Each and every year we lose a little more freedoms. They’re subtle things such as renting instead of owning. Why do we give away freedom so freely and without thought? Is it because we never had to do anything to gain those freedoms? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he reminds us of the cost of our freedom in his Independence Day message, Give Me Liberty.
Romans 6:22 Romans 6:20-23 John 3:16 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 53:5-12
Give Me Liberty
Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:20-23
1For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
July 4th, Independence Day, is the celebration of America’s official freedom from the tyranny of its motherland, Great Britain. Today, we, the American people, take this day for granted. Christians aren’t even sure if we should be patriotic to our country anymore. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shares his eye-opening message, The Patriots.
Patriotism is the love of one’s country. Our country is our inheritance from God. How can we, as Christians, not do anything but be patriotic to the country our God has given us?
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He divided mankind, He fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
Deuteronomy 32:8
1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Only one day a year is dedicated to remembering our fallen soldiers that gave their lives for our freedom. Many of us don’t even realize or truly grasp what we get this one day a year off for. Others of us aren’t 100% positive we, the Church (Christians/Disciples of Christ), should be honoring and commemorating this day at all. So, where does that leave us? Join ArieRashelle as she opens our eyes to the importance of this day, especially for Christians, in her video Why Memorial Day Should Be Important For Christians.
John 15:13
Why Memorial Day Should Be Important For Christians
The Greatest Act of Love
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Every year, here in America, we celebrate the 4th of July. So many people don’t even know what we’re celebrating, yet it’s the very foundation on which America was built. July 4th, 1776, marks the day that we drafted our freedom from the tyranny of Great Britain. Because of this day, many generations have been blessed with freedom. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to our spiritual Independence Day in his message, The Truth Will Set You Free.
John 8:31–36
The Truth Will Set You Free
Freedom in Christ Jesus
As Christians, we have been given freedom from the slavery of sin by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 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’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:31-36
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
The Need For Salvation
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-25
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:10-14
In other words, without Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we would be unable to be free from the chains of sin. We would be unable to overcome. We only overcome, because Christ first overcame. We overcome the World through Him. We overcome our sin through Jesus Christ. This is the need for salvation.
How to Use The Truth To Overcome and Be Set Free?
The only way to the know the Truth in order that you might be set free, is to read and study the Word of God.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17
We must first have the faith, which only comes through the Word of Christ. And the only way to overcome is to have the Word of God in us so that we might use it when we are under spiritual, emotional, and even physical attack.
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). Freedom comes only through the Son of God, but what is Jesus Christ setting us free from? Some say freedom from the laws of the land, but if we are freed from the laws of the land, why do we get arrested when we break the laws? Others say freedom from sin, but if we are freed from sin, why is there still so much temptation? So what exactly did the Son (Jesus Christ) set us free from? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find the answers in our video, Free Indeed: But What Am I Freed From?
John 8:34-36 Romans 5:15-18 Galatians 5:1 Ephesians 6:12 Hebrews 12:1-2 1 John 4:4 1 John 5:4-5 Galatians 3:23-29 John 1:12-13 John 1:12-13 Revelation 12:10-11
Free Indeed: But What Am I Freed From?
Freedom from Sin in Christ Jesus
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Romans 6:22
38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
Acts 13:38-39
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Colossians 1:21-23
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son (Christ Jesus) in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4
Are we free from the laws of the land?
Though we are free, we are not freed from the laws of the land, nor are we freed from the rights of the land. When Jesus came, He died on the cross to take our punishment for our sin (Romans 5:8 & Romans 4:25). In doing so, He became our perfect and only sacrifice, thereby completing and fulfilling the first covenant, which is the law (Hebrews 9:11-14 & Hebrews 10:1-7 & Matthew 5:17-20). Peter addresses this very subject in his first letter. “13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperoras supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:13-17). According to Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we as Christians are to obey the laws of the land and honor those in authority.
This is easy to do until the law of the lands forbids us from fulfilling the laws of God. There is an order to which we are to obey. We obey God above everything. Above laws, culture, and our own desires. Look with me at what Peter said in response to being charged to be silent by the rulers, elders, and scribes of Jerusalem. Acts 4:18-22, “18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’ 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.” Peter said that they cannot but speak of what they had witnessed, as should be the same with us. We must continue, no matter the repercussions, the ultimate will of God, which is to preach the gospel from one end of the Earth to the other. The disciples and the Early Church were persecuted and martyred by various governments for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Peter then goes on to tell slaves to obey their masters, even if they were unjustly enslaved. Instead, Peter tells them to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, saying, “23 When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). This is by no means an easy teaching, but what teaching of Truth is easy to accept? Very few, if any. Don’t return injustice done to you with more injustice. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will leave the whole world blind and toothless. There was a time for that law, but no longer, for we have been forgiven a debt that we could never pay.
As 1 Peter 2:17 stated, we are to “17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” We are to honor the President, the Senators, the Governors, and all other elected officials. We do this by giving them the respect they have received by being voted into their office and respecting the laws they put into place. This is the importance of voting. Though we are free in Christ Jesus, we are not free from the rights of the land. We don’t have to fulfill these rights though, that’s why they are called rights, they are optional, but our freedom in Christ has nothing to do with it. Those who are not Christians still have that freedom or right to either vote or not to vote, but how can we follow the laws of the land if they are against God’s law? This is the importance of voting. I urge you to listen to what the candidates say, but even more so, to watch what they do and what they have done. Anyone can say they are for you, but unless their actions match their words, they are liars and hypocrites.
May the LORD give each and every one of you the wisdom to vote for the godliest candidate, and the strength to endure any injustice that may come your way. May the LORD Bless you and keep you.
