Freedom is a buzz word these days. Everyone wants to be free. Society is full of people who so badly want to be free that they break every rule in the book in the name of “freedom”!
The trouble is that this so-called freedom may free up behaviour but it enslaves the heart to the worst kind of bondage…to sin…to a conscience that never keeps quiet …until it stops working. A silent conscience is a sinister warning…not freedom but a dangerous delusion!
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”
1 Timothy 4:1-2 NIV
In context, Paul was writing about people who taught religious scruples that had nothing to do with the gospel. In the broader context, those who follow their false beliefs with either false self-righteousness or unrestrained behaviour end up with a conscience that fails to register truth. Either way, they have traded a conscience that is programmed by truth to a conscience that registers nothing but approval for whatever they believe and do. A dead conscience is the worst kind of freedom because there is no longer any warning or caution on the downward slide towards the fire.
So, what is true freedom and how can we live within its boundaries and experience its benefits?
There are two steps and a progression towards freedom. The progression begins with a change of allegiance and a change of direction. There can never be freedom while the self is in control. The self will always demand gratification. Gratification will always act in self-interest at the expense of others…leading to sin…and registering guilt.
The first step towards freedom is to answer the call to follow Jesus. Union with Jesus and obedience to Him is God’s design and the only way that works. He, in turn, leads us towards the righteousness which provides the boundaries inside which we find the freedom we crave.
Let me illustrate.
A toddler is a free agent…a little person who can do anything it desires if left to itself. How can a parent keep a toddler safe? By providing the boundaries within which it is free to play. A mother would never allow her little one to play in a garden without a fence and a secured gate.
For us, who was want to be truly free, we need the “fence and gate”of Jesus’ word, provided by the relationship of true disciples…step number one in this progression…
“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
John 8:31 NLT
Jesus’ teachings form the boundary fence of our safety. Safety from what? Safety from the bondage to sin..and the guilt, shame, and fear that follow sinful behaviour, words, and attitudes.
Jesus’ teachings are not only the fence that keeps us safe. Following His teachings also leads us to real freedom.
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32 NLT
So, you see, to be really free…free from slavery to sin and the haunting guilt of an accusing conscience…simply knowing the truth is not enough. Real freedom is the end result of…
…following and learning from Jesus…
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
…and obeying His commandments…
“If you love me, obey my commandments.”
John 14:15 NLT
In the end, there is only one person who can unlock the prison doors and set us free…
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”
Isaiah 61:1 NIV
Who is He? Jesus!
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
John 8:34, 36 NIV
The world says that freedom is to kick over all the traces…to live without boundaries… according to every desire and appetite. God’s Word tells us that, to be truly free, we must go back to the beginning, where God made humans to be in harmony and partnership with Him. The only way to do this is to renounce the right to self-rule…to hand over one’s life to the authority of Jesus…and to receive from Him the nature and power to become a true disciple and follower. That’s the only freedom that works.