Establishing the right Spiritual DNA—Freedom (Part 1)
Now these articles are designed to serve two purposes. They are to provide insight to ministry leaders for establishing good practices for launching a disciple-making movement, as well as offer a strong foundation that may slightly deviate from mainstream Christian thought/practices. In other words, these materials don’t just point at you, but rather provide materials you can use with others. So please read them in that light. My ministry focuses on mobilizing folks to action. Yet success hinges upon a strong foundation. Here I am laying that foundation on what many of you would consider elementary matters.
We are indeed saved by grace through faith. For apart from Him, we can do nothing. Salvation is beyond our reach, and so is righteous and holy living. However, this does not mean the standards set forth in 1 John are not entirely true (it is God’s Word).
1 John 5:13 certainly speaks of eternal security; however, it is conditional on freedom from sin (1 John 3:9), freedom from worldliness (1 John 2:15), obeying His commands (1 John 1:4), and walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). Not my words, His. Yet we are powerless to accomplish these things apart from His presence (see John 15:5-6).
Let’s take a look at an event in Scripture to illustrate a point. In John Chapter 8, Jesus has an encounter. A woman caught in adultery stands condemned. The religious folks try to trap Jesus and ask Him what to do, stone her (the justly deserved punishment) or let her go. He stumped them by telling them that he who is without sin is to cast the first stone. They scattered knowing they were sinners also. The following discourse ensured with the adulterous: “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more.”
Now I want to highlight a few things here. First, she never disputed her guilt or justified her actions. She knew she was guilty as charged and fully condemned. She was literally at the verge of a painful death, and had absolutely no recourse. The silence of the text does not remove the image in my mind of a woman with much regret, remorse, and angst facing certain death. She was at her very end, and knew she deserved it.
Jesus did not condemn her, but showed mercy, and by His grace, forgave her for her sin. She was fully condemned, did not deserve it, but He gave it to her anyway. But the discourse does not stop there. It ends with “go from now on sin no more.” Repentance is not just saying you are sorry, but being sorry enough to not do it again. It is turning your life around. It is realizing that you were condemned and deserve death—that is hell. However, we must remember that it comes with the edict to sin no more.
What do you suppose Jesus would do if He was facing the same woman in the court the next day having been caught in the same sin? I know many would say that He would forgive many times and that we can repent many times for the very same act. However, this is not the case. Hebrews 6:4-6 says:
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6, NASB).
Note the word “impossible.” Repentance is a one-way street. Therefore, it is by grace that we get a second chance, and likewise by that same grace we receive freedom and empowerment to walk in holiness and righteousness. We all believe we are saved from the penalty of sin, yet few believe (or at least live as if they believe) that we are saved from the power of sin. We all can trust in God for our salvation because it is far out, and in not necessarily evidenced in our life (though I argue that point). Yet we fail to embrace freedom from sin because it oftentimes is not evidenced in our life. This is an unfortunate reality in modern Christendom.
I urge you to get your concordance out and look up the word “repent.” There is too much discourse on the subject to treat it in one short article. But I will leave you with one teaching from Jesus.
“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'” (Luke 13:1-9, NASB).
In the next message, I will continue to discuss freedom, with very practical and foundational application. I know it’s not enough to just say “sin no more.”
Lord Almighty, grant freedom to your people—not just from the penalty of sin, but its power in our lives. You are an awesome and holy God, who by grace has given us a chance to truly live—entrance into the Kingdom. Empower us to walk in victory and teach others to do the same. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
