Walking in Victory #4

Empowered to Obedience

1. Introduction

• Romans 5:17  “Much more they which receive the abundance of grace and the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ.”

• Reign = to walk in victory and authority in every area of your life.

• Key = Receiving (taking hold of something produced for you by                              God.

• Grace = Enabling power of God.

• Righteousness = 1342 Strongs = to be right, upright, not crooked, twisted, perverse.

1. Position - right standing with God as gift when received Christ ( No works - faith)
2. Lifestyle - right conduct in Christ as a result of surrender (Works     because faith)           

2. Our Standing in Christ - Righteous:

Romans 5:1          Therefore being justified by faith we hope. 

• peace with God. 
• access to grace

• Justified = made right with God.

• Eph 2:8           “By grace are you saved through faith not of works lest any man should boast”

• Grace = the enabling power of God released by faith =  Purpose = Freedom

• No works other than believing - trusting upon, confessing what Christ has done.
• You are not under the law anymore - made right with God Solely by faith alone

However you can:

1. Frustrate the Grace of God (Gal 2:21 Frustrate = do away with something provided, cancel the operation of, made no effect before God by your own work.
2. Fall from the Grace of God (Gal 5:4 Fall = to be driven off course, drop out from race.

• Gal 5:1            “Stand fast in the liberty where with Christ has made you                  free…”

• Liberty = 1657 = Unrestrained freedom - at liberty to come and go
• = No longer a slave but a free man
• = Totally free from sin and Satan to make choices                                         with your life.

• You are called to be a free man - Liberty - unrestrained freedom.

• Eph 2:10         You are created unto good works.

NB  Your liberty/freedom is for a purpose - good works

3. Our Conduct in Christ - Righteous:

2Cor 6:1. “We as workers together with him beseech you also that you                       do not receive the grace of God in vain.”

a) In Vain = fruitless, no effect or understanding

b) Mistake many believers make - God did it all - I don’t have to do anything

a) Grace = Power to obey

· Rom 1:5          “Received grace and apostleship for obedience to faith                 among all nations.”

· For = 1519 = into = to enter into something, a direction.

· Purpose of grace is to empower you to obey Christ.

· Don’t say “I Love Jesus, he accepts, he forgives “ can do what I want”

· Faith and obedience go together.

b) Purpose of Grace = Godly living =(Fruitful for Christ)

· Titus 1:11-12    Grace of God has (i) appeared  (ii) teaches us

· Freedom

a) World Concept:

· Do what I want, when I want, how I want, free from any restraint, restriction.

· People who do this are never satisfied, “never enough”

· People come into church - often hold world’s way of thinking. 

· Proverbs 16:25 “What seems right”

b) Biblical Freedom

What it is not!

Freedom is not lawlessness

Lawlessness = without the law = conscious effect to put aside                              or neutralise law of God

= make Gods Word/ways into something that suits                                          me, suits my life

= Creating false freedom by rejecting any                                                         restraints, doing what I please

= Become a lover of self - self willed.

E.g. Redefine sin = mistake, personality conflict.

E.g. Direction given by leader - “I will go and pray about that”

Turns grace into pseudo spirituality cover for independence, pride, self centred. (Jude 4)

Titus 1:11-12    Grace teaches us to live godly - not tolerate sin.

• Lawless people are often very religious e.g. Saul 1 Sam 15:22/Mt 7:28 = dead form, no power

b) Freedom is not legalism

• Legalism - insists on outward obedience not heart change and faith

=    You have to do this, do that, don’t do that - all external

=    It is a dead form - no power and produces death,            condemnation.

• 2 Co 3:6          The letter of the Law kills - the Spirit gives life
• E.g. Religious leaders of Jesus day Mt 23:27-28

What True Bible Freedom Is!

Titus 1:11-12    Grace teaches us = to train us as a child - to live godly

• Freedom        = to embrace the purpose of your existence

                                    = to be put into that which you were purposed for

                                    = to be put into something bigger then yourself

Gal 5:13          Called unto liberty only use not liberty as occasion of            flesh but by love serve one another.

• We are called - to embrace Gods purpose for our life

                                            - to become part of the family he is building

• Rom 6:14        Shall we sin - No

                        6:18     Free from sin so might serve God

                                    Bring forth fruit to holiness

• You are truly free not when do own thing but embrace Christ and his cause to do this we need grace.

• Heb 12:28

• Mt 28:18-20    Go make disciples teaching them today.