Call Us: Our Address:

NCC Cartersville

Tag: freedom

  1. Home
  2. freedom
The Spirit of Liberty

The Spirit of Liberty

July 6, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in

“Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.”

2 Cor. 3:17 KJV

The purpose of Jesus dying on the cross was to free us from the bondage of our sin!   The power and nature of sin enslaved us. Although we had good intentions we did not have the power to break free from its shackles.   We made promises to God, to ourselves, and to others, but we inevitably failed because of the weakness of our sinful, fleshly nature.  Though we sincerely tried, the root and the tentacles of sin still held us firmly in its grip.  Despite our best efforts, sin always pulled us back into our old patterns of living.  We were defeated time and time again!    And we felt even worse whenever we failed.  It was a vicious never-ending cycle.

But the power of the Cross,  which was released through the Mighty Resurrection of Jesus, broke once and for all the power of sin that enslaved us!   The justice of God and the Holiness of God were fully and completely satisfied in the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of His  Son, Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God! Because of the furnished work of Christ, we have been set free and can now walk in complete liberty from the sin that once enslaved us.

That does not mean that we will never sin again. We do!  But it does mean that when we sin, the Power of the Cross and the Powerful  Blood of Jesus can still remove that sin. When we truly repent,  turn unto Him, and surrender to Him, we then receive His total cleansing and forgiveness for that sin!  (1 John 1: 9-10).  It is the Holy Spirit who does that work.  He is the One who empowers us to walk in complete liberty!  It is the abiding (resting) in Him, that breaks the power of the sin which seeks to draw us back into slavery again. (Rom. 6: 11-14).  It is in the abiding in Him, that we learn to live and walk in victory over sinful areas of our lives that once held us in bondage!  (John 15: 4-5).   It is in Him that we discover that it is no longer in our striving to be free that liberates us, but rather in our resting (abiding) in what He has already accomplished.   That indeed is the Spirit of Liberty! 

Standing Firm in Liberty

Standing Firm in Liberty

July 1, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in /

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1 KJV).

The Apostle Paul encouraged the Followers of Christ in Galatia to “stand firm” in the liberty that Christ had achieved for them. Some of the Galatian Christians were being tempted and drawn back into the bondage of religious legalism.  Paul warned them to “wake up”  and not allow themselves to be drawn back into the very thing that Christ had delivered them from!   

The Power of Christ delivers us not only from the bondage of sin but also from the bondage of religious legalism.  The resulting liberty that Christ provides impacts every area of our Iives.  It impacts the culture as well. 

It was the liberty of the Gospel that fueled the desire for freedom from the tyranny of England in the American Colonies in 1776.   The American culture in the late 1700s was profoundly influenced by the Gospel.  Christian principles were embraced by the culture at large whether they were Christian or not.  They were embraced because of their profound and positive impact on the culture. 

It was not atheism that fueled the fires of freedom in America.  It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was not atheism that motivated men to lay down their lives for freedom in the war with England.  It was the influence of the Gospel of Christ. It was not atheism or agnosticism that blessed our nation throughout its history.  It was the Gospel of Christ.  We are deeply indebted to those who have gone before us and who have modeled for us what it means to be a Follower of Christ in the arena of everyday life. 

Let us resolve as Followers of Christ to continue to “stand firm” In our liberty in Christ.
Failure to do so may cause us to lose the liberties that we now enjoy in this nation.

James W. Black   

The Lord Has Made Every Provision For Us To Live A Godly Life

The Lord Has Made Every Provision For Us To Live A Godly Life

July 10, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in

 

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that had called us to glory and virtue.” (2 Peter 1:3 KJV) 

When we surrendered our life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit came and took up residence inside our inner man (our spirit).   In that moment of the “new birth” ( John 3:3), we received the “divine nature” of Christ Himself! (2 Pet. 1:4, Col. 1:27). This “divine power” now within us, enables us and empowers us to live a life that is not only pleasing to God the Father but also a life that will bring Him glory in the earth!  In essence, the Lord has made every provision for us to live a godly life!  

As we begin this new life in Christ, we soon discover a new conflict we did not expect! That conflict is the “old nature” that is still very much alive within us. This “old nature” does not like submitting to the “new nature.”  It has been dethroned.  It is no longer in charge. Therefore the “old nature” seeks every opportunity to re-assert itself.  At times we find ourselves in a struggle.  But the fact that we experience the conflict is another proof that our new life in Christ is real because before Christ we did not have the struggle. (Rom. 7:22-23).  

The key to releasing this  “divine power” in our life is growing in our knowledge of Jesus. It is more than just head knowledge.  It is experiential knowledge that comes from stepping out in faith, trusting Him, and simply doing what He teaches us to do in His Word.   As we do,  His power is released in us and our knowledge of Christ grows deeper. As we grow in Him, we receive a greater understanding of just how much He truly loves us. As we grow in Him, we have a greater understanding of what He has actually accomplished for us. As we grow in Him, we learn more about how to surrender to Him. As we grow in Him, we learn more about what it means to enthrone Him in our life.  As we grow in Him, we learn more about the Holy Spirit and how He empowers us to live for Christ.

As we grow in Him, we discover that we don’t need more faith, more strength, more power, or anything else.  We discover that He has already given us everything that we need.  All that is required is to surrender to Him continually and draw upon all the resources of Heaven that is readily available to us.  

Rev. James W. Black

The Responsibility of Freedom

The Responsibility of Freedom

July 3, 2022 by NCC-Admin-1 in

 “[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but[ live at all times]  as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 AMPC).  

The Apostle Peter is reminding the followers of Christ that Jesus did indeed come to set us free from the bondage of sin (John 8:36).  But with that freedom comes the responsibility of living as Children of God before Him and the world.  Our freedom is not a license to live a sinful lifestyle!  

Some in the Body of Christ think that their freedom means that they can live any way they wish and it doesn’t  matter because the Lord loves them and will forgive them.  That attitude reflects  that they neither value nor appreciate the love of God; nor do they understand His Holiness!

God’s purpose in redemption is to bring into His Family a people that reflect and reveal Him to a darkened world.  The life of Christ is not revealed through “legalism” (rules of do’s and don’ts) but rather through a love relationship that is motivated  by a desire to  to please the Holy One in the way way that we live.  The Good News of the gospel is that the Holy Spirit empowers us to live the very life that He calls us to live.  

It is no longer a matter of struggling and striving but rather a matter of hearing and obeying what He would have us do.  There is great freedom in that!  Let us so walk in our freedom that others may see it and be drawn to that same freedom we have experienced in Him!

Rev. James W. Black