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how do we discover freedom from our issues? one in all my preferred solutions to this question is from the apostle Paul in Romans 8:thirteen–15. there he writes this: “if you live consistent with the flesh you may die, but if by the spirit you positioned to dying the deeds of the body, you will live. for all who are led by way of the spirit of God are sons of God. for you did no longer receive the spirit of slavery to fall returned into worry, but you have obtained the spirit of adoption as sons, by way of whom we cry, ‘Abba! father!’” we battle sin to be free of fear. and in the warfare, we show our religion in Jesus Christ and his work for us. right here’s pastor john, preaching on this text lower back in 2002.
ask yourself this query: why didn’t the bible simply educate me to defeat sin by asking the holy spirit to do it? why isn’t prayer the be-all and end-all of this conflict? so here comes a temptation to either experience discouraged approximately price range, or to experience apprehensive because you’re sick, or to feel proud due to the fact you probably did something properly. why, at that second, isn’t the manner of killing that to simply say, “holy spirit, i ask you to come now and defeat the sin in my lifestyles. amen”? and it’s done. ask, and you may obtain, proper? wrong. why? Jesus gets no glory in case you do it that manner.
foreground the muse
the cause it says in Galatians three:five that the holy spirit is provided and becomes miracle-running in electricity “by way of listening to with faith” is that if you neglected the hearing size — namely, listening to the gospel of Jesus christ and the promises that he bought for you by his blood — and if jesus doesn’t get the credit score for the ones promises which you’re laying keep of, then he received’t get any glory. he’s just out of the equation.
“how am i able to expect the guarantees of God being fulfilled in my lifestyles? one issue: christ died for me.”
and you may now and then assume, “nicely, theologically, i bet he’s the inspiration of the whole lot.” nicely, what? foundations in your private home get no interest. you don’t undergo the day pronouncing, “i’m so thankful that i've a twelve-route basement. i love the ones cement blocks; they’re so quite.” you don’t even consider the foundation in your property. so, to mention once in a while, “Jesus is the foundation of the whole thing” — so what? he gets no glory in case you in no way talk approximately it, you by no means sing about it, you in no way financial institution on his blood to buy for you the guarantees.
do you consider what 2 corinthians 1:20 says? “all the promises of God find their yes in [Jesus].” what which means is that this: whilst you live your Christian life by choosing a promise, banking on it, plugging in, in order that faith goes into the word of god, do who sold that for you? Jesus. we’re sinners; i’m a sinner. i don’t deserve any promise of god fulfilled in my lifestyles. how can i expect the promises of God being fulfilled in my lifestyles? one element: christ died for me. christ offered every promise for john piper. this is the new covenant. christ shed his blood so that i'm able to pick anywhere inside the bible and say, “i’ll take that promise for nowadays.”
“i'm able to support you, i will assist you, i can uphold you with my righteous right hand” (isaiah 41:10).
“the lord will fight for you” (exodus 14:14).
“god will supply every want of yours” (philippians four:19).
i'm able to select that promise. why? because i’m deserving? no manner. because jesus is deserving, and that i agree with jesus, and he gives it to me.
hang to God’s fact
and permit me near now with more than one illustrations. we’ve were given three missionary families that have gone out from this church who're taking walks through the darkest waters of eviction from Tanzania, this very second, that we’ve ever had. and put your self in their footwear right now. they’ve been given a thirty-day note: “get out of here with all of your households and all of your property.” it’s the simplest home their kids have ever regarded. Denise wrote to us ultimate easter. she wrote the e-mail the night time earlier than easter. and this is what she said. she’s picturing the disciples among correct Friday and easter.
they're sitting quietly and numbly at a person’s house . . . and that they don’t understand about the resurrection this is to return. that’s what this time seems like to us in lots of methods: darkness and an unknown future. abruptly, we’re packing up and leaving the USA, our home for the final seven years, the most effective home our children have acknowledged.
“it’s failing to pay attention specific, christ-spoken promises through the day that we could us sink so badly.”
now ask yourself, what are the sins threatening right here? here are the ones i concept of: anger, melancholy, self-pity, fear, impatience, irritability. the ones are a few sins that would threaten to rise up in these missionaries proper now. now concentrate to such a warrior — Denise — in her electronic mail, as an embodiment of this sermon. she starts offevolved by using pronouncing, “we're clinging to these truths.” do you hear it? “we are clinging to truth.” no vague notion of a god accessible. we're clinging to specific truths.
we're clinging to those truths: God is right; he's in control; he loves us extra than we can comprehend; and he has plans to provide us a hope and a future, plans to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:eleven). our spirits are understandably low. we're emotionally and bodily exhausted. but “due to the lord’s super love, we are not fed on, for his compassions in no way fail. they're new each morning” (lamentations three:22–23).
and as a result, she places to die the deeds of the frame.
how religion speaks to fear
one more instance: rich and Tricia have been right here for numerous years till they left remaining yr to go to africa with 3 small kids. they worked with refugees within the community, studying language and so forth. they’re going to a country this is so fragile, so adverse, that they can’t call it. and believe three small children and a younger couple going to a destitute land and not using a infrastructure. the religion is hostile to christianity. what types of matters would get up on your thoughts as you are making such an obedient plan? allow me quote from his letter. that is the february e-newsletter that i were given. it’s one of the maximum powerful packages of this message in a missionary letter — and i’ve read many. all our missionaries get this, i think, and that they weave it into their letters, however this one become first rate:
whereas the constitution of this u . s . a . may additionally nation one issue, the word of god says, “he who is in you is more than the only who is in the global” (1 john four:4). in which worry says, “what if blank occurs?” religion says, “worry not, for i'm with you; be not dismayed, for i'm your god; i can improve you, i'm able to assist you, i can uphold you with my righteous right hand” (isaiah forty one:10). while worry surfaces, faith responds, “peace i depart with you; my peace i provide to you. now not as the sector gives do i supply to you. allow no longer your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (john 14:27). while doubt and frustration scoff, saying, “they’ll in no way trade; this is a waste of time!” jesus looks us in the eye and responds, “with man this is not possible, however with god all matters are possible” (matthew 19:26).
unique, christ-spoken guarantees
we need to turn out to be the kind of individuals who, whilst we’re taking walks across a bridge or on foot between places of work or strolling right into a lecture room — younger humans, maybe you’re anxious about some check or something, or you’re taking walks down the hall, and also you marvel, “yikes, did i wear the incorrect colour these days?” or anything — “am i going to be regarded humorous?” in case you agree with god’s right right here — “i'm able to by no means go away you nor forsake you” (hebrews 13:5), and he says, “all things are feasible with me. believe me. i really like you. i'm able to take care of you. i’ll deliver all of your desires. i love you. i died for you. i have counted you righteous” — might you no longer come to be a free person? it’s failing to pay attention precise, christ-spoken guarantees second by way of second through the day that lets us sink so badly.
study from our missionaries. learn from the apostle paul. put to dying the deeds of the body, positioned to death the flesh, put to death sin via the spirit — this is, via putting your thoughts on the things of the spirit, at the phrase of god (“hearing with religion”), and accept as true with them. and in this manner, peace will come, the holy spirit will drift, strength could be given, sins will be slain, devil might be driven again, and jesus christ, who offered all the ones guarantees, could be magnified.