We believe the bible reveals clearly that the heart of God for mankind is total freedom through salvation and new birth. It tells us that from the time of Adams fall, mankind has been subjected to slavery to sin, Satan and self. Through the power of sin, Satan has been able to enslave and control mankind through their own selfish desires. However, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and set mankind free from the power of sin, Satan and self. Jesus Himself declared the heart of God for mankind when saying “The thief has come to steal, kill and destroy, BUT I have come that you may have life, and have it in abundance”. He also went on to say that “We will know the truth and the truth will set us free”.

 

Sections covered

1/. The foundation of Jesus Christs ministry of freedom. 

2/. The vehicle of Jesus Christs ministry. His Words. 

3/. The method of delivery of Jesus Christs ministry of freedom.

4/. What we have been given freedom from. 

5/. Instructions concerning freedom.

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1/. The foundation of Jesus Christs ministry of freedom. 

Luke 4:18-21 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me, To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Taken from a prophecy given approx 700 years earlier by Isaiah the prophet. 

Jesus tells His listeners that He Himself is the fulfilment of this prophecy. So if Jesus is the express image, nature and character of God, then He is stating the desire and heart of God for humanity which is summed up in the word “Liberty”.

 

Lets Break the Scripture down: 

 

He has come to proclaim “LIBERTY”. To the captives ( a prisoner of war )

The Greek word used for liberty is  “Aphesis” which means Freedom, a freedom made up of forgiveness and deliverance. 

 

He has come to “SET” AT LIBERTY. To set at liberty those who are oppressed

To set : Greek word Apostello. Where we get the word Apostle from. Meaning to set apart and send out.  

At : Greek word, meaning put into a fixed position.

Liberty : Greek word Aphesis again. 

 

To Proclaim, “The acceptable year of the lord”. 

This term refers to the year of jubilee mentioned in the book of Leviticus, which was to be celebrated every fiftieth year. It was celebrated by the blowing of a trumpet, as the word jubilee means “the shout and clangour of trumpets”.

 

The Year of Jubilee was sacred, because it was a year of release, when debt–induced servant hood ended, debts and mortgages were cancelled, slaves were freed, all family inheritances were restored – land that had been sold was returned to its original owners – and everyone was given a fresh start in business, free from the bondage of debt.

 

Summery of breakdown.

So when you combine these verses, Jesus is saying that He not only Has come to proclaim freedom to those taken captive and oppressed by satan through sin, but He has also come to set free those who are currently oppressed, by taking them, setting them apart and fixing them in a position and state of complete and permanent forgiveness and deliverance from sin, satan and self, and then send them out to proclaim this same message known as the acceptable year of the lord. The year of Jubilee, Gods favour.  

 

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2/. The vehicle of Jesus Christs ministry of freedom. His Words. 

John 8:31-32. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

"And you shall know the truth”  To “Know” the truth here means to have an “absolute understanding and knowledge”. “Truth”, is that which agrees with final reality.

  

Here Jesus teaches a principle. If you abide in my word, that is to read it in order to understand it, then put it into practice and live it as if it were the truth, the final reality, it will lead us into this kind of absolute knowing, which along with it, brings us into experiencing the very reality of that truth and the freedom Jesus wants us to have in our lives. ( Its through faith and action according to his word )

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3/. The method of delivery of Jesus Christs ministry of freedom.

Freedom is the result of Jesus destroying satans’ work in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 10:38. how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

 

Remember that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all involved in bringing us freedom. 

The devil is all about slavery to sin through temptation, deception,  oppression though sickness, disease and spiritual bondage. Jesus, at the direction of the Father, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, went about destroying what was keeping people in slavery.

 

Question : How did Jesus free people and destroy satans’ works? 

 

By teaching people truth to destroy lies.  

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

 

By laying on of hands to bring healing and destroy sickness. 

Luke 13:12-13 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

 

By /and or speaking a command to sickness and demons to drive them out of people and bring freedom from oppression. 

Matthew 8:16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

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4/. What we have been given freedom from.

We have been given Freedom from sin. 

Romans 6: 4-7 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the  likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 

 

Question: “ Knowing this ” To see. Do we see ourselves as crucified with Him? 

 

We have been given Freedom from Satans authority. 

Colossians 2:15 TPT. 15 Then Jesus made a public spectacle of all the powers and principalities of darkness, stripping away from them every weapon and all their spiritual authority and power to accuse us. And by the power of the cross, Jesus led them around as prisoners in a procession of triumph. He was not their prisoner; they were his!

Luke 10:18-19  And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

 

LEVEL OF AUTHORITY.

Imagine lightning. When lightening strikes the earth it is travelling at incredible speeds. Satan was seen to be cast down by the power of God, like lightening. He should leave us at the speed of lightning as we take authority over him. 

 

How do we walk in that authority?

James 4:7 Therefore submit to God ( believe His word, obey His word, declare His WORD). Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

 

Our authority is the same as Christs , our position is the same as Christs , Our freedom is the same as Christs. (handwriting of requirements nailed to the cross)

 

We have been given Freedom from self. 

Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Freedom has to be applied. Flesh has been crucified, reckon yourself dead. 

 

Testimony example. This includes the whole of these truths. We can all fall out with people at times. When I’m wound up and in the wrong, feelings all over the place, not being spiritual at all, I have to go away by myself, remember that I don’t fight against flesh and blood, Eph 6:10-18, recognise who my REAL enemy is and how he works. Then reckon myself dead to sin ( Gal 5:24 - Rom 6: 7; 11) which is taking away any room satan has in me,, name and resist whatever it is I’m feeling, strife, anger, self pity, (luke 10 :19 - James 4:7 ) and then declare the Truth E.g. That person is not my enemy, you are satan, the word says, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to those who persecute you or spitefully use you. 

So I pray, “lord I thank you for so and so ……I love them in Jesus name, I pray blessing, health, strength, peace ……  and I refuse to do and feel whatever the enemy is trying to put on me.

 

The result is I experience freedom from anger, strife, self pity, or whatever I’m fighting against, actually feeling it leave me, and I am now free to do the godly thing. 

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5/. Instructions concerning freedom.​

We have been given a FREEDOM FROM,  the kingdom of darkness, 

So we could have a FREEDOM TO, enter into the kingdom of light, to receive all GOD has for us and walk in His presence, power and His provision. 

 

Lay hold of it. 

Romans 8:31- 32 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Jesus wants us to have more freedom, more life in greater quantity and superior quality,  

 

Maintain it. 

An instruction to guard and hold onto this freedom.  Under sin we did not have the freedom to choose life, now we do. 

Galatians 5:1 5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

You can’t earn it or deserve it, you can only believe it and receive it. 

 

Don’t give it away. 

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Freedom is a choice, until it’s not. 

 

Us as the The church: PUT ME IN CHRIST. 

Luke 4:18-21 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me, To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

 

Question: Think about your life and what is going on in it today and in this season. How much freedom from fear, worry, anxiety, boredom, loneliness, lack of a sense of purpose, addictions, various sinful behaviours and attitudes, etc how much freedom from these things are you experiencing or how much more freedom do you think you could have by believing the word of God? 

 

Question: Given the foundational truths you’ve heard today of Christ absolute desire for freedom for all of humanity, in what way, or ways, do you think your sharing Jesus with others and your prayer life for others will be different?