Freedom – Christ Alone

‘When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. ‘ Matthew 17:8

At Crosspoint Church in Niceville, FL, Pastor Rurel Ausley started a new Sermon Series called Freedom.

As my wife and I were driving to church, she asked me if I was interested in the verse that she got from a sister in Christ from MA, and I said sure, and she said, “When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.”

This verse is one of my favorites, but it perfectly fits this week’s message.

‘I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. ‘ Galatians 1:6-7

The Judaizers were infiltrating the church in Galatia, and they were attempting to saddle the new believers with a bunch of “do’s and don’ts” that the Gospel was to set them free.

Knowing what was going on, Paul picked up his pen and wrote the Book of Galatians to address this subject.

Statistics show that 7 out of 10 people released from prison end up incarcerated within five years. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are set free from the power of sin, but a lot of times, especially when we fall under pressure, we can find ourselves back in the bondage of the hurts, habits, and hangups that we have been set free from.

For the years before salvation, this is our comfort zone. Even though we didn’t like what was going on, we got used to it.

‘As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.’ Luke 18:35-43

Luke describes this scenario with a blind man sitting on the side of the road while Jesus was passing by. The blind man called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus called the man forward and asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

The change will happen when we accept Jesus, but this change is sweeping.

The blind man said, “Lord, I want to see.”

Jesus’s response that will be the same for us is: “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”

But look at the response, “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.”

The blind man’s response holds clues to true saving grace.

1. It’s immediate. He didn’t have to think it over; he didn’t have to research or get council.
2. He followed Jesus. He fully submitted himself to Jesus.
3. He praised God.
4. The change in his life was visible to others, and they praised God.

Reacting this way only comes by a change at the heart level. When we rely on our heads to work things out, it always results in a “TO DO” or “DON’T DO” list. And this is what was happening with the church in Galatia. Some people were going into the church and were adding conditions to salvation.

Paul’s response to the church is, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– which is really no gospel at all.”

‘So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ‘ Ephesians 4:11-14

When God finally brought my heart under surrender to Jesus, it gave me specific desires:

1. To be in God’s Word is the first thing that I do every morning. I look forward to this every day.
2. Along with this is prayer. I pray to God myself during my time with Him in the morning and with my wife before I leave the house to face the day.
3. Going to church. I look forward to going to church every week. There is something magical about being with others seeking Jesus as I am.
4. I look forward to giving financially to support the mission of the church.
5. I meet with a small group of men for Bible Study.

I don’t mention this to pat myself on the back; I say this because it has become my heart’s desire.

I understand that none of these desires are conditions of my salvation, but they are desires that are there because I am saved.

True saving grace will move your heart to become closer to Jesus.

If you don’t feel the desire to grow closer to Jesus, please get on your knees and ask Him to give you the desire. And keep praying until it happens.

When our hearts start to turn to a “performance-based” way of living out our faith, we begin to shackle ourselves to the very things that Jesus died on the cross to set us free from.

There are strict warnings about adding to scripture. It is by Christ alone that we receive our salvation.

Christ + Something = Nothing

Christ + Nothing = Everything

‘And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ‘ Matthew 27:50-51

When Jesus died, He gave us access to God through Him.

‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” ‘ John 14:6-7

This revelation led to the reformation of the church. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil was torn in two.

The reformation of the church is based on “The Five Solas”:

“Scripture” Alone

‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ‘ John 1:1-5

“Faith” Alone

‘He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” ‘ Mark 5:34

‘Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” ‘ Luke 17:19

‘Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” ‘ Luke 18:42

“Grace” Alone

‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ‘ 2 Corinthians 12:9

‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. ‘ 1 Corinthians 15:10

‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ‘ 1 Peter 4:10

‘You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ‘ 2 Timothy 2:1

“Christ” Alone

‘Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” ‘ Acts 4:11-12

‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ‘ John 14:6

“God’s Glory” Alone

‘Not to us, Lord , not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. ‘ Psalms 115:1

‘I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. ‘ Psalms 86:12-13

When we start to walk with Jesus, what we think and do should be based on God’s Word, not our past thoughts and feelings. Or worse than that, what others think or feel about us with the understanding that there may be some amends that we may have to make based on our former way of being.

When we base how we feel on the feelings of others around us, we hold ourselves in bondage based on those feelings.

‘“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. ‘ Isaiah 43:18-19

‘Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ‘ Philippians 3:13-14

‘When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. ‘ John 19:30

“Jesus said, “It is finished.” NOT I am finished.

‘In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ‘ Philippians 1:4-6

Here are three points to consider:

Freedom from our “issues” is found only in what Jesus did on the cross.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ‘ John 3:16

Freedom is in accepting that we are accepted.

‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ‘ Romans 5:8

Freedom is surrendering all to Jesus.

‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. ‘ 1 John 4:18-19

Heavenly Father, thank You.

Thank You for Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Thank You for sending Jesus to die for our sins, a sacrifice that we could not do on our own.

Thank You for the Pastors who faithfully preach the Word of God every week.

I pray that You help me listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and give me the strength and courage to act on that guidance.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️