In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Sunday's Message (Freedom in Christ: Freedom That’s Liberating)
On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:
Well, as y’all who were here last Sunday know, a week ago we started a new sermon series that will take us up to the Fourth of July entitled Freedom in Christ. You see, as we get ready to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence as a country, we’ll be looking at six aspects of the freedom we have through Jesus Christ. And since last Sunday was Pentecost, we started by talking about how our freedom in Christ is empowered, you know, empowered by the Holy Spirit and how that inspiration opens our minds, enabling us to understand our freedom, and shapes our character, enabling us to handle our freedom, and strengthens our relationships, enabling us to use our freedom. Now that’s what we did last week. And this morning, we’re going to move forward by looking at how our freedom is also liberating.
And you know, when you think about freedom, I think the word “liberation” naturally comes to mind. As a matter of fact, that’s really what Independence Day is all about, at least for Americans. It represents our liberation from the United Kingdom back in 1776. And I’ll tell you, that’s why the 250th anniversary is a big deal or at least it should be. But I’ve got to admit, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t get really excited, at least, not in the way I was fifty years ago. Of course, I recognize that, for me, it may have more to do with personal taste than anything else. I mean, I’m just not excited by a UFC fight at the White House or the Great American State Fair concerts or changing the color of the reflecting pool. Now, don’t get me wrong, all those things are fine, if that’s what you enjoy. But for me, man, none of them can compare to those wonderful Bicentennial minutes that CBS ran between television shows for about two years or the Tall Ships sailing into Norfolk harbor or all the stuff with that Bicentennial logo stamped on it. Now as a nineteen-year-old who grew up in the shadow of Williamsburg and Yorktown, man, it didn’t get any better than that. But you know, when you get right down to it, in the vast scheme of things, the “how” isn’t nearly as important as the “what,” that 250 years ago, our status as a nation changed, because we liberated ourselves from the power of the United Kingdom and became an independent country. That’s what matters.
And I’ll tell you, when you’re talking about our freedom in Christ, I think that’s sort of what Jesus has done for us, and that’s also what matters. You see, through Jesus Christ, we’ve been liberated from the power of sin. And that’s going to be our focus this morning. You see, we’re going to spend some time talking about three implications of the kind of liberation we have through Christ. And for each, we’ll look at some scripture and then talk about how it was done and why it can be important to us. Now that’s the plan.
For example, first, because Christ liberated us from sin, we’ve been freed from the past. And I’ll tell you, I think the Apostle Paul explained how this happened in this letter to the Romans. Just listen to what he wrote.
If we shared in Jesus’ death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. We know sin doesn’t have power over dead people.
As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God. [Romans 6:5-11, CEV]
Now, that was what Paul wrote. You see, for him, when Christ died on that cross, we died too. And it was through that death, we were set free from the power of sin. How did he describe it; “We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin.” [Romans 6:6, CEV] And I’ll tell you, that just makes sense, especially if you believe that dead men don’t sin anymore. For them, its power has been broken. And since we died with Christ, man, sin doesn’t have power over us either. In other words, because of what he did on that cross two thousand years, humanity was liberated from that psychological and spiritual power that kept us down: that told us that we weren’t good enough and that we could never be anything better than who we were and that, in the sight of God, there was always going to be a debt that we were never going to be able to pay. You see, because we’re dead to sin, being good enough no longer matters and we’re no longer defined by our history and the debt has been erased. You see, through Christ, we’ve been freed from the past.
And because of that, how we see where we’ve been has got to change. I mean, we no longer have to feel discouraged as we consider what we’ve already done and that we can never undo. And we don’t have to feel the kind of shame that can almost have a life of its own, you know, that can keep us awake at night or creep into our thoughts during the day. And we don’t have to feel the kind of guilt that can leave us wasting way too much time asking ourselves why or thinking about all the “what ifs.” Man, we’ve been freed from that stuff. And now, we can focus on something else, you know, like forgiveness. And I’m not just talking about the forgiveness we have from God. I’m also talking about the forgiveness we can offer to others who may not have been good enough and whose history is sketchy and who owe a debt that can’t be repaid. And I’m also talking about the forgiveness we can offer ourselves for the mistakes and the disappointments and the frustrations we may have caused. You see, because Christ has liberated us from sin, we’ve been freed from the past. And that’s one
And second, we’ve also been freed in the present. And I’ll tell you, just like he clarified our new relationship with the past, I think Paul did the same kind of thing when he talked about life right here and now. Just listen to what he wrote to the Corinthians.
We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in this way. Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. [Corinthians 5:16-19, CEV]
Now, again, that’s what he wrote. And I’ve got to tell you, I think it’s really important for us to hear. You see, as he said to the Corinthians, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” [2 Corinthians 5:17, CEV] And I think that’s important because, when God liberated us from the power of sin, he didn’t just clean up the past, he also transformed the present. In other words, because our sin was nailed to the cross and died with Christ and because all those reasons we feel discouraged and shame and guilt have been forgiven, we are now fresh and clean and new. And because of that, our relationship with God changes, and now we can approach him as a loving father rather than a punitive judge. And we can trust that he’ll help us as we struggle with those thoughts and feelings that are constantly trying to pull us back, and I’m talking about back into all that stuff that can create barriers between ourselves and him. As a matter of fact, just like a parent who wants the very best for his children, we can look to God to help us grow into the men and women we were created to be, by enabling us to understand his will and by encouraging us to recognize those times when we still do and say things we regret and by supporting us when we’re forced to pay the consequences for our actions. You see, since we’ve been forgiven, this is what God is doing in the present.
And I’ll tell you, because he is, that can change how we live our lives, and I’m talking about how we live them where we are right now. I mean, we no longer need to feel weak and inadequate, as though we’re unable to avoid those mistakes we’ve made in the past. Instead, we can focus on the opportunities we now have, and I’m talking about the opportunities we have to learn and to grow, the opportunities we have to stand up and to stand firm, and of course, the opportunities we have right here and right now to show love for God by showing love for one another. And instead of being timid, we can do this boldly, with all kinds of confidence, knowing that God is stronger than any problem or opposition or disappointment we might face. You see, because Christ has liberated us from sin, man, we’ve been freed in the present. And that’s two.
And third, this liberation from sin, man, it has also freed us for the future, and I’m talking about a future that we believe is in God’s hands. And you know, I think that’s the point Paul was making when he wrote this to the Romans.
If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ’s body to condemn sin. He did this, so that we would do what the Law commands by obeying the Spirit instead of our own desires. [Romans 8:1-4, CEV]
You see, our liberation from sin isn’t just about how we see the past and live in the present, for Paul it can shape how we face the future. And you know, it’s really interesting. The passage I just read is from the eighth chapter of Romans. And remember, it begins with “if you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished. The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.” [Romans 8:1-2, CEV] Now, I don’t know about y’all, but this sounds pretty good to me, especially that part about “no condemnation.” But do you happen to know how this chapter ends? Just listen:
In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! [Romans 8:37-39, CEV]
You see, because we’ve been liberated from sin, this is our destiny: a constant presence, an eternal assurance, an unshakable victory.
And I’ll tell you, since this is something we can trust right now, man, it’s got to shape how we face the future, you know, where we’re going. Now, before saying anything else, I’m not stupid. I understand that life isn’t always what we’d like it to be. And from time to time, things come up that really bring us down. And it’s so easy to dwell on all the stuff that’s negative and assume that this is the way it will always be; therefore, maybe it’s better to hid behind thick walls and stained glass and to retreat into what’s safe and comfortable and to pretend that if we keep our eyes closed, the bad things will just go away. But trust me, we don’t have to do that. Why not? Because “if you belong to Christ Jesus, you won’t be punished.” [Romans 8:1-2, CEV] Why not? Because “in everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us.” [Romans 8:37, CEV] Why not? Because “nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” [Romans 8:39b, CEV] I’m telling you right here and now, because Christ has liberated us from sin, we’ve been freed for the future. And that’s number three.
Now, in about a month, we’re going to celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though I really miss the Bicentennial minutes and the Tall Ships and that neat little logo which was stamped on everything, I’m sure I’ll get into the spirit sooner or later. I mean, Debbie has already bought us matching shirts...that we can wear together...out in public...in front of people that we know. And if that doesn’t make you excited...well, at least, she doesn’t want us to tap dance together.
But you know, what Christ did on the cross, man, that will always be exciting. You see, when he died, we died too and the power of sin was broken. And because of that, we’ve been freed from the past, changing how we see where we’ve been, and we’ve been freed in the present, changing how we live where we are, and we’ve been freed for the future, changing how we face where we’re going. In other words, when we consider what we have in Christ, I’m telling you, it’s a freedom that’s truly liberating.
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