The primary reason that a lot of Christians are not experiencing their freedom in Christ is that they don t know who they are in Christ and what they

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2 The primary reason that a lot of Christians are not experiencing their freedom in Christ is that they don t know who they are in Christ and what they have in Christ. They are trying to be someone they already are (righteous) and trying to get something that they have already been given (dead to sin). The primary weapon Satan has is deception. He is the father of lies and he has convinced many Christians that they are not free and they believe the lie and live in bondage., The devil, he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NIV).

3 This is what we will cover in this webinar.

4 Harry Houdini, the famed magician of the early 1900 s claimed he could be locked in any jail in the country and escape. Always he kept his promise. But one time something went wrong. He took a piece of metal and set to work on the lock, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. After working for two hours he collapsed in frustration and failure against the door and it swung open. It had never been locked. But in his mind it was locked and that kept him from opening it & walking free. IF we are already free, do we see that as long as we re trying to get free we will never experience freedom that is already ours. We live by faith, believing and trusting that Christ is our life and we are dead to sin and freed from it.

5 26 years ago Mike found his freedom from addiction as he listened to Bill Gillham teach on Rom. 6 that we are dead to sin. He remembered thinking, That s just what God says, that s just how God sees me. Then it hit him - Truth is what God says regardless of your feelings. Reality is how God sees you, regardless of your actions. When he understood the truth of Gal. 2:20 that his old self was crucified with Christ he no lived, but Christ was living in him, he knew in that moment he was dead to sin and freed from his addiction. There was nothing to do. Jesus had already done it. IT WAS FINISHED! All that we do to get free and stop sinning shows that we don t believe the truth that sets free.

6 We evangelicals have done what we accuse the liberals of doing. Can we say, I know I m dead to sin because I feel dead to sin? Who could say, I know I m dead to sin because I always act dead to sin? No one can do that because our feelings and experiences tell us we are very much alive to sin & many of us are mired in addiction & living in misery and despair. We sin because we regard ourselves by our flesh & behavior rather than by who we are in Christ. The flesh is not who we are. The flesh is simply memory patterns of how we met our basic needs apart from Christ. We may have lived in bondage for years, BUT THAT IS WHO WE WERE AND NOT WHO WE ARE!!!

7 Notice that all the verses are in the past tense. IT IS FINISHED! Our freedom has been provided It is an accomplished fact. It is a done deal. When we know and believe the truth of what Christ accomplished on the cross Who we are and what we have as a result of His finished work Then and only then will we experience freedom from addiction We are set free when we believe the truth That we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live, but Christ lives in us and we re dead to sin and freed from it and Christ is our life and we are One with HIM (1 Cor. 6:17).

8 Freedom from addiction is not something to work for to attain and achieve Freedom from addiction has been given to you and is for you to believe and receive If you are working to get something that has been given to you, it is futile and frustrating. So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Gal. 5:1 NLT). When you try to do right, avoid sin, and get free, you put yourself under law. The law is a ministry of death and condemnation (2 Cor. 3:6, 7) and stirs up sinful passions. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. (Rom. 7:5 ESV)

9 Rom. 6:11 tells us the truth that we are to believe. In KJV Reckon yourselves dead to sin In the south, we might say I reckon it might rain tomorrow, but we really don t have a clue But the Greek word Logizomai is an accounting term, a mathematical precise word. It s as good as done. It is money in the bank and you can count on it. A direct deposit has been made. It s a fact to believe. BUT if we don t believe it, we don t withdraw it or write a check on it. And so we don t live in the reality and the truth that we are dead to sin and freed from it.

10 The old self is crucified, dead, and gone and is no more. Col. 3:10 says that we have put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator BUT you don t feel like it? So what? It s true truth and real reality. Will you believe God or your feelings? I don t necessarily feel like I am saved and I am a child of God, but I am & so are you. No matter what you do or don t do or how you feel, Christ is your life and you are dead to sin and freed from it. Why don t you act like it? Because you are believing a lie based on your feelings.

11 The bottom line about addiction is DECEPTION. vmost Christians live in deception vthey have bought the lie that their feelings, circumstances, and most Christians tell them vit s a lie from the pit of hell that sin rules them and keeps them in the bondage of addiction vmost likely the biggest lie that Satan tells us is that we are separate from God vwe beg, pray, and ask Him to deliver us And we don t believe what He has done and who we are in Christ- I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2:20 ESV)

12 When Jesus died on the cross & was buried & was raised, we were in Him when it happened. How could that be??? Your old sin-loving self (the old spirit that was you) is dead & buried What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! (2 Cor. 5:17). You re not just forgiven and going to heaven. You are a new creation and the old self is no more and Christ is living in you and is your life. When you believe that truth is when you experience the freedom you already have. BUT IF you are waiting for your feelings and behavior to line up with the truth, IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!!

13 Is this easy to believe? NO, BUT do you believe Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for you? Why would you believe that??? You weren t there and don t know anybody who was there? If your answer is Because the Word of God tells me so, that is a good answer & the correct one. The very same Bible tells us that your old self was crucified and buried and you were raised up a new creation It tells you that Christ is your life and you re dead to sin and freed from it. You have the same proof for that as you do for your salvation & forgiveness.

14 Oswald Chambers says we should have a white funeral for our old self and celebrate that he is buried forever and you are Christ in you And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. (Col. 1:27 NLT) Write your name on the tombstone and know that your old self is non-existent - no longer there. That person is dead and gone. The old sin-loving sinner you were is dead and gone forever, whether you feel like it, act like it or look like it. IT IS TRUE! BELIEVE IT!! RECEIVE IT!!! IT IS GOD S INCREDIBLE GIFT TO YOU!!!

15 Are you still trying to improve? Do things to the old self? That has been done! It is an exercise in futility and frustration that brings negative & disastrous results Sanctification & freedom are realized not by doing anything or trying to get anything IT IS REALIZING THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU HAVE IN CHRIST When you know and believe that Christ is living in you and you re dead to sin and freed from it You will no longer struggle with addiction Your behavior will not be perfect, but addiction will be a thing of the past For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Heb. 10:14 ESV)

16 The Christian life is lived BY FAITH ONLY. The truth only works in your life when you believe it. You get nothing by trying and working hard. And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. (1 Thess. 2:13 NIV) Actually you get negative results if you are not living by faith This really should be GOOD NEWS! It s not up to you to do or die or try. It s been done. GOD HAS DONE IT! IT IS FINISHED! The best definition of grace is God has done it. The best response of faith is Thank You.

17 We have died to sin (Rom. 6:2), the world (Gal. 6:14), the law (Gal. 2:19) and the devil (1 Jn. 5:18) Martin Luther says, His victory is a victory over the law, sin, our flesh, the world, the devil, death, hell, and all evils and this victory of His He has given to us. What s the problem? UNBELIEF, which is the root of all sin, fear, worry, anger, lust, addictive behavior, etc, The root of unbelief is DECEPTION. What s the answer???? DON T BE AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE! (Mark 5:36) Do you believe you are forgiven and saved? It s the truth. Christ is living in you and is your life whether you believe it, feel it or act like it.

18 The only answer that will work is to know who you are in Christ We will always act and behave consistently with who we believe we are That s why behavior modification (Steps, etc.) will not give you any true and lasting freedom You can work on your behavior until the cows come home or the Lord comes back, BUT NOTHING will change until you believe truth Many Christians attend meetings & confess they are alcoholics or addicts or recovering ones Confessions that they believe they are addicts and these misbeliefs (lies) keep them in bondage The root problem of lies that you believe about self has not been dealt with The only way to deal with lies is to believe truth

19 You don t die to sin. You already have died to sin. We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Rom. 6:2) Through Jesus Christ we didn t just get forgiveness and eternal life. Salvation is not just addition. It is transformation 2Cor God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That is the Gospel. All our sins were put on Jesus and His righteousness was given to us. If we understand the Gospel, we understand who we are & that we are dead to sin & freed from it. This is not something to do. It is something that has been done and is a fact to believe.

20 Our new identity is a result of what God has done. We are not products of the past, we are products of the cross. We are not who we used to be. We are new creations and the truth is that the the old self was crucified, dead, buried and is no more. We need to believe that we no longer live, but Christ is our life and we are one spirit with Him and He lives in us and we now live by faith. Don t wait until you feel like it as it won t happen. It is true and you believe in the heart by faith. Don t say you can t. Who are you? Who is your life? You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 Jn. 4:4 NASB)

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22 Man s answers for problems are always based solely on what man does - a program designed to change behavior. BUT we will never be able to do so, other than temporarily as behavior is not the problem and changing it is not the answer. The problem is the lies that the person believes about self and about God. The emphasis is always on what man does and his ability to follow through. He must depend on Himself and his ability to follow through and when man depends on himself the battle is lost before it is even begun.

23 God s answer is always based on what He has done. His answer is not to learn to cope or do the best we can His answer is always perfect and complete because it is from Him The freedom He gives comes from placing our faith in the person of Christ & His finished work on the cross Freedom is not available elsewhere. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith (1John 5.4).

24 God has provided an answer, what must we do? Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. (John 6:28, 29) You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4 NIV). His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3 4 NIV)

25 During WWII General Wainwright was forced to surrender his troops to the Japanese. For 3 years he suffered cruelties of malnutrition, physical and verbal abuse & psychological mind games. Through it all he maintained his dignity as human being & a soldier. When the Japanese surrendered his captors kept them incarcerated. The war was over, but the bondage continued. One day an Allied plane landed nearby & an airman informed the General of the surrender. Wainwright immediately pulled his emaciated body to attention and marched up to the command house, burst through the door & declared to the commanding officer, My commander-in-chief has defeated your commander-in-chief. I am now in charge of this camp. In response the Japanese officer took off his sword, laid it on the table and surrendered his command.

26 We all have the same problem (me included). We have no physical evidence that we are free & victorious and We spend our time & effort trying to change our behavior, get our feelings to come in line with the truth WHICH WILL NEVER HAPPEN and we fail and fall, and Satan accuses us and tells us how bad we are and we start over again & We make no progress and many seem to be losing ground and getting a lot worse And we miss out on the abundant, free, victorious life we have been given and is ours for the taking But God uses this so that we will give up on ourselves and rely on Him who raises the dead.

27 Where is this heavenly realm we have been raised up to & seated with Christ? It is a place of spiritual authority where all things are under His feet and we are in Him It is at the right hand of the Father, far above all rule, authority & dominion Where are we? We are in Christ! He is in us. He is in the Father. How secure is that? Jesus said, On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:20). After I had struggled with alcoholism, God used that verse to get my attention. I remember thinking, If that is true and I know it is, what else could I possibly need? When I believed Gal 2:20 28 years ago I was free

28 All your problems are under Jesus feet, where everything else is & we re in Him Yes, the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour, but his teeth have been pulled The only weapon he really has is deception The world, the flesh and the devil have absolutely no power over us The world postures & poses, but it is a death rattle. God has achieved a full & complete victory And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col. 2:15) Stop praying for deliverance and realize you will not get any more victorious and free than you are. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57 ESV)

29 Our prayers for freedom & victory are prayers of unbelief, because we have been given freedom and victory everything! All sins failures, mistakes, regrets, defeats, sins have been forgiven & removed - GONE! ALL punishment, guilt, shame, condemnation, judgment are gone - NO MORE! Christ is our life, he lives in us, we re partakers of divine life, we re in union with Christ & one with Him Our lives are hidden with Christ in God and nothing can come into our lives unless He means it for good If you are in it, He is in it. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Cor. 2:14)

30 Why do we do it? One word - Deception. We believe lies. We believe lies about self, God & life. The prison doors have been opened wide. Will we believe God & by faith walk through them? Will we receive what Christ died to give us? Will we stop looking at our feelings and behavior, Don t be afraid, ONLY BELIEVE!!! It is for freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Gal. 5:1) The yoke of slavery is the law, when we try to do right, avoid wrong and get free, we put ourselves under the law. Why do we leave our secure home, where we are His beloved, born again, blessed child?!?!

31 ØThe Truth that sets you free is a person Jesus ØThe truth lives in you ØThe truth is your life ØYou are one with the truth that s who you are ØYou don t need to memorize scripture, you just need to know that He (Truth) is in you ØThat is an eternal truth whether you know it, believe it, feel it or act like it ØDon t spend too much time learning Scripture ØGet to know JESUS in you. ØFocus on Him.

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33 If you have questions about logging in, the computer, or the Go To Meeting software, contact Vernon as he is the computer guru. As for Mike, well as his wife says, he has a D. D. (a Doctorate n Drunkenness).