with me, if you will, to Isaiah chapter 61 tonight. Isaiah chapter 61. I think that nothing in the world can be compared to freedom. In just two days, almost everyone in the United States will celebrate the blessed freedom and independence of our nation. Lots of partying, lots of laughter, lots of gaiety.

To win this freedom, though, thousands shed their blood, voluntarily giving up life if necessary, and for many it was necessary, in order that you and I should live as we do in this land of freedom. We ought never, their memory in high esteem. To protect this freedom, thousands of others have died. Many, many have died. Many have gone off to fight in wars with fairly good confidence the likelihood of their not coming home again was almost, almost certain. They knew it before they left.

But they preserved for us the freedom we have. and we ought ever to hold them in high esteem. To gain this freedom, our shores and our borders are flooded by thousands of people every year from many nations in the world, because people want to get into this land of such tremendous freedom and opportunity.

This is the only nation in the world, I've been in a good many of them, but this is the only nation in the world that has to build walls and fences to keep people out. It's the only one in the world. Nowhere else like it in the world. I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in another country, a fairly prosperous, industrialized country, and I had visited there, and he told me it was a nice place, and enjoyed the scenery and all that stuff, and he said, yeah, but nobody's trying to move here. trying to move here, I'd like to live where you do.

I'd like to live where you do. People everywhere would cherish the opportunity to live in this land of freedom. Freedom has enriched our minds. Freedom has enriched our land. And freedom has enriched our lives. Nothing in all the world can be compared to freedom. Happy, blessed are those people who live in freedom. But no one really appreciates it. No one really is thankful for it, so much as one who has escaped from bondage, oppression, tyranny, and fear.

The other day I was driving down the road, Shelby and I were on the road to Lexington. It's been a few weeks ago now. And it was back during the time that our McNamara had come out with his book showing what a horrible political football the Vietnam War was and all that. And it was a talk show. I don't know which one it was, but a lady called in, clearly had an accent. She was from Lexington. I told Shelby I wish I had time to stop and look her up.

She was a Vietnamese woman, and she said, while all of this is going on with Oaxaca, decrying, belittling those soldiers who went to Vietnam and sacrificed their lives and they say it was all for nothing. She said, I want everybody who will hear me to know that one little Vietnamese girl and her sister will never forget what those men did for them.

And we ought to never forget what it is like to live in this land of freedom. Let us cherish it and honor it and honor those who have served well the cause of freedom. But having said that, obviously I have not come here, and you have not come here for me to talk to you about political or economic freedom. I can get stirred up pretty good concerning it, but that's not my mission. We've come here, I hope, you've come seeking, and I've come to declare to you something about a far greater freedom than that. I want to talk to you tonight about spiritual freedom, freedom for your soul, freedom forever. Oh, freedom. absolute freedom, gloriously and effectually proclaimed.

Here it is, Isaiah 61, verse 1. The Lord Jesus is speaking. He says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. Now look at this, to proclaim liberty to the captives. and the opening of the prison to them that abound. When he comes to proclaim liberty to captives, the prison doors are open. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has come into this world to set sinners free. By the virtue of his blood atonement, and by the power of his sovereign grace, he effectually proclaims liberty to sinners.

Now, I want to show you three things concerning this matter of freedom and liberty in Jesus Christ this evening. First, we'll talk about the nature of this freedom, and then we'll talk a little bit about the method of it, and then the experience of it. First, the nature of this liberty. As I've already indicated, I'm talking to you now about spiritual liberty. Liberty is for yourself.

It is a liberty that is free, by which we are free from the curse the penalty, the dominion, and the terror of God's holy law. Now, I think that's the first thing that needs to be clearly understood. In Jesus Christ, all who believe, all who are born of God, are absolutely, I underscore deliberately the word absolutely, all who believe on Jesus Christ are absolutely free from the curse the terror and the dominion of God's holy law. Now, that is exactly what the Scriptures teach. I want us to see it for ourselves. I want each of you to see it for yourself over a moment. Let's begin in Galatians. Galatians, chapter 3. Galatians, the third chapter.

Now whenever you hear folks start to talk to you, and they start to bring up issues concerning the law, and talk to you about keeping the law, and doing the law, and how you ought to obey the law, all those things now, you listen carefully. Do not ever find an excuse, a pretentious excuse, for breaching God's holy law. Don't ever pretend to imagine that grace gives license to sin. It does not. But whenever you hear folks start to talk to you in some ways of bringing you back in bondage under the yoke of the law, remember that God serves in a word. Don't pay any attention to religion that speaks contrary to this book. Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13.

Because he says Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Now that simply means exactly what it says. That means the Lord God has no ability to render a curse to those for whom Jesus Christ is died. That's exactly what it looks like it means, isn't it? The Lord God cannot curse me if Christ redeemed me. The Lord God holds no power over me to condemn me if Christ has redeemed me. I've been redeemed from the curse of the law, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.

Now then, come back to Romans. Romans chapter 10. We'll just move through the book of Romans backwards. But I want you to see how many times Paul writes this statement, a statement like this, through the book of Romans. It seems as though he began with it and he continued with it right to the very end.

In chapter 2 in verse 4, he talks about the Jews who were ignorant of God's righteousness and had gone about to establish their own righteousness because they didn't understand this one thing. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it.

Now, if you hope to be saved by doing good, forget it, you can't do good. You have no capability of doing that which is good. There's no righteousness in you, but only unrighteousness. Therefore, the law requires you to condemn and restore the sins that you survived. He has done righteousness, he has fulfilled righteousness, he has satisfied justice, and thus he is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Turn back to chapter 8, Romans 8 chapter, verse 1. There is therefore now. I haven't took time to decide which words then to disclose here, but I feel like that right now. Are you in Christ Jesus? Do you believe the Son of God? Do you trust Him? There is therefore, right now, no condemnation, no judgment, and no possibility of judgment. The preacher, my sin, my guilt, what about all that I've done? There is therefore, right now, no condemnation.

All glorious grace, no condemnation, to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Now, he's not telling us, if you're in Christ and you walk after the Spirit, then there's no condemnation. He's telling us, if you're in Christ, you walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. That's what it is to be by faith. We trust Jesus Christ. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, what could the law not do? It couldn't save us. It couldn't make us righteous. It couldn't give us acceptance with God. It has plenty of power to condemn, but no power to save or to help us get saved.

What the law could not do, in that it is weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of flesh, and foreseeing, or because of sin, convincing in the flesh that the righteousness of the law, all of it, the righteousness of the law, its demands and its penalty, might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. In us, who believe on the Son of God. Look in chapter 7, Romans the 7th chapter. Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to men that know the law, that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he lives?

For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives. But if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then, if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Wherefore, my brethren, we also are become D.E.A.D. dead to the law. What position does the law have in a believer's life? D-E-A-D-D to the law. Well, how does the law affect you? D-E-A-D-D to the law. You've been put here. The law doesn't have anything to do with the believer. You got it. You got it.

Absolutely nothing. to do the good. I'm dead to the law. I'm dead to the law. I have rendered and paid everything the law of God demands of me and the person of my sensitivity. Jesus Christ the Lord. Oh, but now you mean that you're dead to the law with regard to justification. I mean you're D-E-A-D dead to the law. In all regards, the law has nothing to do with folks who are free. Folks who have been redeemed and justified by Christ. dead to the law, that he should be married to another, even to him that is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit of the God."

Alright, let's look at Romans Chapter 6. Romans Chapter 6. Now, if there is any passage in the Bible that talks about Practical Christianity, as they like to say. Practical Christian living, is Romans chapter 6. And some of the old times tell me, no, you got to preach the law, you can't have practical Christianity. Let's see, Romans 6, 14.

Sin shall not have dominion over you, and here's the reason why. You're not under the law, but under grace. That's what it says, isn't it? Verse 15. What then? Shall we sin because we're not in the law, but under grace? God forbid! What kind of nonsense is that? Shall we sin because Christ has redeemed us from the curse and the penalty of God's wrath? Oh no! A thousand times no! God forbid! Secondly, in this same vein with regard to the nature of this liberty, the five-fold liberty which Christ gives us is a five-fold liberty from sin. In verse 6 of Romans 6, knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Being then made free from sin, do you see that? Made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness, verse 20. For when you were the servants of sin, you were freed from righteousness. But verse 22, now being made free from sin and become servants to God, you have your fruit and holiness and the end everlasting life.

Look in 1 Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 1. The apostle Peter gives complete amen to what Paul has written in Romans. For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin." I want your attention now. Bob Ponce, two thousand years ago, my brother, you suffered in the flesh for sin. Two thousand years ago. in the person of a representative. Having suffered in the flesh, you ceased to have anything to do with sin as far as God himself is concerned. You may, you may preach it. The issue will never be brought up again. That's what I mean. Not by God. Not by God. Never be brought up again.

Christ has given us freedom, total freedom, from the penalty of sin by His blood atonement. He's given us freedom from the guilt of sin by applying that blood to our hearts in effectual grace through the power of His Holy Spirit. He gives us freedom from the dominion of sin by his regenerating grace. For the day we live and we rule and reign in dominion of sin, as the bodies of the servants of sin, yielding our limbs willingly to sin, Jesus Christ has come and broken the power of sin and set us free from the dominion of sin.

And one of these days, then, blessed God, he will deliver us from the body and being of sin when we drop these robes of flesh and rise to be with him in the skies. And at last, when He has made all things new, and raised these bodies from the dead, and translated us into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, He will have delivered us from all the consequences of sin. All of it. That's all most more than my mind can grasp. He will deliver us in resurrection moment from all the consequences of sin.

So that we will no longer bear during sorrow. or any pain, or suffer anything as the consequence of sin, but Jesus Christ, by his blood, having paid the price and satisfied the penalty, having taken away the guilt, having freed us from the dominion, having freed us from the dignity, will raise us up free from all the consequences of sin.

So, believing Christ, the conscience once purged, Listen, the conscience once purged has no more conscience of sin. No more conscience of sin. No more. Conscience is divorced of God's law in the same way the man. It is the birth of God's righteousness in the soul of a woman, so that the conscience demands righteousness. The conscience demands satisfaction, just like God's law does. And when we have been purged from sin, the sinners being purged from sin, Hebrews 10 verse 2, have no more conscience of sin.

What does that mean? Trusting Jesus Christ, my substitute, my conscience, agrees with God's law and says God Almighty is just and righteous to forgive my sin. It's right up on God. No one is challenging us today because Christ has died. You understand that? We've been freed from sin. This liberty that Christ gives us is a liberty and freedom from the customs, traditions, practices, and taboos of human invented religion.

Let me just show you one text in this regard. I can give you a minute, but turn to Colossians chapter 2. Colossians chapter 2. In First Timothy Paul talks about folks who have bodily exercises of religious ceremony. It talks about folks who say don't eat certain meats and don't drink certain drinks.

Folks, they say, now don't you participate in this, and they say, now if you will remain celibate and not married, then you'll really be holy. If you like somebody, or you've met somebody, whichever way it goes, then that's real holiness. That's real nonsense. That's utter stupidity. But in the name of religion, many, many practice that foolishness, and so this is doing God's service.

Listen to what Paul says, Colossians 2 verse 20. Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, what a word for religious tradition. Why are they living in the world? Are you subject to ordinances? That is the ordinances of religious heritage. Why on earth do you give any credibility to their ordinances?

Touch not, taste not, handle not. Oh you can't do this and you can't do that and you become corrupt and evil. Don't eat this meat now, don't eat that meat, and don't make that, and don't go there. You'll be corrupt with their evil. Don't you understand the corruption comes from within you? The corruption not in God's creation. God gave the creation for you to enjoy and to use for your good and your pleasure and His good and the benefit of His people.

And it's perfectly right for you to do so, all things in moderation. That's the key. The Word of God nowhere forbids the use of anything, it forbids the abuse of anything. That's the secret. So Paul says, don't pay any attention to the religious ordinances of men. Touch not, taste not, hinder not. It's all to perish with the using of the commandments and doctrines of men. Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the satisfier of the flesh.

I remember seven years ago, it was a long time ago, when the Lady Shepherd was working I forgot what church she was in, it doesn't matter. She asked, either Shepard or Lee Waters, somebody in our company, I can't remember who she was, who are we going to give up for Lent this year? And she said, I'm going to give up ketchup.

That's right. You remember? I'm going to give up ketchup for Lent. That's real holiness. I'm going to quickly catch up on my foot tracks and mayonnaise and sticks. Then we'll have a show of wisdom. in real worship. That's what Paul calls it. That's what it is. Just idolatrous real worship.

And you and I, in Jesus Christ, are absolutely free from and forbidden to practice the religious traditions and customs and taboos of men. So isn't it all right for us to just kind of go along? No, it's not all right. It's kind of like going along with Justin St. Peter's church when you're going around. Don't do it. It's absolutely wrong.

And again, the liberty that Christ gives to sinners is the liberty of a heathen-blessed delight for marriage. I know people say, well, if you preach like this, Folks will become careless and sinful and licentious. Oh, no. Oh, no. Anytime I have somebody to lay such a foolish charge to the gospel of God's grace that we preach, I say to them, I beg of you a little bit, I say, come today and go. Married to him. Married to him. So don't you have to keep folks motivated and quick in their lives? No. No. Not folks who are married. Not folks who are married. Folks who are married devoted to each other.

I read an article in the Mailings Bulletin. Somebody called and wondered if he was interested in buying some promotional materials that would boost his attendance and boost his offering and all that stuff. And he said, no. And I said, well, you're shocked. Huh?

If folks need to be motivated by something that has been graced, they're not God's. It's just not God. They don't know the Lord. But folks who've been married to Christ are motivated by love and devotion and gratitude to Him. In our house, we have no laws. You know, used to have some when faith was attacked at home. We had laws then.

But see, they don't now. She doesn't live under my law anymore. Only people living over there, Don and Shelby. And I've never given that woman any laws saying, you have to do this. I've never done it. Now, it's understood there's some things we do and some things we don't. But I've never given her any laws.

And she took pretty good care of me. She really does. When things are not coming along, she bakes macaroni and cheese in the oven, because that's the way I like it. She goes through some trouble to fix the bed, the way I like it. She goes through some trouble to fix breakfast and lunch and supper, just the way I like it. She goes through some trouble to have the house arranged, just the way I like it. Oh, boy, she must have scared her best of you. Either that, or she flat does love me, one of the two. One of the two.

Do you understand what I'm talking about? Believe they're not scared to death of God, they love him. They're not motivated by fear and terror in the world, they're motivated by love and gratitude. We've been married to Jesus Christ. All right, the second thing. How is this liberty obtained? I'll give it to you briefly, but you listen. Firstly, it had to be purchased. Unliberty is a lawful, legally demanded liberty. We are not escaped felons, and we're not runaway slaves.

We've been ransomed, the ransomed sons of God. Meryl Hart, the law of God, says you must go to hell, because Christ will pay your debt. He paid your debt. The law of God demands our freedom. It is a proclaimed liberty. Sovereign grace proclaims liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison for them that are bound. It is proclaimed both in the covenant and God said, deliver him from going down to the pit. I have found the ransom. It is proclaimed in the gospel as I preach it to you.

Oh, but then God the Holy Spirit comes, and by the power of the Word of Christ speaks liberty to your heart. And suddenly the shackles fall off, and you've been made free. And this liberty is a performed liberty. The Lord Jesus doesn't just preach it, he performs it. He comes and he sets the captive free. And it's a protected liberty. Protected by God's law. God's law says they can't be captive. Can't be. Can't be.

You see, the law In justice, where justice exists, where law really rules, the law both punishes the criminal and protects the righteous. That's the intent of law. That's what law is for. And we are very good now in our society about demanding that folks go free, and they cannot be imprisoned.

If a man's been tried for a crime, according to law, once he's been tried and found innocent, no matter what happens, he cannot be thrown in prison. It can't happen. The law won't allow it. Now listen to me. The law of God has punished our sin. And now the law of God declares that we are righteous in Jesus Christ, and the law of God says they cannot be punished. It cannot happen. One last thing.

Let me talk to you a little bit about the experience of this liberty. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has set me free. He set me free. There was a time when I was a prisoner a prisoner to the law of God. I talked to you a little bit about that.

We were born under the curse of the law. And that law terrorized and tormented our consciences, so that we lived in constant fear of meeting God in judgment. And for us, living in constant fear of meeting God in judgment, we've never even heard a preacher because they've read the Word of God written on their conscience and on their heart by creation. That's the reason many of them in every way are religious. They have the light of nature that torments them.

But not only were we under the curse of the law, But we lived under the dominion of sin, servants of sin and of satan. And the gift of it is that we were his willing servants, glad to be his servants, delighted to walk in his service, until his service became garland and bitter. And we realized it was going to destroy us. But then with his tactics of faith, the power of his, by sovereign grace, sprinkling our hearts with his shed blood, and said, you're free.

And, Lord, I've been free ever since. I've been free ever since. You mean to teach you not sin? Oh, no, I've sinned. Sin is mingled with everything I do. Everything I do. But I'm telling you, I'm free from the curse of the law. And I'm free from the dominion of sin. It no longer rules. It's no longer boss. So it looks like if you're free from the dominion of sin, you'd never sin. Oh no! No, no, no, no. That's not the case at all. Let me ask you, please don't anybody answer. I don't want any of you fellas to go home and get in trouble, have to explain anything.

But you may love your lives. But sometimes you say and do things, and sometimes, with great frequency, you say and do things that are totally contrary to that love. Am I right? totally contrary to it. They must not love me. No, that's not the case at all. I'm just a sinner, and I cannot love as I ought. I cannot do as I ought.

And I, a sinner, free from the dominion of sin, still sin, sin is mixed in everything But I'm no longer under the rule of sin. Just as though my actions sometimes betray something that is a myth in the love I have for my wife. Oh, my wife is in great measure ruled by my love for that lady. You understand what I'm saying? Let me give you a second to illustrate it.

A few months ago at a Bible conference up in Fairmont, I think as well as I've ever heard it, He said, you take a huge funnel, just a huge funnel, big, big opening here, and it narrows down at the end, very narrow. And you take a tennis ball and just throw it right through the mouth of that funnel, and it bounces here and there and just goes all over the place. But all of God is headed to that one place. in the direction of its movement, it's headed to that small opening at the end of that funnel.

And you and I, being born of God's Spirit, have been put into grace and righteousness, the kingdom of grace and righteousness, where grace reigns and righteousness rules. And there's such inner conflict, such turmoil in our souls because of sin. And sin keeps us bruised and banged up all the way. But in the tenor and direction of the believer's life, he walks in righteousness.

You've got it, you've got it good, boy. He walks in such a manner as to let his light shine before men, that they may, by our good works, glorify our Father which is in heaven. And the believers, no word other by their behavior, He bounced around, but he's in the funnel. He's bruised and banged up, but he's in the funnel, and that's the way he's going. He's not likely to jump out the other end. He's going directly toward glory. He's walking with God. We have been set free from the bondage and killing of sin and the penalty of sin. Now, I'm telling you that this liberty is immediate.

John Bunyan, in his Pilgrim's Progress, I think that's my favorite part of the book, he has this horrible load on his back, sin. And he goes to Mount Sinai and can't get any relief, and he goes here and there and he can't get any relief, and finally somebody pointed him to Mount Calvary. And he said, I went to Mount Calvary and I saw the Lamb of God slain on the cursed tree, and as soon as I looked to him, the burden fell off my back and rolled into a bottomless abyss, never to be seen anymore. I'm telling you that as soon as you look to Jesus Christ in faith, sin and the bondage and tyranny of it is gone immediately. This liberty is an unconditional liberty. Unconditional.

It took me a while to get hold of this. I had to struggle somewhat with this. I started thinking there's something I've got to do to get rid of this load, to get rid of these shackles, to free from this terror of God. I've got to do something. I've got to feel something. I've got to do something. I've got to experience something. Then I tried promising and promising and promising. Did you try that? God, if you'll help me, I will.

But you can't drive a jib out of the God. It won't work. The liberty God gives is untraditional. You come to him without bringing anything, without experiencing anything, without feeling anything, without promising anything. You trust him. And you set free. And this liberty is everlasting liberty. We shall never come into condemnation. We shall never be brought back into bondage again. For Jesus Christ has come and set the captive free. Amen.