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Maintaining Dependent Status. True dependency=freedom. The nature of independence. Independence is not, in itself, sinful How we exercise it, and what motivates it, determines its potential for good/evil A child learns to walk A child learns to disobey
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Maintaining Dependent Status True dependency=freedom
The nature of independence • Independence is not, in itself, sinful • How we exercise it, and what motivates it, determines its potential for good/evil • A child learns to walk • A child learns to disobey Independence: Any act that defies the intentions of God, His created order or His character
How’d we get there? • The seed of independence was planted at the fall thru pride • It came w/a 2-prong spirit of fear which the enemy uses to keep us independent • Fear of losing control • Fear of being revealed
Independence =freedom? • It is a lie of the enemy • It is in the Western psyche (the “less than” mentality) • It can only be broken thru Christ • He gave all control over to the will of His Father • He became utterly revealed in His death
Where the Spirit of Lord is, there is freedom • 1. We are dependent on HS to bring us into salvation AND lordship • Mt 16:16 – “ Who do they say I am?” • Jn 20:22 – He breathed on them/salvation & establishes Lordship thru resurrection • Titus 3:5 – saves us….thru the H.S. • Acts 4:12 – salvation ONLY thru Jesus
Dependency on HS cont’d • 2. The H.S. teaches us God’s Word for growth, guidance/direction • 1 Pet 2:2 – crave the Word • Jn 8:31; 16:13 – Know the truth & be set free; guides us into truth/santifies • Rom 8:14 – mature sons are led by HS • Jn 17:17 – we are “set apart” by truth
Dependency on one another • 1 Cor 12: 7,11 – gifts are for common good • 1 Pet 4:8-11 – we express God’s grace toward one another • Rom 12:3-8 – we bring motivation by HS to each other
Dependency on one another cont’d… • 1 Cor 14:3 – we prophesy to strengthen, encourage and comfort each other • 1 Thes 5:14 – maintain a code of conduct • Rom 8:26-27 – we help each other win the victory thru prayer
The Challenge… • Who’s directing the work of your hands and the desires of your heart? • How are you “partnering” with God to achieve Kingdom purposes? • Are you advancing God’s Kingdom or your own agenda?
The Encouragement… • Gal 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” • Freedom – emphasized by its position in the Greek sentence, meaning freed from the burden/yoke of the law, as in yoke of slavery • 2 Tim 1:9 “…who called us with a holy calling…by grace”