Freedom In Christ - Part 1
Who we are in Christ

But practising the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ. (Ephesians 4:15)

"So if the son sets you free, you will be really free". (John 8:36)

God desires us to grow in spiritual maturity, with each other (reality), by getting to know Him better and 'Sharing with Him'

He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him-those who believe in his name-he has given the right to become God's children. (John 1:11-12)

We are not trying to become children of God - We are!
We are trying to become like Jesus.

We are either free or partly bound. When we realise the bounds we can be free. We need to understand who we are in Christ. We need to know where we stand.

It's our responsibility to mature and grasp freedom and grow.
But we are not alone - we do it with Christ.

The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

We inherited from Adam a decaying body.

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Corinthians 5:1-4)

Upon physical death we go to be with Him. Our Salvation is GUARANTEED.

Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians:16)

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1:28)

Needs

And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus
(Philippians 4:19)

Our food is supplied
Interestingly, Adam was vegetarian

Then God said, "I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food." (Genesis 1:29)

Community is very Important to God

The basic difference between physical birth and spiritual birth is CHOICE

Everybody is born physically alive, but because of Adams sin, spiritually dead. Reality was distorted

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins (Ephesians 2:1)

To know God is to be with Him. People, who are not with God, have a faulty perception of Him

They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. (Ephesians 4:18)

God desires an intimate relationship with Him, knowledge is relationship.

Westerners think with their minds and not hearts. The Holy spirit fixes this and joins them

The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16)

Effects of the Fall

•  Negative thoughts
•  Fear (today we fear everything but God)
•  Depression
•  Anger

We should have a reverent fear of God
We should be real and honest with each other.

but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must suppress it." (Genesis 4:5-7)

Today's society is about feelings, feelings influence behaviour. With God behaviour influences feelings.

God created us to be in community. We need God and friendship with others.

Our sense of worth is not our talents, beauty etc. It comes from knowing we are a child of God.

There is NO GUILT or shame in Christ.

Satan uses guilt to say we are worthless.

If we believe we can control others, we are trying to be God.

We need self-control/discipline; we are not the captains of our soul.

We are designed to love and serve God. If we don't serve God, we serve the devil. There is no in-between.

If we were in Adam and Eves place, would we have sinned also?

As in Adam all Die - In Christ all Live

New life requires new birth. To enter that life requires birth into new life (by faith)

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away-look, what is new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

As a Christian, we are more than just saved/eternal life. We are a CHILD OF GOD we belong to Him

We were transformed, we didn't exist before. It's who we are that determines what we do.

Failure in things in life, won't change the fact we are a child of God.

For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them (Ephesians 2:10)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. You once were not a people, but now you are God's people. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God's children-and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. (1 John 3:1-2)

When we know how Christ sees us, we see how beautiful we are.

Next to knowledge of God, who we are is most important.

Satan will deceive us, he doesn't want us to enjoy maturity and freedom in who we are.

Satan puts us down. He distorts the character of God. He cannot change our identity so he gets us to believe it's false.

Why? Because he doesn't want us to know, about our power/authority over him.

We have a new identity (in Christ)

We are Saints, we are Holy

to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
(1 Corinthians 1:2)

We were sinners - we were sinners saved by grace.

We are not sinners anymore - we are saints. When we came to know Jesus we were a sinner saved by grace. Now we are saints.

Unbelievers are sinners; we are saints who have the capacity to sin.

We are SAINTS who want to be like Christ.

We are a Holy people - who occasionally get it wrong and sin.

Being a Christian is not about getting something - it's being someone.

Satan tells us were sinners (deceit). If we don't believe who we are in Christ, Satan will have a field day.

What happens when we sin?
We feel distanced. The harmony between our relationship changes. We are related to God spiritually, received through faith. Sin upsets the harmony - we feel distanced from God, but in reality God doesn't move. Nothing can alter our relationship. Nothing can change us from being a child of God.

Scripture quoted by permission. NET Bible® copyright © 1996-005 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.bible.org . All rights reserved.