Lesson FIVE
Book A
DELIVERANCE
"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free". John 8:32
JESUS SETS US COMPLETELY FREE
When we accept Jesus into our lives God gives us a new nature. (See "You are a new Creation" booklet). "Old things (your past life and its problems) pass away. All things become new". 2 Cor 5:17
God gives us a new heart and new spirit. Of course our bodies don't change, except to get healed when needed, neither do our minds. So, in fact, our old nature does stay around us, but just that it no longer controls our life, responses or destiny.
"Our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with......". Romans 6:6
So now God gives us power, by the new birth, to walk in this "Newness of life" and not the old way of our old self.
However, not everyone knows this fact. Sometimes we may not feel free or look free, but the Bible says that we are free. It depends which way we look at it. In this study we are going to look at it the Bible way. God's way.
BAD HABITS BRING BONDAGE
Habits such as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, nicotine abuse (smoking), sex abuse, violent anger, overeating, under eating (anorexia etc.) various perversions, bad religious habits, witchcraft, church legalisms, and any other bad habit not mentioned are broken when you come into the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
ALL THESE HABITS YOU ARE FREED FROM - IF YOU WANT TO BE
When you are forced to do something that you do not really want to do in your heart, then you are "in bondage" to this habit. Jesus came to set the prisoner free. Luke 4:18
"Where the spirit (or nature) of the Lord is, there is liberty". (Freedom to choose). 2 Cor 3:16
THE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID FOR YOUR FREEDOM
I KNEW A MAN IN BONDAGE TO SMOKING
A friend of mine was a Christian who was involved in smoking. As time went by he became aware that this was a bondage that he did not need. The devil lied to him that he would never be free and that God didn't mind. Now God minds very much when His children are in bondage.
He tried everything that he could to be prayed for, discipline, fasting etc. etc. yet nothing worked. He would come free for a little and go straight back as soon as there was pressure. He was trying to overcome the old man with the old man.
As I explained the above scriptures to him and showed him that he was already free, he began to see it, in the word. As he began to see it so he became free in his heart. As he believed that he was free because of what God had said, so he became free in effect. 25 years of smoking was gone in a day. He said "My body will hurt". I said "Let it hurt" and he was free.
WALKING IN NEWNESS OF LIFE
"Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life". Romans 6:4
HOW DO YOU ACCOMPLISH THIS FREEDOM?
Our old man has died, when we accept Jesus. We get water baptised by full immersion as a confession that this has happened. (See Water Baptism chapter). this baptism of belief happens when we accept Jesus and His gospel. We become born again. A new spirit and heart is given to us. Now we have to walk in the power of what has been given to us.
"Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord". Romans 6:11
Reckon yourself to be as the word says that your new man is dead to sin. Your new spirit or inner man does not want anything that god doesn't want.
BONDAGE IS A LIE
When you are a born again Christian you need never be in bondage again. The price for your total freedom has been paid. "You are complete in Him". Col 2:10
In order to be bound the Christian has to be deceived. Satan is the father of lies and tells us that we are bound. That we need to have our bad habit for comforts sake. But this is a lie. God says that we are complete in Him. We don't need other comforts. We have the Comforter.
to be bound into any form of bondage, even religious bondage, we have to believe a lie first. So the way out of bondage is to see the truth, through Gods word. Feelings are not a totally good indicator of where we are at. The Bible is.
"For you brethren have been called to liberty". Gal 5:13
We have not been saved in order to go back into some form of bondage, even religious bondage. For in Christ Jesus only a new creation counts.
KEEP THE LIBERTY YOU ARE GIVEN
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage". Gal 5:1
With this warning we can be sure that it is easy to fall into bondage again, losing the freedom, joy and love that we started off with and gained in Christ. Even religious teachings can bring this bondage if we are not careful. It did in the book of Galatians in the Bible. (Read and see). Anything that takes away your liberty in Christ is wrong. It does not come from the Lord but the devil even though it might be using the same Bible.
We build on the new man and not try to make the old man more manageable. the old man must remain dead. What do we have to do with him? We died to him, when we met Christ.
"I say then: Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh". Gal 5:16
IT'S A QUESTION OF SEEING IT THE RIGHT WAY
You shall know or see or have revealed to you the truth and the truth shall set you free. Meditate on these bible verses that are written in this study. Let them become more important to you than anything else. they are the Holy word of God. Read the Bible verses surrounding them. Let them sink down into your inner consciousness and become revelation to you.
If you do, you will suddenly realise the truth of them. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God". (Really hearing). Romans 10:17
As you begin to realise that you are free so you will be free indeed. "therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. For sin shall not have dominance over you.....". Romans 6:12-14
"Now having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness". Romans 6:18