through the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-25). But even this transformation isn’t about us; it’s about Christ and others. What we’ve really been set free to do is to love and serve others (6:1-10).

The big picture of Paul’s glorious presentation of Christian liberty contrasts two systems of righteousness: works-righteousness, which always enslaves and grace-righteousness, which always liberates. It also forces us to see that true liberty is always about Christ and others. And it all begins with standing firm in grace because we understand what is at stake:

Legalism hinders Christian growth and ruins Christian unity!

(more…)

Jesus Movement Minute: Liberty

September 12, 2011 in Discipleship Minute,Spiritual Formation with 0 Comments

Before you can finish the sentence, “I’ve been set free by Christ, and now…” some spiritual hall monitor is going to remind you that “Your liberty in Christ should not lead to license.”

Okay. Got it.

Is there anyone who has been in a church more than a few hours who doesn’t know that our freedom in Christ isn’t freedom to sin?

Is there any way the Holy Spirit isn’t going to convict the holy stuffing out of a believer who is using his or her freedom to excuse their sin?

Come on, man.

Why are we so afraid of our freedom in Christ?

I think I know.

We’re afraid of losing control.

But I thought that was what the Christian life was all about. Losing control of life by handing it over to Jesus.

Freedom doesn’t intimidate Jesus. He loves it.

Stop being so afraid of what “might” happen if you tell people the truth that Christ sets us free that you miss seeing what “could” happen.

Like revival!

Question: How have you been warned “not to abuse your freedom in Christ”?

Free to Love and Serve! Galatians 5:1-6:10 (audio)

September 2, 2011 in Bible Teaching,Church of the Open Door,Ed's Sermons with 1 Comment

Series 39 / 56 Galatians: Grace in Your Face

Galatians 5:1-6:10

Galatians is the Magna Carta of Christian liberty. It’s a powerful little book. We’re studying it this year at Church of the Open Door. In Chapters 5 and 6 Paul applies the messages of justification and sanctification by faith.

 In the first section of the epistle proper, 1:11-2:21, Paul defended his apostleship. In 3:1-4:31 the Apostle clarifies the implications of justification and sanctification by faith and why it’s true. His final section demonstrates how this grace works in life. Grace works through liberty. Christ set us free to demonstrate His righteousness in ways that transcend any enslaving set of rules or moral codes (5:1-12). This liberty isn’t so that we can indulge the self-centered desires of our flesh as we did before we trusted in Christ. Using our freedom in that way will cause us to lose our inheritance in the coming kingdom (5:13-21). We’ve been set free to walk in the Spirit (5:16-18) so that we can display Christ’s righteousness through the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-25). But even this transformation isn’t about us; it’s about Christ and others. What we’ve really been set free to do is to love and serve others (6:1-10).

The big picture of Paul’s glorious presentation of Christian liberty contrasts two systems of righteousness: works-righteousness, which always enslaves and grace-righteousness, which always liberates. It also forces us to see that true liberty is always about Christ and others:

Free to be righteous: Walk in the Spirit and you will express your faith through love!

Here’s the link to the sermon, study notes, and discussion notes from my exposition of  Galatians 5-6:

Free to Love and Serve!

Free to Love and Serve! (Galatians 5:1-6:10)

September 2, 2011 in Bible Teaching,Church of the Open Door,Ed's Sermons with 0 Comments

Series 40 / 56 Galatians: Grace in Your Face

Free to Love and Serve!

Galatians 5:1-6:10

“But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does.”

(James 1:25, NET Bible)

 In 49 AD a delegation of Judean religious teachers came to the predominately Gentile church at Syrian Antioch and started teaching the Christians that those who were not circumcised as followers of the Law of Moses could not be saved from their sin by simple belief in Jesus (Acts 15:1). They were part of a conspiracy to undermine the Gospel of grace sending emissaries of the lie to the daughter churches planted by the church at Antioch (Acts 15:23).

 The most vulnerable to the lie were the fledgling assemblies of the Roman province of Galatia. Paul and Barnabas had planted these churches on their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). Paul’s response is swift and strong. He will not tolerate this false gospel—that works are essential to salvation—to take root in the lives of these new Christians and churches. On the eve of the Jerusalem Council, Paul writes his most passionate letter, reminding the church of the real basis of our salvation.

 In the first section of the epistle proper, 1:11-2:21, Paul defended his apostleship. In 3:1-4:31 the Apostle clarifies the implications of justification and sanctification by faith and why it’s true. His final section demonstrates how this grace works in life. Grace works through liberty. Christ set us free to demonstrate His righteousness in ways that transcend any enslaving set of rules or moral codes (5:1-12). This liberty isn’t so that we can indulge the self-centered desires of our flesh as we did before we trusted in Christ. Using our freedom in that way will cause us to lose our inheritance in the coming kingdom (5:13-21). We’ve been set free to walk in the Spirit (5:16-18) so that we can display Christ’s righteousness through the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-25). But even this transformation isn’t about us; it’s about Christ and others. What we’ve really been set free to do is to love and serve others (6:1-10).

The big picture of Paul’s glorious presentation of Christian liberty contrasts two systems of righteousness: works-righteousness, which always enslaves and grace-righteousness, which always liberates. It also forces us to see that true liberty is always about Christ and others:

Free to be righteous: Walk in the Spirit and you will express your faith through love!

(more…)

Galatians–Free At Last

March 3, 2011 in Bible Teaching with 0 Comments

Overview of Galatians

Galatians is the Magna Carta of Christian liberty. It’s a powerful little book. We’ll be studying it this year at Church of the Open Door.

Grace in Your Face!

What a book!

Here’s the link to the sermon, study notes, and discussion notes from my introduction to Galatians:

Free At Last!

Grace and Religious Strings

March 2, 2011 in Grace Works!,Radical Christianity with 0 Comments

Someone asked me why I’m always writing about grace.

Two Reasons:

1) Grace defines New Testament Christianity.

2) There are plenty of “Christian” writers talking about works.

(more…)

Jesus Movement Minute: Liberty

January 18, 2011 in Bible Teaching,Discipleship,Discipleship Minute,Grace Works!,Jesus Movement,Radical Christianity,Spiritual Formation with 4 Comments

Before you can finish the sentence, “I’ve been set free by Christ, and now…” some spiritual hall monitor is going to remind you that “Your liberty in Christ should not lead to license.”

Okay. Got it.

Is there anyone who has been in a church more than a few hours who doesn’t know that our freedom in Christ isn’t freedom to sin?

Is there any way the Holy Spirit isn’t going to convict the holy stuffing out of a believer who is using his or her freedom to excuse their sin?

Come on, man.

Why are we so afraid of our freedom in Christ?

(more…)