GOSPEL TRUTH FOR FREEDOM

PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV)

NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons) MA, PhD.

Call: +2348037346939  E-mail: profesorbenonyeukwu@yahoo.com

 GOSPEL TRUTH FOR  FREEDOM

“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”,

(John 8: 31-32)

INTRODUCTION GOSPEL TRUTH FOR  FREEDOM

                Truth is any genuine fact about an event, a person or thing. Essentially, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the true message by which He sets anyone who believes free from sin and its bondage. Both the Bible and experience show that Jesus, by means of the anointing of the Holy Spirit sets free from the prisons of sin, blindness, poverty and oppression, (Luke 4:18). On the contrary, world religions fake redemptive truth with systems of advice (dos and don’ts) as means of getting adherents into certain levels of morality or false spirituality. But, the Christian faith presents Jesus Christ Himself as the truth that sets one free, (John 8:36).

                Dear friend, having noted the above, the writer wishes to draw your attention to the fact that it is one’s experiential knowledge of Jesus that begins the miracle of freedom in one’s life.

ONE’S PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS GIVES ONE THE AUTHORITY FOR FREEDOM

                When one believes and abides in God’s Word, one becomes a disciple of Jesus indeed.  By this, the revelative knowledge of the truth that sets one free would be given, (John 8:31-32) This opens-up one’s understanding to the fact that Jesus Himself is the Word of God (John 1:1), the truth of God (John 14:6), and the very Son of God who sets free from every bondage, (John 8:36)

                Based on the cited gospel truth, one who establishes a personal relationship with Jesus receives the authority that;

        (i)             frees one from sin, and in turn makes one a child of God,

                         (John 1:12).

        (ii)            empowers one to free others from demonic powers and sicknesses,

                         (Mark 16: 17-18).

        (iii)           sets one free from deadly poison and other satanic attacks,

                         (verse 18), etc.

ONE’S ACCEPTANCE OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE PREPARES ONE FOR FREEDOM

        Also, when gospel messages are presented, varieties of freedom seeds are sown. Some come with healing seeds, to give freedom from sickness. Others come with prosperity seeds, to give freedom from poverty. Many others come with different seeds that give freedom from various kinds of problems that trouble the human race. However, for the message to work-out the desired freedom in one’s life or situation, one must whole-heartedly accept it. In other words, one must believe the message in readiness for the needed freedom. Therefore, for one to receive freedom from;

        (i)             sickness, one must accept God’s message on healing,

                         (Exodus 15:26)

        (ii)            sin, one must accept God’s message that Jesus saves,

                         (Acts 16:31)

        (iii)           closed doors, one must accept God’s  message on open doors, (Rev. 3:7-8) etc.

ONE’S EXERCISE OF FAITH BRINGS FREEDOM

        The exercise of one’s faith borders on acting on God’s Word for a desired result. It means launching out in the name of the Lord for an accomplishment. The acceptance of the gospel message is not enough, it must be backed-up with action if one hopes to achieve anything out of the whole exercise. Citing the case of the woman with the issue of blood in the Bible (Mathew 9:20-21), faith is a three-dimension thing. It must be conceived (verse 20), it must be confessed, (verse 21) and it must be acted upon, (Verse 20). So, for one to obtain freedom from any problem by dint of the gospel message, one must do what the message says or act on what the inner voice of the Holy spirit inspires one to do about the message:

        *               Naaman exercised faith on the message of Elisha and was free from Leprosy,                                                                 (2Kings 5:14)

        *               Simon Peter exercised faith on the words of Jesus and was freed from Lack, 
(Luke 5:4-6)

        *               The Woman with the issue of blood  exercised faith on Jesus and was freed
 from the plague of blood, (Matthew 9:20), etc

BIBLICAL STEPS TO FREEDOM

(1).  The basic truth about the origin of the human problem is that they are the consequences of the original sin, 
(Genesis 3). However, based on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, one who wishes to gain freedom from
 sin and its consequences must first and foremost.

REPENT

“Repent  therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”, (Acts 3:19).

(2)   After the step of repentance, the fact of gaining freedom from the bondage of sin (Sickness, poverty, setbacks, blindness, etc) hinges on one to:

BELIEVE

...”And Jesus said to them. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes Lord”. Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, let it be to you”. And their eyes were opened”. (Matthew  9:28-30).

(3).  Another indispensable step to freedom is that one must:

   

ACT ON THE WORD

“But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught  nothing; nevertheless at Your Word I will let down the net”. And when they had done this, the caught a great number of  fish, and their net was breaking”. (Luke 5:5-6)

        Having stressed the facts of sin, its bondage and the way out, it becomes then, an act of wisdom if the reader of this work surrenders to Jesus for total freedom. (John 8:36). BE ADVISED