Freedom! (Part 2) | Ep. 176

What if the problem isn’t your limits, but how you handle them? We explore a different kind of freedom: the kind that serves, while restraining itself for the benefit of others. From hidden bitterness to budget choices, from envy of public gifts to neglect of quiet callings, we trace how small, unexamined habits shape big spiritual outcomes.

We dig into Romans 14’s vision of the kingdom—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit—and why love sometimes means limiting your liberty. The parable of the talents gets practical here: God isn’t stingy; he’s wise. He increases responsibility when we’re trustworthy with small things. You’ll hear a real-world story of walking away from a lucrative role that conflicted with conscience, and a candid look at why transparency is rare in church life: accountability makes us honest, and honesty makes us change. We also draw sharp parallels between political and religious cultures that promise liberty while practicing control, and why knowing our core texts—Scripture for the church, the Constitution for citizens—matters for resisting manipulation.

This conversation is a call to own your decisions, tell the truth about your capacity, and practice your actual gifts rather than coveting someone else’s platform. If you’re asking for “more,” start by stewarding what’s already in your hands. With great liberty comes great responsibility—use it to edify others, not to indulge yourself. 

If this resonates, share it with a friend who needs a nudge toward faithful stewardship, and leave a rating to help others find the show. Subscribe for more candid, Scripture-centered conversations that strengthen your walk.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Body’s Flow And Heart Motives
• 1:00 Denial, Justification, And Hidden Bitterness
• 2:20 Irresponsible Freedom And Debt Example
• 4:10 Transparency, Accountability, And Fear
• 5:40 Gifts, Comparison, And Faithfulness
• 7:15 Parable Of The Talents Applied
• 9:20 Pride, Titles, And Wanting “More”
• 11:20 Romans 14: Righteousness, Peace, Joy
• 13:10 Restraining Freedom For Weaker Brethren
• 14:50 America’s Freedoms And Cultural Decay
• 17:10 Political And Clergy Elites Compared
• 20:00 A People Who Don’t Know Their Texts
• 22:30 Personal Tests Of Integrity At Work
• 24:00 Freedom Vs Control: Debt And Duty
• 26:00 Preachers Of Righteousness, Not Silence
• 28:00 Walk In The Spirit, Not The Flesh
• 30:00 Judged By The Law Of Liberty
• 32:00 With Great Liberty Comes Responsibility
• 40:46 Share, Like, Subscribe, And Follow

Transcript

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 0:03

The vision received was that of blood cells traveling throughout the body, supplying the much-needed oxygen and other nutrients to the differing members of the body to fulfill their purpose. Once the blood cells are sped, they must return back to the heart to be refilled before being sent out again and fulfill their purpose. But you know what? God forbid, God forbid that any one of us should recognize what's going on in that person's heart. And that person pointed out to that person. Because as soon as you hear that person, we deny, we deny, we justify our feelings and behavior, we rationalize why we feel that way, why we acted that way, and then never gets fixed. It never gets corrected because you are unwilling to acknowledge that you have that wrongness and bitterness in your heart. And you won't even listen to other people. And they're not even trying to condemn you, they're just trying to say, Did you notice that? What was the motive? You know, we've taught about shepherding a child's heart, and we taught about how you don't just address the behavior, you have to address the motivation, the heart issue behind the behavior that caused the per the child to do or say whatever he did. We always want to touch the surface and just try to fix what's going on on the outside, but we never address what's going on inside. It hurts too much. And so we deny, we deny, we deny. We always justifying and rationalizing all of the decisions and all the things that have led us to this point and state where we find ourselves in right now. What's wrong with us isn't is us. It's our response to all of these circumstances. It's not God, it's not others, it's not our circumstances, it's us. What's wrong is how we've handled our freedom irresponsibly. Example. We know a couple in my in Miami. A couple's wife calls my wife hesitantly, tells my wife about, and they're born again. They're born again in the covenant. Tells my wife how, you know, we're having struggle with our finances, and uh, it's not my husband's fault. It's my fault, and you know, it's been going on a long time, and and we're we're about $30,000 into debt and we're thinking of bankruptcy. What's wrong there? Did God do something wrong to get you and $30,000 worth of debt? And so my wife said, You gotta talk to my husband, you gotta talk to my husband. He can help you. He he's the numbers guy. Never heard a word from them about it. It's been over a month. Not that he need to talk to me, they could talk to somebody else. But the idea that as soon as they called and asked for the help, they weren't willing to really address the issue. I mean, stay quiet about it. But we see that person on Facebook going out to eat two to three times a week. Talking about we were in this restaurant, we enjoyed it, we were in that restaurant, we enjoyed it. Tell me who's not acting responsibly. And we want the blessings of God. You can't have the blessings of God walking in unrighteousness, but you have the freedom to go to a restaurant. I'm not saying you don't. But if you're not in a position to afford it, why are you getting yourself into debt over it? Because you want to please the couple that asked you, hey, you want to come with us to dinner tonight? Why don't you just say no? I I can I can't. I'm sorry, I'll be honest with you. I can't. I can't afford it. And I and hey, I'm not asking you to pay for me. That's not why I'm telling you. I'm just trying to be honest with you. We can't afford it. No, I'm sorry. No, we'll go out, we'll spend the money, we'll get into debt. Just an example, just trying to get you to understand what I'm trying to reach on a spiritual matter. Another problem. I think transparency in the church is a very, very far and buried memory. Why won't we become transparent with each other? Is it because you're afraid that the person is gonna whip you and condemn you? You could say that that's your fear, but I know that's not your fear. The reason why you won't become transparent is because as soon as you become transparent, you're gonna be held into account. And you don't really want to be held into account. Talk to someone about your finances, I mean, I told you, but I don't want you to deal with it, and then that's it. You never hear from them again. Because they really don't want to be held accountable. That's the true fear. We start holding ourselves in transparency before one another every week. We might be asking, how did you do this week? In that area. You know, the one that you expose yourself to me on. But we don't want that. We'd rather keep on chugging at the same old thing over and over again that we've been doing for years and years, but we want something different to happen. But we don't change the irresponsible ways of ourselves. Transparency leads to accountability, but that is what we truly fear. We've been given gifts, as I said before. Paul said in Romans 12, having then gifts 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, or he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. He that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. We have been given gifts in the body. But we're always looking about how, man, he prophesied. And you have the gift of hospitality. But you're worried about him who prophesied, and you didn't get to prophesy, and then you're not being hospitable to people, yet that's your gift. And so what I'm saying is, you've been given gifts, you know what the gifts are, but you're always worried about what you're not able to do. I've said this before. Many of us are simply in the messes of our own making, and we have taken our freedom and behaved irresponsibly and reprehensibly for it. And when I say reprehensibly, I'm saying you should be rebuked for that. Not just you were just irresponsible, well, hey, it's your money, it's not mine, so what did what difference does it have to do with me? But no, not just that, you behave reprehensibly with your freedom. But we don't want to listen to others. We'd rather keep believing the same old stinking thinking and doing the same old stinking actions, and at best, the actions are questionable. It's not that you don't have the freedom to go to the restaurant, but that's not handling your freedom responsibly. And all the while we want God and we true and believe God, God will deliver us out of this mess. God is gonna deliver you out of your mess, mess. What does it say in 1 Chronicles, Martha? If my people will do what? Humble themselves and do what? Uh-oh! You see, we always forget that. We just wanna quote unquote humble ourselves and pray and look like we're all humble, but we don't want to turn from our wicked ways, and yet that's a requirement within that scripture. Turn from your wicked ways, then he shall heal your land. Not just because you prayed. Prayers of a righteous man availeth much, but it's the prayers of a righteous man, not an unrighteous man, not a man is walking in unrighteousness. That's not a righteous man. Haven't we learned from the parable of the talents? One talent, three talent, five talents, or two talents. What should we have learned from the power of the talent? Somebody tell me. See if you can connect with what I'm trying to talk about here. What do we learn from the parable of talents and the theme that I'm trying to address with you today? Anyone?

unknown: 8:47

Don't hide yourself, do something with it.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 8:49

Okay, don't hide yourself, do something with it. That's right. That is the message of the talents. We're always talking about how we want more, more, more. But what are you doing with the little he's giving you? Not much to talk about. Why? Why in the world would I give my three-year-old the keys to my car when I know he can't even drive a little matchbox car? He's crashing it everywhere he goes. He can't drive a remote control car without hitting the refrigerator. And I'm gonna give him the keys to my car? God is wise. And many of the time he's logical. He's not illogical. I mean, he might make you do some crazy things, but it's only because he's worked it out for you. But he's very logical. When you're ready for the keys to the car, is when I'll give you the keys to the car. Otherwise, show yourself responsible in the little things. I mean, we want to talk about how I got the two talents and I want to get the four and how I'm blessed here and there. What did you do with the one? And it's not just about a fear of doing anything with it. Maybe you did something, but you did something so horribly dumb. Why would you want the bigger house? Why would you want twice your salary? You're in debt already with the 20,000. What are you gonna do with 50,000? You think you're just all of a sudden gonna become responsible? It's not gonna happen if you don't do it with the 20,000. Does that make any sense? In a nutshell, it is this God will give greater responsibility and a greater level of freedom to those who have found themselves trustworthy in the very little. They didn't just, well, that's not enough for me. I want it. No, they took it and they ran with it. And they ran with it responsibly, and they did the best they could with it. And if it was one talent and they got a half a talent, he's gonna be happy with that. He's not looking, you always gotta double it. Give me something in return. If I planted a seed, I better at least get one strawberry out of it. You got something back. You plant the seed and you get nothing out of it, you uproot the whole thing and try again. He is found with all wisdom, and then if he gave you the greater freedom and responsibility that you think you so desperately can handle, you're gonna crash and burn like a great big ball of fire. And then where are you gonna be? You may be dead. And that's not what he wants for you. That's why he doesn't give you the blessings that you think you can handle. Because he's waiting for you to act responsibly with what you do have, so he can give you the more. He wants to give you the more, but he's a very responsible, loving father, and he will not cause you to crash and burn. And the reason why we do this is because we're prideful. We want the more because we think, well, I'm old enough for it. I've lived long enough. I have my own thoughts, I have my own ideas. I don't have to always do what the bishop or what the other person counseled here and there. I could do it on my own. And while we're with that attitude, we want a greater anointing, we want greater accolades, we want greater titles, we want a greater ministry, we want greater wealth, we want greater business, we want a greater amount of just quality friendships. You're not even faithful with the three friends you have. Why do you want more friends? Be honest, be sincere, be transparent with the friends you have, and then maybe you can handle more. Bless them. But if you're not a blessing to them, why do you want more friends? You cause more havoc and destruction. If I have a business and I'm not quite handling my business right, why do I want growth with my business? I already said about wealth. Why do I want a greater ministry if I can't, if I get so fed up with the five people that I do have under me? I can't stand, they don't listen, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I want, and I want a big church so that I can fit a thousand people? You're not ready for that. Be honest with yourself. I want to be a missionary to the Colombians. Why don't you minister the Colombians down the street? It's just honest, honesty. Just be honest with yourself and realize why you're not getting blessed the way you desire. We have terribly deceived ourselves. And all that I'm describing to you is we're acting like know-it-all teenagers. You know, the ones that I get frustrated with every single day I go to school, they know it all. I can't tell them anything. They argue for everything. Fine. Go, Mr. Know It All. But that's how we're acting. Some of us are acting that way. I know it all. I know how to do this. And you've been trying for 20 years, and there's no change. Romans 14. We Christians need to not let our good be evil spoken of. We call ourselves Christians, we call we call ourselves people that serve the most high God. Let me see. I'm trying to come up with that example for the kids. The youth. Think they can have whatever friend they want, and it's not gonna do anything. They think they're gonna save their friends. So they start looking like them, talking like them, hanging out in the same spots they shouldn't even be in in the first place, and they are letting their good be evil spoken of. You are no different than them. Instead of them turning and changing their ways, you've turned and changed your ways. That's not what Paul meant when I'm gonna be to all men whatever I need to be. Because when he uh sort of became a Jew, he didn't become a Jew. He just got to their level, spoke to them on their level so he can get them out of that. If it was people under the law, he went and spoke as one under the law to get them out of that. As those outside of the law that didn't understand what the law of the Jews was about, he spoke to them as one that was outside of the law. Remember, he spoke on Mars Hill? He brought the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I don't think he used the word of God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but the God that you don't have a name for, that's the God that created all the things that you see here. He's the one that you need to worship and adore. That's what it meant. I become to all men whatever I need to be, that I may be able to gain some. But do you think, I know it all? It's not gonna affect me. I could spend a few hours on at night and go to sleep at one o'clock, wake up at five o'clock in the morning, go to school, and nothing's gonna happen. That's just for the youth. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and that is what we should be demonstrating. Sorry. That is what we need to be demonstrating. Righteousness.

unknown: 17:07

Romans 14, 1, 2, 1, 17.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 17:10

16 through 21. That is what we need to be demonstrating. Righteousness. Notice it started with righteousness, and then we're gonna have the same struggles as anyone else. We should be walking with it in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that is in these things serves Christ and is acceptable to God and approved of men. If you walk in righteousness, peace, and the joy of the Holy Ghost, you might get persecuted, but there's a lot of men that you're gonna grab their attention. They're gonna be like, that's somebody I could talk about. That's somebody's got something different, and it's a good difference. Let us therefore follow after things which make peace and things wherewith one may edify one another. See, because he started talking about how I have the freedom to eat meat. But I have my brother here who feels that he can eat meat because it was sacrificed to idols, and that would corrupt him. So even though he had the freedom to eat meat, he was willing to sacrifice it in order to save his brother. And sometimes we run into people and we don't recognize their level of maturity in their faith walk. And we walk in our freedom all over them. And we really didn't reach them. We've caused our brethren who are weaker, who are immature in the faith, to stumble. And sometimes we offend without care or thought as to where they're at in their faith walk with Him. In Galatians 6, Paul again says, and this is the attitude that we need to have with our freedom. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Because individuals have not taken responsibility with their freedom, not just in the church, but outside the church. And I want to focus this on America. We have a war raging in the world today. I see some parallels between what's happening in this country and what I've seen happen in the church. In America, the Bible of America is the Constitution of the United States. That's where we get our Bill of Rights. You know, those amendments that we fought long and hard for to get in there. And in the church, it's the Bible. But ask yourself, what have Americans done with their freedom today? Think about what we've done. Have Americans handled their freedom responsibly? Have they done what they've done for the sake and the betterment of their neighbors? Or have they done what they've done without care for their neighbors in order to rape them monetarily? We've produced a corrupt culture and we've propagated all over the world. We got Madonna doing her thing all over the world, and she represents America. She's an American icon. We had Michael Jackson doing his stuff all over the world. He was an American icon. This is what we've propagated around the world. We have companies in America in this capitalist free market society that are willing to produce goods to establish their million-dollar industries, knowing that those goods are in the end going to kill them. Cigarettes? Alcohol? You just start with those two and look at the statistics in the healthcare industry of how much are tied to just cigarettes and alcohol. Freedom is not wrong. Trust me, I'd rather live in a free market capitalist society than a socialist society that controls your every move and tells you what to do. But if I'm gonna live in this society, then we need to live in it, having our freedom responsibly done for the benefit of all. Freedom that is carried about irresponsibly is dangerous. Yet at the same time, they want to shut up people who dissent and disagree with them. Yet they believe in free speech. But as soon as you go to the town hall meetings and you air out your concerns, what are you labeled? Nazi, hate monger, racist this, evil stereotype that. In the church it's called doing violence to the word. Doing violence to the law. If you read Zephaniah 3:4, you can just write it down. You can see violence to the law. It says, Her prophets are light and treacherous persons. Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. What does that mean? They've perverted the word in order to control and manipulate the people. The gospel is perverted for the sake of monetary gain. So that they can have their big buildings. They're worried about how many people tithed this week? They're worried about the money. It's not about souls, it's about the monetary gain. They add to the word. You can't cut your hair, you've got to wear dresses, you've got you can't come up on the pulpit like that, don't have that beard, you better shave that off, or whatever. And all we're doing is trying to control the people. We're not serving them. We are trying to be the elite. And there leads to my other parallel. In America, in the nation, if you go into politics, you become a part of the political elite. Have you noticed that all the congressmen have it made for the rest of their lives? Those congressmen get paid about four or five times more than I do, and I'm a teacher. But they legislate all the things, they have a separate health insurance better than ours, and they want to pass a health insurance that they will not put themselves under. Why? If it's so good. So the politicians have become America's elite. We have a so we have a one-party system. Let's just be blunt. It's one party. It's called the Democrat Republicans. It's one party. These Democrats have been blaming these Republicans for all of these things. Couple years ago, the Republicans were blaming the Democrats for the same thing. It's nauseating right now to me to hear the constant blame and blame and blame and blame and blame, and they all do the same thing. So many of them are lying. And so many of them maybe went into it with the greatest, sincerest of intentions. But once you get into that, and all the corruption and the bribes and the you know the lobbyists that come at you with money, you do this for me now, when you get elected, you need to do this for me, and then I'll keep giving you. Who are they serving? They're not serving us, they're serving the corporations, they're serving the people that are making the money because they're giving them the money. But isn't that happening in the church? The political elite, in their quest for position, in their quest for power and influence, they make their promises that they don't intend to keep, and it's all resulting in our future enslavement. If you haven't been feeling kind of enslaved recently, you haven't been paying attention. The laws that they enact always apply to the whole nation. But have you noticed that when they get caught doing something, they don't get hit as hard for some reason? Kennedys? Hmm. Why? Clergy are the church's elite. You get into that position, you become a part of the select, the few, the ones that make all the decisions for the people, and we call that the Nicolaitan doctrine in the scriptures. Clergy who believe themselves to be better suited to make the decisions for you. For history, don't worry about reading the Bible. I'll tell you what it says. Now go pray your Hail Mary's and you're all our fathers. That's still happening today. It looks different, but there's nothing new under the sun. It's to keep their position, it's to keep their power and their monetary gain. That's really all it is. They're the only ones that hear from God. They always know what's best for the saint, and they're relentlessly strict with them. Relentlessly strict. Thank God it doesn't happen here. I hope that God, nobody feels that way here. But I've been in other places and I know that's exactly the way it is. And it is not only UPC, I've seen it outside that. It's a spirit that is at muck in the church. But it's the very same spirit that's at muck in the nation's political system. It's a spirit of control. They're trying to control the people and slowly take away their freedoms, little by little, because they can't take it all at once. They'd have a, they'd have a they'd have an uproar. They can't handle that. But they'll take it away little by little. Banana piece strap by banana strap until they have the whole thing. 2 Peter 2 19. It says, They promise liberty. While they promise liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. And this political elite, this uh clergy elite, have brought about the same results in politics or in the nation. We have a people that do not know their constitution, that do not know the rights that supposedly the founding fathers, knowing that there was one creator, endowed them with these inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But ask any children in high school whether they know anything about the constitution, you give so little or nothing at all. But what's happening in the church? They don't know the Bible. So when the pastor or or the or the priest or or the pope says something, that's the word of God. And they know no better. It's repro it's it's produced the same result. That's why I know it's the same spirit. It's it's producing a church that or or a people that are just dead asleep and don't know that they need to do something about it. They don't know their rights, they don't know their constitution, and the political powers should they're shouting freedom, they're shouting change, but they themselves are the servants of the corruption that they're trying to instill in the people. In the church, the saints are blindly obeying the religious establishment. Don't even bother to question the pastor. If you do that, you'll be in rebellion, and you'll be ostracized, and you'll be rejected, and you will not you will never feel comfortable there again. And they'll do that purposely because that's the spirit at work there. We have a lot of immature, irresponsible, bondaged babes in Christ. In our churches, because of this that's at work and that's going on. Brother Greg came and testified, transparently, I might add, of his struggles with his new job. He had freedom to stay in his job and make the money that he was making, but he also had the freedom to look elsewhere if he wanted to. And he thought, wow, it's a six-figure salary. I can correct me if I'm wrong when I'm done. But he might have thought it's a six-figure salary. That'd be good financial stability, financial security for a long while. I can put that money aside and take care of myself in the future rather than working as hard here. But initially, his heart was to serve those kids or whoever that he was doing his physical therapy. That's originally where his heart was. So he gets into this new job and it's all about business. It's all about money. And one day he goes to a meeting and he realizes I cannot be here. Because all they want to do is rape the people for the money, and that's not what I'm about. That was his testing ground. That's where God was testing him and his freedom. Was he gonna stay in it to make the six figures? Or was he gonna come out of it? He handled his freedom responsibility once the choice of the decision came to him. He had to walk out and he had to walk away and he had to put it aside. That's what happens to our politicians. Some of them are very sincere and they want to do something real for their community. Once they get into that system, it invariably comes to a decision. Are you gonna take that bribe or are you gonna continue walking the way? I wish that we weren't under a one-party system, but because we are, any independent thinker out there most likely will never get funded to get into the system. And so we don't really have independent thinkers there that think completely different than what the Democrat-Republicans do. And so it really is one party. You notice over the history of the nation, there's very few third parties. It's been purposely done to just have these two, and they're working together, looking antithesis of each other. But we have those decisions daily. Are we going to succumb? Are we going to begin to handle our freedom irresponsibly? Thank God Brother Gray came out of that. Because we might have lost him and he might have lost his soul. That's what the test was. Do you love me enough? There's a lot of talk about fiscal responsibility in the nation. We're not fiscally responsible. Why is that? Look at the nation as a whole. Look at the church. Is the church fiscally responsible? Are they responsible with their money and their debt? They're just as irresponsible as the nation. Every nation in the world is in debt. Every nation in the world is in debt. They're all enslaved to some other greater banking monetary institution. What about us? We're in debt. We're no better. So who are we to talk about? And all of this is a clash between freedom and control. Why does the government want to control? Because the government doesn't trust us to make responsible decisions, and they want the money themselves. But I don't trust the government to do what they should do, responsibility with my money. I'm not trying to be political here, but you see there's a tug of war between freedom and control. And we need to take responsibility for our part and start taking responsibility for our debt, for our friendships, for our righteousness, for our walk with God, for what we know in the scriptures. We need to take responsibility. It's on us. Money is not the answer. That's not going to get you out of your mess. Personal responsibility will get you out of your mess. And I don't mean it independent of God. I mean personal responsibility where you acknowledge this is what I've done wrong, and God help me to get out of this. Show me how to get out of this right. We have been called to freedom, to liberty with a purpose. And it's not to indulge ourselves. Here's the reputation that we should be developing in our church, in our communities, and in our nation today. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. It says he was a preacher of righteousness. And for 120 years he built the ark with his family, and for 120 years he was preaching righteousness, and no one listened to him and heard him, and only eight people lived. That is the real that is the reputation that we need to develop in this day and age. Not one where they don't even know where you stand or they see you on the fence. You need to go full hedgehog into it, or don't go into it at all. Why try to take on the name of Christ if you're not willing to walk in the name of Christ? Lot, on the other hand, is the reputation we are developing. Lot was in Sodom, Gomorrah, and it says he was sorely vexed because of the unrighteousness that surrounded him. Sorely vexed. Was he saying anything? It doesn't say he was saying anything. It says he was just there and he saw it. And he got so bogged down with it that he was about to give his own two daughters to a gang of homosexuals. How sorely vexed he was. He couldn't even think right. You can't, we cannot allow ourselves to live in a nation and not say something. Be a preacher of righteousness. And if it's only me and my family that get saved in the ark, at least I tried to preach the righteousness that God was requiring of all the wicked. But Lot almost died because he wouldn't say anything. He just took it. In Galatians 5:13, Paul says, Brethren, you have been called into liberty. Only use not your liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the laws fulfilled in one word, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This is the key. This I say then walk in El Espiritu. Camina in the spirit. You will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. That is your endeavoring to walk in the spirit. Hear the Lord, be led of the Lord to be called the sons of God. Because the lust, or excuse me, because the flesh lusteth against the spirit. Control lust against freedom. Freedom is constantly trying to not get entangled in that entanglement, that yoke of bondage, that control. It's always freedom versus control. And these are contrary to one another, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would, but if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. There is a constant war within ourselves to be a traitor. A traitor. You are either going to be a traitor to sin, or you're going to be a traitor to righteousness. But there is only one who comes with accusations and condemnations, and there is only another one who's going to come with righteous judgment and indignation. I'm not worried about the accusations and the condemnations. I'm worried about the judgment and the indignation. In other words, I'm more worried about what God thinks of me than whenever I falter and what the enemy is trying to accuse me of. But I must endeavor to walk in the Spirit. James said, So speak ye and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. We are going to be judged by how we handled our freedom. Was it responsibly for the benefit of others? Or was it irresponsibly causing others to be damned in the end? Anyone know what Peter Parker learned from Uncle Ben? Yes, I'm talking about Spider-Man. Anyone knows what Peter Parker learned from Uncle Ben? See, John and I, we're part of the same generation, so I'm not surprised that Brother John raised his hand, but let's ask him anyway. What did Peter Parker learn from Uncle Ben? Say it loud and proud.

unknown: 40:06

With great power comes great responsibility.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 40:08

That's right. With great power comes great responsibility. That was in a comic. That's pretty true. And so I say, with great liberty comes great responsibility. If you were blessed and appreciate listening to this podcast and you would like to support us in our efforts, consider lifting us up in prayer first. Then remember these four social media buzzwords: share, like, subscribe, or follow. Share this podcast link with someone else by text, email, or word of mouth in the hopes that they might be uplifted as you were. Like by leaving a positive rating or review with whomever you listen to our podcast with. Subscribe to support the show monetarily with the link in our podcast description. Follow us on all our social media platforms. May God bless you and make you prosperous in him as you listen and obey his voice.