We’re in a message series called “Jesus Your Everything.” This series is based on the book of Colossians, which is all about the supremacy of Jesus Christ. During this series, I’d encourage you to read through the entire book, it’s only four chapters. My prayer is that each one of us would grow in our love and commitment to Jesus Christ during this series.
Today, my message is entitled “Jesus Your Freedom.” We’re going to be talking about the freedom that comes through living for Jesus. People who have not yet become believers are living in bondage to sin and Satan, whether they realize it or not. Many believers are not living in the fullness of the freedom that Jesus has for them. The truths of God’s Word that we’re going to cover today will help you grow in freedom and breaking free of anything that might keep you in bondage. True freedom comes when you live life filled with Jesus.
I heard a story about a lady who went to the grocery store and was shopping in the fruit juice isle. They saw a bottle on the shelf labeled “Blueberry Pomegranate, 100% juice, all natural.” Sounded like an interesting combination and probably healthy too. The bottle had a beautiful picture of a ripe pomegranate and a mound of perfect blueberries. So the lady began to read the ingredients list: filtered water, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, grape juice concentrate. Where was the blueberry and pomegranate? Continuing down the list, she eventually found them, along with “natural flavors.” The label was mis-leading. The bottle was not filled with 100% blueberry pomegranate juice, it was a diluted, flavored product. What if you had a Christian label printed on you? Would Jesus be the main ingredient because your life is filled with Him or would He be somewhere down on the list? Are you Jesus-flavored or Jesus-filled? God wants you to be filled with Jesus.
Colossians 2:6 (NIV) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
We receive Jesus as Lord and are filled with Him when we believe. We must continue to live in Him as our Lord in order to walk in freedom.
Colossians 2:8 (NIV) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
You see there are spiritual forces that don’t want you to be free, they want to take you captive. What are their schemes? They seek to capture you with unbiblical worldviews that depend on human tradition and philosophy, rather than on Jesus Christ and His Word. Today, God wants to warn you and break you free of any such deceptions in your life. He wants you to be able to warn others and help them find freedom in Christ.