Independence Day - Pt 3

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” (John 8:31-38 ESV). The second principle is that a Christian's conversion is a declaration of separation. The Patriots of the Revolution knew that they could not remain as colonies of the British Empire if they were ever to be free. It was separation, or oppression. They had tried to blend the two. It ended in only in oppression. They knew there was no middle ground. So it is with us. If they stayed under the dominion of the English Crown, the colonists would never be free. So, they declared a complete separation from England; likewise, when a Christian makes their “declaration of independence," there must be an intention to make a clean break with sin and anything that God considers unclean. Jesus had this kind of separation in mind when He said to the ancient church of Laodicea, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." (cf. Revelation 3:16). There is no neutrality in this war. Christ rejects the "neutrals." There is no middle ground. The Christian, at conversion, makes an end of all allegiance to sin and a beginning of full allegiance to God. It is the only way to freedom. He intends a clean and total break with the god of this world and an allegiance to sin and a beginning of full allegiance to God. It is the only way to freedom. Like the eagle, if you're going to be free to soar and do what God intended, you have to make a break with the barnyard. You cannot live in both places. The story is told of two young boys who heard of a very old and very wise man who lived up in the mountains and decided to go up there to play a prank on him. They wanted to discredit him in the eyes of his followers below. The old man agreed to see them and they immediately put him to the test. "Old man," one of the boys said, "I hold a sparrow in my closed hand. If you are so wise, I ask you, is it alive or is it dead?" Their plan all along was that if he answered "alive" that they would crush it to death; if he answered "dead" that they would release it instead. The audience of onlookers was silent as they awaited the old man's answer. Finally, with sadness in his heart, for he knew the state of their soul, he answered, "My child, its life is in your hands." I leave you with this thought as we close this little mini-series. The life Christ has won for you is now in your hands. Our sanctification requires our complete dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. If you are living this free life with an air of neutrality or a sense of mediocrity, please spend a moment in repentance. He calls us to freedom. It was won by the terrible price of His death. It will be accomplished through our death to the old way of life. What’s your choice now?