Freedom!
“…Tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take… OUR FREEDOM!” – William Wallace in “Braveheart”
“Let freedom ring!” – excerpt from “America: My Country ’Tis of Thee”
“Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I have a dream” speech
As Americans, we typically think we have the market cornered on freedom, that we understand what freedom really is. I used to think about freedom differently than I do now. I wanted freedom. Freedom to do whatever I wanted to do, freedom without boundaries or limits… or consequences. It sounds intriguing, does it not? But what did I really want? I wanted to fulfill the passions and desires of my soul, of my flesh. And guess what? My desire for freedom led me into slavery. I harvested the exact opposite of what I thought.
I Became a Slave
1 Peter 2:19b says, “For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” Here’s the problem with pursuing earthly passions: they overcome you, and you become a slave to them. These passions drive us away from God, which is, by definition, sin. Anything that draws me away from God can be considered sin. For me, it was pretty obvious. I became ensnared in the sin of pornography. I wanted to “look” without consequences. But I found out quickly that this “passion” of mine was putting me into bondage to sin. It was just like the Bible says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 4:14-15 ESV).
I was headed for death. And I could feel it in my conscience. I was starting to sear my conscience, as it says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). It was killing me spiritually, and I had to get free. I needed freedom! True freedom!
True Freedom
I quickly learned that true freedom is the freedom to do what’s right. It’s the freedom to be who God made me to be. It’s the freedom to follow the Lord and live in His perfect will. See, the world teaches the exact opposite: freedom is found outside of God’s rules. The truth is: freedom is found within God Himself. I am the most free when I am found in Him, when I’m living the way He called me to live, when I’m becoming the person He already knows me to be.
Marriage is Amazing
Let’s use sex as an example. The Lord made this wonderful gift, to be expressed in an amazing thing called marriage. The world teaches that a person can have sex with whomever they want, however they want, outside of the holy union of a man and a woman. Here’s the problem: the door is thrown wide-open for slavery. Guilt and shame enter the picture. Souls get intertwined prematurely and are torn apart. Depression comes, anger comes, and anxiety sets up shop. Families are torn apart, legal battles rage, and life gets miserable. The Lord doesn’t want this for you! I don’t want this for you!
What’s the opposite of the teaching of the world? “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth…” (Proverbs 5:15, 18). The Lord set up this amazing system called marriage, in which the fires of sex can be enjoyed and not destroy your life. Instead of guilt and shame, there’s joy and fulfillment. Staleness is replaced with, newness. Instead of depression and anxiety, peace and confidence come. Families are built up and come together, and life gets good, very good. This is what the Lord wants for you! This is what I want for you!
The Spirit = Freedom
God’s boundaries are set up for your success and your fulfillment. In fact, “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17). It’s in His presence that we find freedom. How do we enter His presence? There’s one way, through the guy who said, “I am the way.” (John 14:6). That guy isn’t just any guy. He’s the Son of God. He’s the bringer of freedom. Through His shed blood our slates are completely cleaned. He took our punishment so we could enjoy His freedom. His true freedom is the freedom to do what’s right.
The New Law
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:2 NASB). When you confess Jesus as Lord of your life (see Romans 10:9-10), you get transferred to a new law. It’s called the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” The old law of sin and death no longer has a hold on you. You are now free to live in the righteousness of Jesus. He opened the cage you were in, and you get to walk out of the cage a freed person. Under the new law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you get to experience the Kingdom, which is made up of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Freedom is Your Calling
It is so incredibly fulfilling and freeing to walk in your calling. There’s so much joy and confidence in who He is and what He’s doing in you. Don’t be deceived by the teaching of this world, which is meant to bring you into slavery beneath the anti-Christ, the devil himself. You are meant to conquer evil, to live free from the schemes of the evil one. Like an eagle, you are meant to soar, to have your strength renewed (Isaiah 40:31). You are meant to lead out of true freedom, that which is born out of righteousness. You are not meant to be burdened by the cares of this world, taking on the heavy yoke of slavery into the world’s system. Jesus says to take on his yoke, or teaching, for it is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30).
So experience His true freedom today! You have the freedom to do what’s right, to live in His righteousness. May you be blessed today, and may the Spirit of the Lord draw near to you, giving you freedom from every bondage.
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