They promise them freedom, but the freedom that is preached in many churches leads to bondage. This freedom fuels rebellion towards God and disobedience to Jesus Christ (活著的話) 和不敬虔. 他們認為自己是自由的, while in reality they are bound and are not led to heaven and eternal life, but to hell and the second death in the eternal lake of fire. Let’s look at what the Bible says and doesn’t say about the meaning of the freedom in Christ.
Why does the freedom in Christ lead many Christians in bondage?
The freedom in Christ that is preached in many churches is not the freedom as God meant the freedom in Christ to be.
The true freedom in Christ leads to a holy life after the Spirit in obedience to God and to righteousness, 感恩, 滿意, 和平, 喜悅, 和永生, instead of a sensual life after the flesh in obedience to the devil and bondage of sin and death, 抱怨, 不滿,, 擔心, 害怕, 焦慮, restlessness, 愾, 和憂鬱症.
但是, there are many Christians that walk in the latter
This is mainly because of false preachers and teachers that are sensual and pretend to be ministers of righteousness, while in reality they are servants of corruption.
These ministers love the works of the flesh and live like the world in sin. With their compelling and flattering words, they win people over and cause them to go astray.
They proclaim a doctrine that is not founded on the Word and not according to the words in the Bible, but is founded on themselves and according to the opinion, 哲學, and will of man.
Because of this false doctrine with the associated false promises, false hope, and false liberty, wherewith they delude the people, the people are not led by the truth of God in freedom and righteousness unto eternal life, but they are led through their lies into bondage and sin unto eternal death.
What doesn’t the freedom in Christ mean?
The freedom in Christ does not mean that you can do whatever you want to do without consequences. The freedom in Christ doesn’t mean that you can live in disobedience to God and His will and keep living after the flesh in lasciviousness and uncleanness and keep sinning without consequences.
In a marriage covenant, it is also not allowed for the man or the woman to live a lascivious life and keep following the lust and desire of the flesh that leads to fornication, 不忠, 和 通姦.
Every deed that opposes the will of God and violates the heavenly laws in the universe has consequences. This applies to every covenant, including the New Covenant in Christ Jesus in His blood.
The blood of Jesus is not a permit to keep sinning
The blood of Jesus is not a permit to keep sinning. 耶穌’ blood doesn’t give you the right to be prideful and keep walking in rebellion and disobedience to God and His Word without consequences.
十字 (and the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed) is a place where the perfect sacrifice of God for mankind and reconciliation with God took place, instead of a place where pride, 叛亂, and hostility were fueled.
Jesus was nailed to the cross and carried the pride, 叛亂, 不服從, and trespasses of fallen man in His flesh, whereby the pride, 叛亂, 不服從上帝, and trespasses were nailed to His cross.
十字 means the end of a carnal life in darkness under the rulership of the devil and the beginning of a spiritual life under the rulership of God and Jesus Christ, the High priest of the New Covenant and the King of God’s Kingdom (哦. 以弗所書 2:4-10; 歌羅西書 1:13-14; 1 蒂莫西 6:14-16; 希伯來 書 3-10).
那時，當孩子們是肉和血的零食者時, 他本人也參加了同樣的一部分; 通過死亡，他可能會摧毀具有死亡力量的他, 那是, 魔鬼; 並拯救那些因對死亡的恐懼而一生受奴役的人 (希伯來 書 2:14-15)
計算成本, before you decide to follow Jesus
Jesus knew what a life after the Spirit in obedience to God meant and what consequences this life has for people on earth. 這就是為什麼耶穌說, 到 計算成本, before you decide to become His disciple and follow Him.
因為 跟隨耶穌 means taking up your cross (日常的) and crucifying the will of the flesh and mortifying the deeds of the body. It means to walk after the Spirit in submission to God in obedience to His Word.
耶穌說, “That whosoever doesn’t bear his cross and come after Him can’t be His disciple.” (哦. 馬修 10:38; 16:24-25; 馬克 8:34-35; 路克 14:27).
As long as people proclaim to be free in Christ, but use this freedom for an occasion to the flesh (罪性) and willfully keep sinning, they are not made free in Christ.
Their eyes are not opened. They are not turned from darkness to light and from the power of satan unto God (使徒行傳 26:18).
Their sinful works testify that they are still a slave of sin and unrighteousness (哦. 羅馬書 1:17-32; 6; 加拉太書 5:13;1 約翰 3:7-10.
耶穌說, “That whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin.” (約翰 8:34).
然而, due to false doctrines that are created by the opinions and philosophies of carnal people, who refuse to put away sin and crucify the flesh and take on the responsibility of a life by faith after the Spirit in submission to God and obedience to the Word, but enjoy their sins and love their lives in darkness and everything that the world has to offer, the image is created that man will always remain a slave of sin and will never be perfect.
This is a lie!
The flesh refuses to follow Jesus
People keep walking in disobedience to God, as long as their sinful flesh is alive and they lack the reality of God the Father, 耶穌基督兒子, 和聖靈, and the fear and love for the Lord in their lives.
愛父母太愛我的人不配屬於我: 愛兒女勝過愛我的人不配屬於我. And he that taketh not his cross and follows after Me, 不配我. 發現自己生命的人將失去它: 為我而喪掉生命的人將得到生命 (馬修 10:37-39)
What do carnal people believe what the freedom in Christ means?
Carnal people believe that if you believe in Jesus and that He is the Son of God and confess this and execute its rituals, you are saved forever.
It doesn’t matter how you live and what you do, because you are saved by faith and not by works. You can live your life the way you lived before your conversion, because the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His blood provide eternal forgiveness for your sinful life.
這就是神的恩典, because you don’t live under the law anymore and don’t have to keep all kinds of rules and commandments, but you live under the grace of God in the liberty of Christ.
But the people that believe and say this are not spiritual but carnal and have no knowledge of God’s truth, whereby their minds are darkened. From their carnal darkened mind, they preach lies that advocate for the preservation of the works of the sinful flesh.
Because of this faith statement, many Christians walk as enemies of the cross in uncleanness, 淫亂, and idolatry and do all those things, 這是神所憎惡的.
When do you live under the law and when do you live under grace?
The Bible says that as long as sin reigns in your life, you live under the law and don’t live under grace. Because if you live under grace, then sin doesn’t have dominion over you (哦. 羅馬書 6:14; 1 蒂莫西 1:8-11).
The Bible doesn’t say that you remain a sinner after your conversion and regeneration in Christ. The Bible doesn’t say that you may walk after the flesh and keep sinning and inherit eternal life, 但是那個 你將死 (哦. 羅馬書 6; 8:12-14, 2 哥林多前書 5:21; 加拉太書 2:16-21; 提圖斯 3:7)
The Bible also says, that you can’t use your liberty in Christ for an occasion of the sinful nature of the flesh and for a cloke of maliciousness. Just like you ought to obey the laws on earth (unless they oppose God’s Word and demand you to do something that opposes God’s will) you also have to obey the heavenly laws (加拉太書 5:13; 1 彼得 2:16; 2 彼得 2:10).
What does the freedom in Christ mean according to the Bible?
The Bible says that you are born in the flesh as a slave (a servant) 惡魔的, 罪, 和死亡. Everyone is born in a fallen state under the rulership of the devil in darkness and is a slave of sin and death.
所以, everyone is a sinner until the moment that people hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and believe the truth of God and are convicted of their sins and sinful state and 悔改 and no longer believe and walk in the lies of the world but believe and walk in the truth of God’s Word (哦. 羅馬書 6, 8; 2 哥林多前書 5:21; 加拉太書 2:16-21; 歌羅西書 1:5-29; 提圖斯 3:7).
Through this faith, people repent from their heart (of their old life as slave of sin) and through the 水中的洗禮 identify themselves with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
從那一刻起, people are delivered from the power of the devil, 罪, 和死亡. They are healed from their fallen state and made perfect.
They’re translated from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son Jesus Christ (哦. 使徒行傳 26:18; 加拉太書 3:13-14; 歌羅西書 1:13-18; 2:9-15; 4:12; 1 帖撒羅尼迦人 1:10; 希伯來 書 2:22-29).
The new man doesn’t belong to the devil anymore and is no longer a son of the devil that lives from a fallen state doing to the will of the father and the works of the sinful flesh.
But by faith and the 重生, the new man belongs to Jesus Christ and God the Father and has received the down payment of the Holy Spirit in fulness, whereby the new man shall walk from his healed state (位置) in obedience to the Word according to the will of the Father, doing the works of the Spirit, and in the power of the Holy Spirit mortifying the works of the body and bearing the fruit of the Spirit (哦. 使徒行傳 2:37-38; 羅馬書 8:1-17; 加拉太書 5:22-26; 以弗所書 4).
The spiritual translation from darkness to light and from death unto life
A spiritual translation from darkness to light and from death unto life and a spiritual transformation from the old creation to the new creation have taken place, that become visible in the natural life and the new walk of life.
但感謝上帝, 你們是罪的奴僕 (邪惡的本性), 但你們從心底服從了交付給你們的教義形式. 然後就脫離了罪孽 (罪性), ye became servants of righteousness
羅馬書 6:17-18
The new walk of life
The believers shall seek those things, 上面有哪些, and renew their minds with the words of God, 這是事實. They shall spend time in the Bible and in prayer, because that’s what their new heart longs for.
They are cleansed and legally redeemed from sin by the blood of Jesus and have become servants of Christ. 因此, they shall no longer serve sin through the sinful flesh, but serve righteousness through the quickened spirit (羅馬書 3-8; 1 哥林多前書 10:16; 以弗所書 2:13-22; 希伯來 書 9:14-15; 1 彼得 1:18-2:25).
順便一提, this is not only a matter of ‘having to’ but ‘wanting to’. The new man doesn’t want to live the way he (或她) lived before, and doesn’t want to keep sinning.
If this happens, you can conclude that a person is not born again by faith. Because if you are born again and have received God’s nature through the abiding of the Holy Spirit and 全心全意地愛神, then you don’t want to do this anymore.
那我就這麼說, 順著聖靈而行, 不可放縱肉體的情慾. 因為肉體的情慾與聖靈相悖, 聖靈對抗肉體: 這些都是彼此相反的: 所以你們不能做你們想做的事. 但如果你們被聖靈引導, 你們不受法律管轄
加拉太書 5:16-18
God didn’t call you to uncleanness but unto holiness
作為新的創造, you hate sin and don’t want to yield your members as servants at the disposal of uncleanness and lawlessness, resulting in lawlessness (罪孽). But you want to yield your members as servants at the disposal of righteousness, resulting in holiness (羅馬書 6:19).
Because God didn’t call you to uncleanness but unto holiness (1 帖撒羅尼迦人 4:7).
You’ll listen to Jesus and do what He says and 遵守祂的誡命 (神的誡命), which always strive with the will and lusts and desires of the flesh. (約翰 14:15-21; 15:5-12; 加拉太書 5; 1 約翰 2:3-6).
But through the truth of God’s Word and the abiding of the Holy Spirit, you have received authority and power to resist all the temptations and attacks of the devil and his army that try to make you ineffective in the spiritual warfare (哦. 羅馬書 8:12-17; 以弗所書 6:10-20; 詹姆斯 4:7).
What does the freedom in Christ and walking in Him means?
The freedom in Christ means that you no longer live in the bondage of the devil, 罪, and death from a fallen state in darkness. You no longer walk after the (有罪) flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise the government of God. You are delivered thereof!
It’s just like the seed of Israel that lived in bondage (奴隸制) of Pharaoh in Egypt under the law of Egypt and were delivered from their slavery and the pagan culture, 法律, and idolatry of Egypt by God through the hand of Moses.
The Israelites were all delivered and made the transition through the water, from their old lives as slaves in Egypt to their new lives as free people with God.
God led His chosen people through the wilderness to the promised land.
But although God redeemed them all, not all of them arrived in the promised land.
The freedom they had received from God resulted for many in pride, 叛亂, 不服從上帝, 不滿, 不信, murmuring, 抱怨, 偶像崇拜, 和淫亂.
Instead of submitting unto God and obeying His Word and keeping His commandments, as they promised to do, and pleasing God, their freedom ensured that they rebelled and did everything they wanted to do.
The freedom that God had given them led for the redeemed generation to dissatisfaction and death in the wilderness, instead of gratefulness and life in the promised land. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones from the redeemed generation that were saved through their faith in God and entered the promised land.
The new creation is a servant of Christ and of righteousness
新作品是罪人, but is bought with the blood of Jesus and justified and belongs to God and has become a servant of Christ and of righteousness (哦. 羅馬書 6:16-23; 1 哥林多前書 7:22-23 希伯來 書 2:11-15; 9:14-15).
The new creation is delivered from sin and death and shall no longer walk in rebellion in disobedience to God in sin. But through the abiding of the Holy Spirit, the new man shall walk by faith in the law of liberty in submission and obedience to God and bear the fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life.
但現在已經脫離了罪孽, 並成為神的僕人, 你們已經結出聖潔的果子, 和永生的終結. 因為罪的工價就是死亡; 但神的恩賜是透過我們的主耶穌基督而獲得永生
羅馬書 6:22-23
‘成為地球之鹽’
