Intro:

1. “Have you ever felt like living pure and holy and free from sin and bondage is too hard to do?  What is the secret of living free?
2. We make it too HARD: Illustration of the level. If you try to “eyeball” your life you will make a mistake.  Can you guess your blood pressure or heart rate?  Your cholesterol or blood sugar?  YOU HAVE INSTRUMENTS THAT KEEP YOU ALIGNED. (“HOLD UP, SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT!)
3. The level is the person of the Holy Spirit. He is inside of you.  He tells you when you are walking “between the lines” of life.  By His Word, the Bible and by our conscience (the voice of your spirit) you will know when you have gotten “off.”  
4. Freedom is “staying on the rails.”  A train is not free when it is off the track.  In Galatians 5, Paul teaches us what TRUE FREEDOM IS:  “Walking in the Spirit.”

Text:

1. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal. 5: 13)
   1. Freedom is controlling your flesh.  When our “flesh” is unchecked, it gets over the line, “out of the bubble.” (TRAIN ON THE TRACKS)
      1. “I’m free, so I can say whatever I want to.”
      2. “I’m free, so I can drink whatever I want to.”
      3. “I’m free, so I can look at whatever I want to.”
      4. “I’m free, so I can act however I want to.”
   2. You had better watch your flesh.  It is crucified, but alive. 
   3. “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance” (Pearl Harbor).  Don’t take your eyes off your flesh.  It is ready to pounce.  Alcohol, drugs, pornography, immorality, anger, jealousy, idolatry, it’s all ready to pounce if you get “outside the lines.”

3 Principles of Living "Free" 

1. “Watch your ENEMY”—KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE REFEREE!
   1. This is a “tug of war.”  The Holy Spirit inside of you is pulling you toward freedom and purity.  The flesh and the devil is pulling you bondage and sin.  Don’t play around with the flesh.
   2. “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Gal. 5: 17).
   3. STARVE THE ENEMY.  When a foreign army was attacking a city, they would destroy the food and water supplies outside the city so they found nothing to eat or drink.  REMOVE THINGS FROM YOUR HOUSE, COMPUTER, WALLET, FACEBOOK, CONTACTS, PANTRY, OR CELLAR THAT ARE GIVING THE FLESH STRENGTH.
   4. FEED YOUR FAITH.  Listen to teaching of the Word, victorious music, have conversations with godly believers, date Christians, serve other people and meet the needs of others.  
2. “Watch your ACTIONS”—put the level on your actions, be honest with yourself when you are operating “outside the lines”
   1. In sexuality—“sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality” (roving eyes, roving hands, wrong attractions, flirting, arousal).
   2. In idolatry—“idolatry, witchcraft” (things that become addictive, money, possessions, control over people with curses, hexes, potions).
   3. In relationships—“enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy (profanity, anger, yelling, deep jealousy and envy of other’s success, competition, deep divisions).
   4. In addictions—“drunkenness, orgies” (substance abuse, partying environments, “clubbing”).  
3. “Watch your ATTITUDES”—look for the fruit that shows the presence of the Spirit.
   1. ATTITUDE TO CIRCUMSTANCES—LOVE (not hatred), JOY (not depression), PEACE (not fear).
   2. ATTITUDE TO OTHERS—PATIENCE (not shortness), KINDNESS (not rudeness), GOODNESS (not selfishness).
   3. ATTITUDE TO YOURSELF—FAITHFULNESS (not flakiness), GENTLENESS (not roughness), SELF-CONTROL (not out-of-control).

Application:

1. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Gal. 6: 1).
2. ANYONE CAN GET OUTSIDE THE LINES.  We don’t JUDGE each other, we RESTORE each other.
3. If you are honest with yourself and would say, “I thought I was free, but I have really been bound to my flesh, my desires, my appetites, my thoughts, my wrong relationships.  I NEED FREEDOM.  I NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP ME WALK IN FREEDOM.