I want to share about a very specific type of freedom. That is, freedom from condemnation. Many of us have a solid theology. We believe that we are saved by grace, through faith alone and not by working for it. But somehow along the way we can easily fall into the mentality of not feeling worthy of good things from God. ---which is feeling deep down like.... " okay I was saved by grace but now I have to toe the line or else God is going to disown me. You see He really is just looking at my performance. And if I don't perform right, well then, I am not going to be loved and accepted.”

And so we get on the treadmill of serving God for acceptance and are lacking in joy because we really are acting like employees and not like sons and daughters of the King.

Is this biblical? No way. As we'll see in a minute

Unfortunately, many have grown up in churches or in families where there wasn't a lot of grace. Many of us have been on a performance basis for so long that we don't understand any other way. For instance, we felt we were on a performance basis with parents, with friends, with employers, and we have transferred what we have experienced in the world, to our relationship with God.

Let's take a closer look at a story today that helps us see this more clearly.

Galatians 2:11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. 12When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who don't bother with circumcision. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these legalists would say.

Here we have Peter, one of Jesus' best friends. Peter, the one Jesus called the Rock--one of the 12 Apostles. A pillar of the church. But even he fell into putting other people into condemnation. The Jews have strict dietary laws, and some men came from James who were apparently concerned with keeping these and other laws of Moses. Now up until this time, Peter was walking in freedom.

But all of a sudden, Peter actually starts withdrawing from these people. Before there was freedom and love. Now all of a sudden there was "us” and "them”. He was causing the gentile Christians to feel unworthy, less than, inferior.

Why? because of legalism. One of the biggest bondages and robbers of grace is legalism. One of the biggest sources of condemnation is legalism.

What is legalism? Legalism is believing that it is by ones own efforts in keeping external rules that one earns acceptance from God and salvation.

You can start out in grace but then, like Peter, be led astray into legalism--and legalism brings condemnation.

Can you imagine how that made the Gentiles feel? First they were introduced to grace, but now they are being taught that, no, they are not doing all that is necessary. They thought, " If we want to be real Christians we need to get circumcised and obey the law of Moses and until we do Peter and the Jewish Christians wont fellowship with us.”

Grace Brings Acceptance

You see some of us have been made to feel the same way as the Antioch Christians. We may have been in families or churches in the past where we were shamed into toeing the line. There are many sincere believers, that due to a misunderstanding of grace, put all sorts of unwritten codes into the church. I know some women were made to feel condemned because they wore lipstick. I have heard of some who were ostracized because they went to the movies. In all these things, people brought unbiblical requirements and basically said. "God wont accept you if you do ___________________. And if God doesn't accept you then we won't accept you either until you get with our program.” Of course it's their program and not God's program at all.

Then th

ere are others who hear the voice of condemnation. The devil loves to remind people of their past failures and their past mistakes. Has he ever done that to any of you? It's one of his favorite tricks. He knows that if he can keep us with a feeling of guilt, unworthiness and of shame, that we will never be all God wants us to be. We will never fulfill the destiny that God has for us.

Let's go back to the story. V 13.

Gal 2:13Then the other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their hypocrisy. 14When I saw that they were not following the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you trying to make these Gentiles obey the Jewish laws you abandoned? 15You and I are Jews by birth, not `sinners' like the Gentiles. 16And yet we Jewish Christians know that we become right with God, not by doing what the law commands, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God because of our faith in Christ--and not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be saved by obeying the law."

Paul reminded Peter about the basis of our acceptance before God. And it had nothing to do with keeping Kosher. It has everything to do with faith in Jesus Christ. If you have faith in Jesus Christ today, you have been accepted by God.

Folks, You are accepted by Grace. God doesn't give you anything because you earned it. No, We need to realize that salvation is all of grace. It is something you could never earn but praise God, God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for you. You need to stand on the truth of this gospel. Speak acceptance to yourself and anyone else who tries to shake you from it. Resist the lie with truth.

You see if you have made a terrible mistake, you are not beyond the grace of God. God is not waiting to blast you. No, on the contrary, the Bible says "if we confess our sins , he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God does not turn away the repentant heart--no matter what you have done.

Gal 4:3-7 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

We need to stand with God's Word. We should not be so easily condemned. Christians above all people should be people of grace. I don't know how you were raised, what experiences you have had in the past, but I am here to tell you, you are accepted through grace. God is now your "dear Father” You are God's own child. And now everything He has belongs to you. We have got to get out of the slave mentality and into the "Son" mentality. Did you know that if you think like a slave, you are one?

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!

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