@ Mark: murder is a little extreme. In our freedom in Christ we have the freedom and ability to love our neighbors. We don't have the freedom to disobey God. We have the freedom to live happily and peacefully without being hateful.
You said, "It sounds like you guys are saying that we really don't have to try very hard. Just need some clarification." I don't think so and I apologize if it sounded that way. But actually the Truth is that in our freedom we don't have to try as much as we think we do. We are to believe not try to be something. We are free to be what we are intended to be. Trying is for people who want to follow rules and meet standards. They think the Fruit of the spirit is a goal or that keeping the ten commandments is something to strive for. I used to think that too! Granted we do have a crown to win in the race but I believe the race is already won and I simply have to believe that God will keep his word and make my path straight and smooth, get me through the valley of the shadow of death and meet me when I call Him.
We say we want to be like Jesus when we can't seem to meet up to the standard. We ask, What would Jesus do?" when we should be asking, "What would Jesus be?" When the Bible says that we are to BE Imitators of Jesus it doesn't mean that we are to try to do what he did because He did it but that we should be listening to the Father like Jesus did and hear Him tell us who and what to be and when and where to go and do. The freedom here is in the being not in the doing!
There is more teaching and preaching about what we cannot do as believers, then what we can do sa believers.
Yeshua says:
Mat 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
We are called to bear one anothers burdens,not add to them.
When Yeshua calls someone forth from the grave do we remove the grave clothes that bound them,or do we bind them even tighter.
John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Since ABBA is outside of time and He sees the past,present and future all at the same time,He sees us already in Yeshua.
In Yeshua we are Justified,Righteous,Holy,Sanctified,sons and daughters of the Most high God.
This is not for the future,this is for right now as we breathe.
At this moment we do not see ourselves as this, we tend to see the works of the old life hanging around.
In the days before Yeshua and even today amongst the Jews,10 men are necessary for a synagouge to be in order.
As believers in Yeshua only 2 are needed to meet together to break bread.
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Notice in this Scripture there is no metion of a pastor,elder,bishop,deacon,or any other person taking a title upon themselves..
This could be any two believers in Yeshua,
the same goes for meeting together.
Two believers meeting together with Yeshua constitutes the body of Christ.
These two could worship without a band,or anyone telling them what to do.
Since this is so,why then do most of the christians in america
not meet according to the Word.
If the believers only knew of the freedom and position they have in Yeshua,we could see such awakening as in the days of old.
But alas the believers have become content with subtle slavery,being afarid to say and do anything without the approval of the so-called leaders of the church.....
Mark i trust the Lord will reveal to you and others the freedom thay have in Yeshua...
Maybe then the believers will get outside of the buildings and into the streets,proclaiming the Good News of Yeshua.
But...if I have no desire to remove sin from my life because "Jesus will do it", then I would question whether or not I was a new creature. Jesus gives us the power to do it, and we can't do it without Him, but I don't think He does it for us. He gives us the "talents", but we're suppose to multiply them, right? If you have a sin in your life that you're just waiting for to disappear...isn't that dead faith? Maybe I reading into something you're not saying...
The word you are using in the scripture you gave in John 8:36( FREE ) is the same Greek word for Liberty it means...*Set at liberty: from the dominion of sin*...the second usage of this word in the same scripture is different but very close...it is *Freeborn-one who is not a slave-unrestrained, not bound by an obligation-at Liberty*
The word freedom is only used two times in the bible- I think the word you seek maybe Liberty...True Liberty means LIVING AS WE SHOULD NOT AS WE PLEASE..
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Gal 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
2 Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
God does not give us power to handle things outside of his will.He is not going to give us power to disobey him.
1 Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
The wages of SIN ( ANY sin ) is DEATH-we are all at liberty to choose. I pray we choose the way of Christ....If we do not are a dead man walking...or a man carrying a dead carcase around on our back.
