Hanover Baptist Church

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INDIVIDUAL SOUL LIBERTY

Ephesians 4.7

INTRODUCTION

                              1. Every man has the right to interpret Scripture as he chooses.

· Every man has the right to worship and believe as he believes the Bible teaches.

· These things are not to be forced upon any man.

· "A man convinced against his will remains unpersuaded still."

                              2. All must give account to Jesus Christ for their choices.

· You can choose your direction but not your destination.

· ILL: You choose the road; you can't change where the road leads!

                 I. MAN WAS CREATED AS AN INDIVIDUAL

                              1. No two human beings are alike physically.

                              2. God gave every person his own mind (intellect), will (volition) and feelings (emotions).

                              3. Man is not a puppet or robot.

                              4. Man has self-consciousness and self-determination.

                              5. The first man (Adam) chose disobedience: Gen 3.6-7

                              6. God ministers to believers as individuals:

· In grace, Eph 4.7 Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

· In spiritual gifts, 1Co 12.7,11,27 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal...But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will...Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

· In service, Rom 12.3-8 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

              II. MAN CHOOSES AS AN INDIVIDUAL

                              1. The greatest choice is receiving Christ as Savior. Joh 1.11,12 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

                              2. The next greatest choice is between faithful service or disobedience.  Rom 12.1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

                              3. Man is not to blindly follow nor blindly reject leadership, but compare all things with Scripture.  Act 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.   Rom 14.5 Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

           III. MAN IS TAUGHT AS AN INDIVIDUAL

                              1. The Holy Spirit teaches truth.  1Jo 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.  Joh 16.12-13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

                              2. The Holy Spirit does not impart truth!  (students must study!!)  Heb 5.11-14 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  2Ti 2.15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

            IV. MAN IS JUDGED AS AN INDIVIDUAL

Because God has given each person his own determination, God holds each responsible for his choice.

                              1. Unsaved shall be judged individually before the Great White Throne.   Rev 20.11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

                              2. Saved shall be judged individually before the Judgment Seat of Christ. 2Co 5.10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.   Rom 14.10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.   Rom 14.12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.   1Co 3.13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

CONCLUSION

                              1. God gives you full and wonderful freedom in your decision-making. 

                              2. You will talk to Him about what you did with it!