1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:08,800 Friday 2 weeks ago we had the baptismal service down in 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:14,200 Banbridge and when I was first approached about it and was 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,920 informed that, well initially there was well over 30 when I 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:25,560 was informed and then they were splitting it into two nights and 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:32,159 we were very conscious of that. And I was told, well, you'll 6 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:39,360 only get 30 or 40 seconds to make a few comments and those 7 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,480 that are being baptised won't be able to give public testimony, 8 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:46,400 but they will be able to give a public declaration that they had 9 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,040 made a profession of faith in Christ. 10 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,160 So basically they were just asked, do you profess faith in 11 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:54,280 Jesus Christ? And the answer was I do. 12 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,560 And that was the extent of it. And I know that when Brother 13 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,120 David Dobbin approached me about going through the waters of 14 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,959 baptism, I, I was delighted for him and we, we had readily 15 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,440 consented. And I, I felt for him in the 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,120 evening, thinking that he no doubt would have wanted to say 17 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,840 something to the many friends that came along. 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,360 So I thought it would be good if we invited him some Sunday 19 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,160 evening. And I mentioned this to him on 20 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,600 the Saturday and he very happily agreed. 21 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,960 So we've left it to this evening. 22 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:28,640 We want to thank you for coming and for those you're visiting 23 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,640 with us. We're really delighted to have 24 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,640 you. So we're going to ask Brother 25 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,280 David to come now and he'll share his testimony with us. 26 00:01:36,280 --> 00:02:03,910 Thank you, David. Well, I kind of privilege to 27 00:02:04,310 --> 00:02:08,070 stand here tonight to have a testimony to give, but I need 28 00:02:08,070 --> 00:02:10,870 the Lord's help here to stand here before you. 29 00:02:12,590 --> 00:02:16,190 Let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank the Lord 30 00:02:16,190 --> 00:02:19,830 for Calvary, Thank the Lord for the great plan of salvation. 31 00:02:20,630 --> 00:02:23,150 Help me here tonight, Lord, to make much of you. 32 00:02:24,270 --> 00:02:27,840 Lord, give us, have us to give you the glory. 33 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,840 Lord, You have said in your word that the redeemed of the Lord 34 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,640 say so, whom he hath redeemed the hand of his enemy, in 35 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:39,000 Christ's name. Amen. 36 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,640 Turn where we please to Isaiah chapter 12. 37 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:54,920 In the day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee, though 38 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,000 thou wast angry with me. Then anger is turned away, and 39 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,320 thy comfort is me. Behold, God is my salvation. 40 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:08,360 I will trust and not be afraid, for Lord Jehovah is my strength, 41 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,400 my soul. He also has become my salvation. 42 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:17,040 Therefore with joy shall he draw water out of the wells of 43 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:22,680 salvation, and then that day shall he say, Praise the Lord, 44 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,720 call upon his name, declares doings among the people, make 45 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,160 mention that his name is exalted. 46 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,800 Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things. 47 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:40,720 This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout the inhabitant 48 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:45,040 of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of 49 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:52,920 thee. My earliest memories of coming 50 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,120 to the schoolhouse next door was for the memorial service of the 51 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:03,680 Rate Robert Lowe, and then and then in the years later the late 52 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,400 Robert. Late Martin Shanks with a friend 53 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,320 with father and asked to come to the meetings on a Sunday night 54 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:16,000 then held at 8:30. Then in September 81 Lawrence 55 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,880 and I went to Saint Fred High. There we come, best of friends 56 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:23,640 and have been ever since. Lawrence invited me and my 57 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,360 brothers to Sunday school where we heard the gospel faithfully 58 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,840 week by week. Like say to young people here 59 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,600 tonight, invite their friends to the meetings. 60 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:38,760 It's the best thing that you could do for them. 61 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:45,120 Then in 1984 there was a mission held with the raid, the late 62 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,680 Reverend Whiteside. This ran for two weeks, from the 63 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:53,280 26th of February to the 11th of March, and in the middle Sunday, 64 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:56,640 the 4th of March, I came under conviction. 65 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,240 At the close of the meeting, the Reverend Whiteside used in the 66 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,320 words of his benediction will meet them more on earth. 67 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:07,120 May we all meet in heaven. I knew I wasn't right for 68 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,360 heaven, and I went home to my bedroom and asked the Lord to 69 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,800 save me and forgive me as best I knew how, and He did. 70 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,240 Since then I've found Him to be a friend. 71 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,880 It sticketh closer in the brother. 72 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:27,360 Although I've let him down many times, he has never left me. 73 00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:32,600 For the Bible says in John 6 and 37 come cometh to me. 74 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:38,240 I will no wise cast out. As far as I know, I'm the only 75 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,920 person from the church here who has been called to both their 76 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:49,480 parents death beds from the church, from the schoolhouse. 77 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:54,120 But praise God even over two different occasions over five 78 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,720 years. But praise God, they are both 79 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,520 saved and ready to go. And I can say when we'll meet no 80 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,920 more on earth, we will meet again in heaven. 81 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,000 Then Fast forward to October 2014. 82 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,640 Joshua was in Orange this Sunday School class and the age of 6. 83 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:18,000 He asked the Lord to save him. In December 22 I was involved in 84 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,440 a serious car accident so thank the Lord for gracefully 85 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,240 preserving my life and would like to probably thank Lawrence 86 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:29,040 Nahan for looking after Joshua. When I was in hospital for four 87 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:34,680 days last year the Lord spoke to me about baptism and I heard 88 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,640 about the baptism service in Bainbridge and put my name 89 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:44,200 forward and was baptised in the 1st of May and could just finish 90 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:48,560 with the words of a Psalm. Lord has never failed me. 91 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,440 My Saviour loves me still, keeping every promise, supplying 92 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,680 it endless grace. Thank you on. 93 00:07:10,250 --> 00:07:12,090 Your behalf. We do want to thank your brother 94 00:07:12,090 --> 00:07:15,650 David for sharing that word of personal testimony. 95 00:07:15,650 --> 00:07:20,560 It's not easy giving up in front of people, be easier, maybe 96 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,160 talking 1:00 to 1:00. But we appreciate it all that 97 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:29,040 he's shared tonight and we rejoice in the knowledge. 98 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:33,840 And I know folks in Banbridge were delighted to hear that he 99 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,600 was part of the fruit of the ministry of the late at William 100 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,880 Whiteside. And of course he was minister at 101 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:45,320 Banbridge, but also minister over in Ballygaya for a time. 102 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,280 And it's a great thing to have a testimony to the saving and 103 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:52,040 keeping power of Christ. And we announced the baptismal 104 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:54,320 service. I was asked to We had talked 105 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,080 about it as elders and I was delighted then whenever someday 106 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,360 had responded and responded in a very positive way. 107 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:07,040 And because of that, and this will maybe whet some appetites 108 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,880 and maybe it will not next Sunday morning in the will of 109 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:14,440 God, I want to preach a message just one sermon on the Christian 110 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:19,360 and baptism. So just next Sunday morning you 111 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,720 can come and join with us. I'm sure you'll get a pass from 112 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,360 your own church. You want to come and if not, you 113 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,200 can listen on the Internet. But that's for next Sunday 114 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,120 morning. Now my text tonight is Galatians 115 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,840 chapter 5 verse one. It reads as follows. 116 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:38,600 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath 117 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,600 made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of 118 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:44,880 bondage. And I've entitled this message a 119 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:49,760 call to stand fast in Gospel freedom. 120 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:55,680 Now last Thursday was the 8th of May and it marked the 80th 121 00:08:55,680 --> 00:09:00,160 anniversary of VE Day. PE Day for the young people is 122 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:04,800 Victory in Europe Day and the 8th of March is celebrated every 123 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:10,560 year to mark the date upon which the Allied forces accepted Nazi 124 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:17,680 Germany surrender in 1945. So if you do the maths 19452025 125 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:20,480 you get 80 years. Remember, after six years of 126 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:26,360 war, that's how long World War 2 lasted, 39 to 45, the war that 127 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:32,800 was instigated by Adolf Hitler. A global war and war is a 128 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:36,000 terrible thing, the scourge of any society. 129 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:45,000 World War 2 resulted in some 80 million deaths and to mark the 130 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:51,400 occasion, the end of the war, Nazi Germany surrender. 131 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:57,440 Major events were held across the United Kingdom and we did 132 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:02,120 that deliberately to rejoice in the tremendous God-given victory 133 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:06,400 as well as to feel the gravity of the 80th anniversary. 134 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:10,480 You see, news of Germany's surrender spelled the word 135 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:17,960 freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from a tyrannical rule. 136 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,440 That news of course caused literally 10s of thousands of 137 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,480 people there'd our province to pour out into the streets and 138 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:33,520 express their unrestrained joy with a variety of St parties. 139 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:39,320 Remember as we think about World War, 26 years of war, young 140 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:45,520 people, no one was unaffected. And the lesson, of course, from 141 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:50,040 the war is this. The true freedom costs. 142 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,240 It costs men blood, sweat and tears. 143 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,760 We learned that true freedom cannot be achieved without 144 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:04,200 sacrifice. So I believe on Thursday past, 145 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,840 it was right that with profound sorrow we remembered the 146 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:13,320 sacrifice of all who contributed to the war effort. 147 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:18,280 We think of the sacrifice of soldiers at the front, we think 148 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:23,720 of the emergency services in war-torn lands or emergency 149 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:28,720 services at home. The doctors, the nurses, the 150 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:35,680 factory workers, the farmers, many individuals had a 151 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:40,040 tremendous role to play. And together on Thursday past, 152 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,000 we look back and we thank the Lord for His grace and His 153 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,280 mercies. We also took time to look 154 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,720 forward to remind ourselves this, that there could be no 155 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:58,600 peace without eternal vigilance. Eternal vigilance is the price 156 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,720 of freedom. There can be no peace or absence 157 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:09,720 of war without sacrifice. We must never take our peace for 158 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:15,520 granted. We must always learn to trust in 159 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,720 the eternal living and true God for our deliverances, 160 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:24,480 deliverances nationally, deliverances personally and 161 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:29,320 deliverances spiritually. Now it's interesting that in 162 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:34,440 Galatians chapter 5 verse one, the apostle Paul uses the word 163 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,960 liberty. We could use a colloquial word 164 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:44,080 and call it freedom. Here is writing to the church at 165 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,520 Galeta. It's an emergency pistol. 166 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:51,480 He wrote it with his own hand because the gospel, as he had 167 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:59,480 taught it, was under attack. Galatians chapter 1, verses 6 to 168 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:02,000 10. And I'll just read a portion. 169 00:13:02,560 --> 00:13:06,040 He says, But though we are an Angel from heaven, verse, he had 170 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,520 preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached 171 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:13,720 unto you, let him be a curse, as we said before, So say I now 172 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,400 again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that 173 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:22,120 ye have received, let him be accursed. 174 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:28,760 I believe tonight that the key verse of the whole Epistle is 175 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:30,920 our tax. Galatians 5:00 and 1:00. 176 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,520 Remember, of course, when the Word of God was written, there 177 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,720 was no chapter divisions or no individual verses. 178 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,280 They were added to aid the reader to find the place. 179 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,800 Chapter divisions are an invaluable aid and a great asset 180 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,480 to reading and studying the text of Holy Scripture, but they're 181 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,400 not in the original. You see, there's a call here in 182 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:58,240 Galatians 5 and one to stand fast, therefore, in the liberty. 183 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:04,600 For if Christ is made of free and the therefore belongs to the 184 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:10,000 1st 4 chapters, the teaching and instruction that's found in the 185 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:16,240 1st 4 chapters is connected to the therefore therefore means in 186 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:22,600 view of this in in light of this and and Paul here is summing up 187 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,200 and you've got to think of the subject that goes before it and 188 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:32,240 the subject that comes after it. Now the subject here is an 189 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:36,560 appeal to God's people that as they live out the gospel, 190 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,800 they're to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ just 191 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,920 made us free and be not entangled again in the yoke of 192 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,760 bondage. The apostle Paul has clearly 193 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:51,840 stated some wonderful themes. The sole sufficiency and merits 194 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:55,560 of the Lord Jesus Christ and His personal work has the only true 195 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,680 ground of salvation, the sovereignty of God's will in the 196 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:03,160 redemption of the Sinner, A full, free and forever 197 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,960 justification through faith in Christ alone. 198 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:08,960 Listen to what he says in Galatians 216. 199 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,960 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the 200 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,960 law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. 201 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,680 Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be 202 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,760 justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. 203 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:25,520 For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 204 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:30,080 Here's another thing, freedom from the curse of the law. 205 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:35,480 Galatians 3 and 13 says Christ has redeemed us from the curse 206 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,200 of the law being made a curse for us. 207 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,640 For it is written cursed as everyone that hangeth on a tree. 208 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:51,720 One of the truly outstanding marks of the Christian life in 209 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:58,040 living out the gospel is a grasp of the Christians liberty in 210 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,560 Christ. The Christians liberty in Christ 211 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:07,240 is a central truth and as Paul sums up, intending to deal with 212 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,600 the rest of his letter, having said what he said, he wants the 213 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:16,720 people of God to stand fast and enjoy the liberty that the power 214 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,080 of Christ brings into their life. 215 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:24,520 I have 4 little thoughts. One the the sorry, the identity 216 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:27,760 of the liberty. Now what is this liberty? 217 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:34,720 There's a simple answer. It's a gospel liberty or a or a 218 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,760 gospel freedom. It is the liberty wherewith 219 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,360 Christ hath made us free. You see, the message of the 220 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,520 gospel is a message of freedom, a message of liberty. 221 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,800 The message of the gospel is that Jesus Christ is a great 222 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,800 Redeemer, but he's also the great Liberator. 223 00:16:52,720 --> 00:17:01,360 He's also the great deliverer because in him his people are 224 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,640 set free. Remember what we read there in 225 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,240 John's Gospel and John chapter 8? 226 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:12,800 And he says to them in verse 32, And ye shall know the truth, and 227 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,599 the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We are the 228 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,960 Abraham's seed, and we were never in bondage to any man. 229 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,560 How saest thy ye shall be made free? 230 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,040 Jesus answered them. Verse 34 of Johnny. 231 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,080 And verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is 232 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,240 the servant of sin, and the servant abideth not in the house 233 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,400 forever, but the Son abideth ever. 234 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:41,600 Verse 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be 235 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:48,200 free indeed. You see, to whom the Son sets 236 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:55,880 free is free. Indeed, there is a liberty and a 237 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,760 freedom that belongs to the people of God. 238 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,640 Jesus Christ sets us free from the penalty of sin. 239 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:05,960 Jesus Christ sets us free from the power of sin. 240 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,280 He breaks the power of counsel. Sin sets the prisoner free. 241 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,520 Jesus Christ sets us free from the curse of the law. 242 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:19,120 Jesus Christ sets us free from offering a works based 243 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:24,240 righteousness to God. Remember in Isaiah 61 verse one 244 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,320 and two we read the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because I 245 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,320 thought the Lord had anointed me. 246 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,600 To do what? Listen to this. 247 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,760 To preach good tidings unto the meek 1. 248 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,680 To bind up the broken hearted 2. To proclaim liberty to the 249 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,960 captives 3 and the opening of the prison to them that are 250 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:50,400 bound, 4-5 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. 251 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:52,560 You see, the gospel is good news. 252 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:57,320 It's a message of glad tidings. It's a message about the freedom 253 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:02,000 for the Sinner. And the one that sets you free 254 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:06,360 is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the sole head and only King of 255 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,840 the church. He is not only the great 256 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:13,400 Redeemer that has purchased our salvation, but He is the great 257 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:20,120 Liberator that opens the prison House of sin and sets us free. 258 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:25,440 So when Paul says here in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 259 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,800 one stand fast therefore in the liberty where the Christ just 260 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,640 made us free, he's pinpointing the identity of this liberty. 261 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:39,800 It is a gospel liberty. It's a message about gospel 262 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,760 freedom. Now you need to understand this. 263 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,440 Why? Well, because a lot of things 264 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,720 are forced into the text that that's not true to the text. 265 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:56,000 See, I want to tell you tonight, it's not a liberty to go out and 266 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,680 get drunk. Drunkenness is a sin. 267 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:04,720 This text is absolutely nothing to do with drinking alcohol, but 268 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:08,400 certainly not a freedom to smoke tobacco. 269 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,680 Or to do drugs. It's not a a liberty to go out 270 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,880 and do as one pleases. Remember the days of the judges. 271 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,360 Every man does that which is right in his own eyes. 272 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,720 Now why do you emphasise that? Because many use this appeal. 273 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:28,960 They point to the word liberty. Stand fast ever in the liberty 274 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:30,680 where with Christ has made us free. 275 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:35,320 And they say in Christ I have a freedom to do these things. 276 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:41,520 The sad thing is many who use this appeal end up taking the 277 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:46,840 liberty, the gospel freedom. They turn it into a licence to 278 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,760 sin, a licence to do their own thing. 279 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:55,840 And they usually end up falling from grace, living again in a 280 00:20:55,840 --> 00:21:01,000 life of licentiousness. And I want to tell you that's 281 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,560 not the identity of this liberty. 282 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,280 That is not liberty. That's a lie. 283 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,160 God's people have no liberty to live and sin. 284 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,400 We have no liberty to lie or to steal or to commit adultery. 285 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,800 Could I just add this? It's not even a freedom to join 286 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,560 with others. And the worship of God is the 287 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,840 true and living God. Now that's included. 288 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:32,440 That's an opponent part. It's only a small part. 289 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,000 It's not a freedom to take a stand for truth and 290 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,160 righteousness against evil and wickedness. 291 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,760 In our day, though, that's a wider appeal. 292 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:48,520 Again, that's included. It's not even an appeal to stand 293 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,800 fast against the dog dogmas of Roman Catholicism. 294 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,960 It's not a freedom to go about and aim to establish a workspace 295 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:02,000 righteousness in order to obtain the favour of God. 296 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:08,480 It is not that the believer is trying to work up merit with 297 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,720 God. No, Paul is making a summary 298 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,080 here. You've got to feel the force of 299 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:19,360 the word. Therefore stand fast, therefore, 300 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:25,800 in light of all that he said in the 1st 4 chapters, and you're 301 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:31,200 to stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ have 302 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:34,800 made you free. Paul is saying in light of all 303 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:40,480 my reasoning, in light of all my arguments, we have a freedom in 304 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:48,000 Christ, a gospel freedom, and we don't have to go about to 305 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,840 establish a workspace righteousness. 306 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:55,040 We don't have to establish a righteousness by our own merit. 307 00:22:55,480 --> 00:23:00,040 We don't have to keep the law as a ground of our salvation. 308 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,760 Why? Because of the work of Christ in 309 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,960 the cross. The sacrifice has been provided, 310 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:12,400 the sacrifice has been offered, the sacrifice has been accepted. 311 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:18,520 The sacrifice is satisfying. Hebrews 10 and 12. 312 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,000 But this man, after he'd offered one sacrifice for sins forever, 313 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,040 sat down on the right hand of God. 314 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,840 That's why we sang that lovely hymn there this evening. 315 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:32,760 Once for all, O Sinner, receive it. 316 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,880 Once for all, O brother, believe it. 317 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:36,720 Cling to the cross, the burden will fall. 318 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,400 Christ has redeemed us once for all. 319 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,480 The Lord Jesus finished the work on the cross. 320 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,720 The work is done. John 19, verse 30. 321 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,120 It is finished in fact in the Greek it's one word, Teralesa. 322 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:54,920 It means done complete 2nd Corinthians 521 says for he that 323 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,680 is God that made him that is Christ to be sin for us who knew 324 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:04,120 no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him and 325 00:24:04,120 --> 00:24:07,320 I believe we need to grasp this. I believe we need to understand 326 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:12,360 this I I believe we need to try and and ponder this why? 327 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:20,200 Because remember that it was the truth of this gospel freedom 328 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:25,440 that captivated the hearts and minds of the Reformers in the 329 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:30,840 16th century. This gospel freedom got a hold 330 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:37,120 of their heart and mind, and this gospel freedom led to them 331 00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:43,560 being free. This truth, I believe, enabled 332 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:47,360 and shaped them to become the man that they became sold out to 333 00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:49,800 the Lord. Men of courage, men of vision, 334 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,720 men of commitment, men who would face any fool, men who would pay 335 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:58,880 any price. These men were free from the 336 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:03,720 imposition of men, even religious men, to bind their 337 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:05,240 conscience. Remember Martin Luther at the 338 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:08,080 Diet in April 1521? Remember he? 339 00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:15,680 He said, before the Prince and before the Pope, and before all 340 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,400 the prelates. He said, My conscience is 341 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,120 captive to the word of God. Here I stand. 342 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:25,400 I can do none other, so help me God, Amen. 343 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:32,080 Do you see all the decrees of the popes, the words of the 344 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:39,080 priest, even me as a pastor, our confession of faith as the 345 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:43,480 Westminster Confession of faith, all of them must be brought to 346 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:48,480 the touchstone of Scripture, as I eat and 20 says, to the law 347 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,840 and to the testimony. If they speak not according to 348 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,840 this word, it is because there's no light in there. 349 00:25:54,920 --> 00:26:00,000 And the chief thing for Luther was this, What does the word of 350 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:03,960 God teach? What saith the Scriptures? 351 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,040 And here's a great message from the Scriptures. 352 00:26:08,120 --> 00:26:11,200 Stand fast, therefore in the liberty, where with Christ has 353 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,400 made us free. Christ has made us free. 354 00:26:14,360 --> 00:26:19,920 We have a gospel freedom in him. And what's the ground? 355 00:26:21,680 --> 00:26:24,080 The ground of his atoning sacrifice. 356 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,920 The ground on the basis of satisfying the law of God. 357 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:32,000 We are free from the lost penalty. 358 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,120 We are free from the lost power. What? 359 00:26:34,120 --> 00:26:38,320 We are free from the law as a means of earning away and right 360 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,800 to heaven. We are free from perfectly 361 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,400 rendering complete obedience to the law. 362 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,920 We are free from its curse, free from its corruption. 363 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:51,600 Now that's what he means there whenever he says in Galatians 3 364 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,840 and 13 Christ is redeemed as from the curse of the law be 365 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,360 made a curse for us, for it is written cursed as everyone that 366 00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:02,360 hangeth on a tree. Listen to chapter 2 verse 19. 367 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,840 He says, For I through the law and dead to the law, that I 368 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:11,080 might live unto God. Do you feel the weight of that? 369 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:15,000 Can you see the sense of it? Let's listen to that again. 370 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:20,080 He says, For I through the law and dead to the law, that I 371 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:28,040 might live unto God. You see, Paul knew, like Luther, 372 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:33,080 no man could render perfect obedience to the moral law. 373 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,720 The moral law demanded perfect obedience. 374 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,320 The moral law condemned me to eternal judgement. 375 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,440 So on the one hand, the law demanded perfect obedience. 376 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,040 Keep me in your live. And then on the other hand, when 377 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,120 you couldn't render perfect obedience, sinless obedience and 378 00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:58,160 thought were indeed. Then the law rose up to condemn 379 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,480 us for not rendering perfect obedience. 380 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,920 Therein was the dilemma. And what's the answer? 381 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,920 The gospel of Christ is the answer. 382 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,720 Paul says I through the law and dead to the law. 383 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:19,760 What did he mean? He meant this by a legal 384 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,520 transaction. I am legally dead to the demands 385 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:25,920 of the law and it's curse upon me. 386 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:32,720 Notice what he says. He is dead to the law, to it's 387 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:38,320 demands to it's claims. Hi, because of the perfect 388 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:42,600 obedience of Jesus Christ. See, Jesus Christ kept the law 389 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:47,600 of God perfectly for you and me. Jesus Christ paid the law's 390 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,120 penalty for you and me. By His death on the cross, the 391 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:55,720 law that we had broken, He came in to the world. 392 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:58,160 Remember Galatians 4:00 and 4:00? 393 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,600 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth 394 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:06,880 His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them 395 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:11,360 that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of 396 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,560 sons. She, the Lord Jesus, came into 397 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,760 the world as our representative. He came in as our prophet, 398 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:24,240 priest, and king, and He satisfied the law fully, 399 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,640 satisfied His precepts by His sinless life. 400 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,200 He kept the law of God perfectly. 401 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,120 He said, Which of you convinced of me of sin? 402 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:33,600 He did no sin. You no sin in him was no sin, 403 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:41,160 and he satisfied the law's penalty by his death and blood 404 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,840 shedding on the cross. And I want to say tonight that's 405 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:49,720 an integral truth to the Gospel. The cross of Christ is not to be 406 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:54,960 viewed in isolation. Jesus just didn't do a general 407 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,760 work on the cross. He was doing a specific work. 408 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:03,720 He, he was doing a special work because when he died, he died as 409 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,320 our prophet, priest and king. He died as our representative 410 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:13,160 and in him, as your representative, you and I have 411 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,360 kept the law. In him. 412 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:21,040 You and I have obeyed it fully. In him, you and I have died to 413 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:25,040 the law. He died as your representative, 414 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:29,080 He suffered in the cross and shed His blood as your 415 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:32,240 representative. He rose again from the dead as 416 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,920 your representative. And that's the true basis of the 417 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:40,440 gospel. The Lord Jesus died in a legal 418 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:47,360 sense, and therefore, by being in Him and in union with all 419 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:50,640 that he is, Paul could say I'm crucified with Christ. 420 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:54,200 Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the 421 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,200 life which I now live by the faith of the Son of God who 422 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:02,480 loved me, gave himself for me. I am crucified with Christ. 423 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:07,600 I have been, I am being. There's an ongoing benefit. 424 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,640 Christ died, his people died in him. 425 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,280 When Christ arose, we arise in him, not liberties under attack 426 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,360 and sadly to this day from the counter Reformation, the Church 427 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:23,200 of Rome was used every weapon at their disposal to crush and 428 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:26,000 destroy the preaching of the Gospel. 429 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,480 The identity of this liberty. I'd have to be quick, very 430 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:31,840 quick. Think of the victory of this 431 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:35,400 liberty. Remember what we read there in 432 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,480 the book of Galatians chapter 2, knowing that a man is not 433 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:41,120 justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus 434 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,280 Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus 435 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,800 Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ 436 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,560 and not by the works of the law, but by the works of the law. 437 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,760 So no flesh be justified. Remember what Paul wrote in 438 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:56,160 Romans chapter 3 and verse 24. He says being justified freely 439 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,280 by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ 440 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:02,800 Jesus. See justification as being 441 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:07,240 legally declared righteous. Legally declared righteous 442 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:11,240 before the judgement bar of a holy God, legally declared 443 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:16,160 righteous and not subject to divine wrath or to the divine 444 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:20,120 curse. The wrath has been extinguished 445 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:27,960 by Christ's death on the cross. There's no more wrath to be 446 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,520 poured out against Him or upon Him. 447 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:37,640 Justified freely means without a meritorious cause. 448 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,040 Justified by His greens. There's the spring of our 449 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:47,640 justification. That's the way God treats us and 450 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:51,240 justified through the righteousness of Christ that's 451 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:54,560 put to our account by faith. That's the heart of the gospel. 452 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:01,040 And the Reformers got a hold of that truth and that caused them 453 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,080 to be full of joy and full of delight. 454 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:09,280 And to them it was a precious doctrine and it must be 455 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,040 rediscovered in our day and generation. 456 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,800 I wonder if we went round into Belfast and started talking to 457 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:20,680 people on their doorstep and ask them, do you know anything of a 458 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:27,000 full free justification by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ? 459 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:30,240 For by the righteousness of Christ life and death is put to 460 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,640 your account. They'll probably look at you 461 00:33:33,960 --> 00:33:37,280 think you're an Egypt, but that's the heart of the gospel. 462 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,920 And many preachers don't understand the gospel. 463 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,560 They look upon the righteousness of God and they define it as one 464 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:47,240 of God's attributes, and it is an attribute of God. 465 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:53,360 But that's not the gospel. It's not God's essential and 466 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:55,880 eternal attribute of righteousness that's put to our 467 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,400 account. It's the righteousness of God 468 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:04,520 that's imputed to us. It's the righteousness of Christ 469 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,120 because of his sinless life and atoning death. 470 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:13,480 The righteousness of God is put to us by faith in Jesus Christ 471 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,000 because of the righteousness of God in the personal work of 472 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:18,239 Christ. And that's what Paul meant 473 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,560 whenever he said this in Romans chapter 5 and verse 19. 474 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:25,679 For us, by one man's disobedience many were made 475 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:28,679 sinners. So by the abedience of one shall 476 00:34:28,679 --> 00:34:33,840 many be made righteous. Very quickly, I want you to 477 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:37,000 think of thirdly, of the spirituality of this liberty. 478 00:34:38,199 --> 00:34:42,120 See, we're thinking tonight past Thursday there, the 80th 479 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:46,880 anniversary of VE Day. We're thinking of the principles 480 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:52,679 of liberty. We're thinking of freedom. 481 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:04,200 Freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, 482 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,640 freedom to worship and practise one's religion according to the 483 00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:12,400 dictates of conscience, freedom to work. 484 00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:26,600 These are great freedoms. But the greatest freedom is the 485 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,520 gospel, Freedom to whom the sun sets. 486 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:38,640 Free is free indeed, and the real freedom first and foremost 487 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:44,160 is a spiritual concept. And it's a spiritual concept 488 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:48,440 that can be enjoyed. Christians don't have to be 489 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,320 slaves to the world to squeeze it into its mould. 490 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,800 Christians don't have to be slaves to sin and on 491 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:57,760 righteousness. We are free from sins, dominion 492 00:35:57,760 --> 00:35:58,920 and power. Why? 493 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:02,160 Because crisis broke the power of sin in our life. 494 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:05,280 We don't have to be slaves to the devil. 495 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,520 He's a hard taskmaster. You see, we are greatly 496 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,480 privileged. All we enjoy tonight in the 497 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:16,760 United Kingdom, the values that we have, we hold dear. 498 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:24,480 The values of all our liberty and freedom, they were one for 499 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,520 us, a tremendous cost. We don't take it for granted. 500 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:36,520 We don't treat it lightly, but the greatest freedom of all was 501 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:41,000 the freedom that Christ brings. Think of this. 502 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:45,720 The apostle Paul is standing before Festus and Agrippa in 503 00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:48,400 Acts 2624. He's in chains. 504 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:53,760 He's there because of a corrupt political, governmental system 505 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:56,960 and power. He's there because it pleased 506 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:01,080 the Jews. Festus remember under Paul's 507 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:08,080 preaching came under conviction. He was trembling. 508 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:15,360 He cried out that you're mad. What did Paul say in Acts 509 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:23,400 chapter 26 and verse 24? He said this, and as he thus 510 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:27,040 speak for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou 511 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:29,720 art beside thyself. Much learning does make me mad. 512 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,760 But he said, I am not mad. Most noble Festus, but speak 513 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:35,160 forth the words of truth and soberness. 514 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,600 For the king knoweth of these things before whom also I speak 515 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,040 freely. For I am persuaded that none of 516 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:43,800 these things are hidden from him. 517 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,560 For this thing was not done in a corner. 518 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:51,440 King Agrippa, believe us. Thou the prophets, I know that 519 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,920 thou believe us. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, 520 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:57,160 Almost Thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 521 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:01,000 And Paul said I would to God, that not only thou, but also 522 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,760 that hear me this day we're both almost and all together such as 523 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:12,040 I am, except these bones. You see, for Paul there was a 524 00:38:12,040 --> 00:38:15,040 day that freedom commenced when he knelt as a Sinner in the 525 00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:19,720 Damascus Rd and there was a day when that gospel freedom took 526 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:22,240 hold of his heart and continued to propel him. 527 00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:25,320 He says I continue to stand to this day. 528 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:30,040 And he knew that that gospel freedom had to be contended for 529 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:34,800 every calls and God's people stand fast. 530 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,880 Therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ is made of 531 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:43,440 three stand fast because of warfare, we stand fast putting 532 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:47,920 on the armour of God. Oftentimes this gospel freedom 533 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:53,320 is misunderstood, is misapplied. Oftentimes people think in 534 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,840 Christ, how much of the world can I have? 535 00:38:57,080 --> 00:38:59,680 How close can I live to the world? 536 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:02,840 But that's not the gospel freedom. 537 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,040 The gospel freedom is being free from sins, penalty and power, 538 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,160 free from the curse of the law or free from a workspace 539 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:17,560 righteousness, free in Christ to stand before God with the 540 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:20,960 perfect righteousness of Christ. That's the freedom and I 541 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:24,360 finished tonight with this. I've rushed through this, the 542 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:28,280 vulnerability of this liberty. Notice the end of the text and 543 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:30,960 be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 544 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:36,640 The positive call is to stand fast, hold your ground and we 545 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:40,200 need to do that in our day. Hold fast for gospel freedom. 546 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,000 Here's a negative be not entangled again in the yoke of 547 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,200 bondage. You see with all the propensity 548 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,120 to be brought again into bondage. 549 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,320 Even the psalmist found us in Psalm 126. 550 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:58,400 The psalmist cried out in Psalm 126 and the verse four he said 551 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:02,840 turn again our captivity. Oh Lord, he had said in verse 552 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:05,480 one when the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion. 553 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,800 We were like them that dreamed but after a time don't know 554 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:15,040 season generation had passed. Then they fell back into 555 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:20,080 captivity once again. That's human nature. 556 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:25,320 And today we see we're going back and we're going back to 557 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:29,240 become entangled again in the yoke of bondage. 558 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:34,440 And that yoke of bondage is connected to a works base 559 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:39,800 righteousness in order to satisfy and merit favour with 560 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:43,600 God. Benjamin Franklin was once asked 561 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:47,920 are we free? And here was his response, yes 562 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:54,880 we are. We're free now if we can keep 563 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,800 it. You see that is the danger we 564 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:03,080 all face being entangled again in the UK of bondage. 565 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:08,360 It's serious stuff and Paul is making the argument and saying 566 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:11,920 to them, for I testify again to everyone that has circumcised 567 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:13,440 that he's deader to the whole law. 568 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:16,200 Christ has become of no effect to you whosoever. 569 00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:19,640 If you're justified by the law, you're fallen from grace. 570 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:26,360 Christ won't profit. Christ will be no effect despite 571 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:30,360 your profession. If you become entangled again 572 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:35,000 and you go bondage and and and and live to justify yourself 573 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:39,040 through keeping the law, then Christ will be of no profit and 574 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:43,120 no effect to you. See, that's what happened in the 575 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:47,760 mediaeval church. The church fell into a state of 576 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:51,200 decline in bondage. And hasn't there been a 577 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:55,880 resurgence of that in our day? A bondage to a workspace system, 578 00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:03,320 people living in bondage to sin, bondage to guilt, bondage to all 579 00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:08,200 the allurements of this world. And that bondage must be sensed 580 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:14,760 and felt. And in that bondage there has to 581 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:20,840 be a desire where you say I want to break free and you're not 582 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:22,840 break free by yourself. You need a Liberator. 583 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:28,480 And that liberator's Christ to whom the sunsets free is free 584 00:42:28,480 --> 00:42:30,760 indeed. And if you want to be set free 585 00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:36,200 from a works based system, you want to be set free from sin and 586 00:42:36,200 --> 00:42:39,520 its power, set free from guilt, set free from a love and the 587 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:43,200 allurement of the world, then you must sense your bondage and 588 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,760 you must go to Christ and kneel before him and cry. 589 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:49,880 Lord set me free. Remember what we read in 590 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:52,200 Galatians 5 and 6. And with us we finish. 591 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:56,840 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything 592 00:42:56,840 --> 00:43:01,600 to run the circumcision, but faith, that's faith in Christ 593 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,120 which worketh. It's evidence by love. 594 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:11,440 Love to God, love to Christ, love to the gospel, love to 595 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:15,760 truth. Christians are not under the 596 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:21,120 curse of the law, they may be under it's code, and that's a 597 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:26,800 different subject. The law of love to God, the law 598 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,040 of love to Christ. If any man love not the Lord 599 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:31,040 Jesus Christ, let them be anathem. 600 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:35,160 The word anathema means let them go to the lowest hell. 601 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:41,880 I say to you tonight on this year when we've just celebrated 602 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:47,960 the 80th anniversary of VE Day, let's think about our freedom. 603 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:53,080 But primarily think of our gospel freedom. 604 00:43:54,120 --> 00:44:00,280 Think of it's identity, rejoice in its victory, feel the weight 605 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:03,920 of its spirituality. It's a spiritual concept. 606 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:08,200 And be aware of the vulnerability of this liberty. 607 00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:12,440 It's easy to become entangled again in the yoga bondage. 608 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:20,240 We need to point people to. Christ the Lord bless you 609 00:44:20,240 --> 00:44:22,320 tonight. Thank you for coming. 610 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:23,280 Thank you for listening.