Tag Archives: freedom

FREEDOM… FROM WHAT? – 12

Christian Life, ,

Everyone longs to be free! The desire for freedom drives people to do many strange things… like murder, for example, to get rid of someone who gets in the way of one’s “freedom”, or war to take out or subdue a nation that interferes with another nation’s freedom. What about other kinds of freedom, like freedom from financial woes, freedom from physical ailments, freedom from fear, anxiety, stress and….and….If only I could be free, my life would be so much better.

And so the quest for freedom continues. People do many wrong things for the sake of freedom but, afterwards, are they really free?

Jesus was aware of this drive in people to be free, but He also knew what real freedom is and where it can be found.

In yet another clash with His opponents, including those who supposedly believed in Him, He pointed out that they would die in their sin if they refused to believe in Him. Though they claimed to be descendants of Abraham, they didn’t behave like Abraham.

‭‭John 8:39-41 NLT‬
[39] “Our father is Abraham!” they declared. “No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. [40] Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. [41] No, you are imitating your real father.” They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”

External circumstances are not the cause of real slavery. People will always blame someone or something else for what they feel inside. Slavery is the consequence of sin. Sin enslaves one to guilt, fear, and shame as certainly as the locked door of a prison cell imprisons a law-breaker.

‭John 8:31-32 NLT‬
[31] Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”…
[34] Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

In a nutshell, Jesus put His finger on the source of all slavery, sin.

The Apostle Paul put it like this…

‭Romans 6:16 NLT‬
[16]” Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”

Trouble is that slavery to sin leads to terrible consequences.

Since everyone is born with a sin nature, inherited from Adam, all people are born slaves to sin. How can we get free from this enslavement since we will inevitably die in our sin unless someone rescues us?

Trying to keep rules won’t save us because, no matter how good we are or try to be now, we have a past we cannot escape. Our debt to God for disobedience is so huge that we could never repay it even if we lived a million years.

So, what’s the solution?

The words of Keith and Kristin Getty’s song answer that question.

“Oh to see the dawn
Of the darkest day
Christ on the road to Calvary
Tried by sinful men
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood,

Oh to see the pain
Written on your face
Bearing the awful weight of sin
Every bitter thought
Every evil deed
Crowning your blood-stained brow,

This, the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh to see my name
Written in the wounds
For through your suffering I am free
Death is crushed to death
Life is mine to live
Won through your selfless love,

This the power of the cross
Son of God slain for us
What a love, what a cost,
We stand forgiven at the cross.”

Can we be truly free, free to live our lives in peace and contentment, from from issues that cause us to react against people or circumstances?

Jesus said we can if we follow Him.

‭Romans 6:5-8 NLT‬
[5]”Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. [6] We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. [7] For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. [8] And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him….
[17] Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. [18] Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.”

34]”Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

True freedom is a heart at rest with God, oneself, and people, forgiven, free from fear, guilt, and shame, all at Jesus’ expense!

‭Romans 5:1 NLT‬
[1] “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

FREEDOM – THE CONUNDRUM

Christian Life, ,

FREEDOM – THE CONUNDRUM

What is freedom? We all want to be free… free from rules, restrictions, interference, so that we can be “our own person”. Young people believe that true freedom means kicking over the traces, shaking off all restrictions, particularly parental control, doing their own thing with no regard for consequences. 

Our own country’s rot began the day we had our first “democratic” election, celebrated every year as Freedom Day. “Freedom” in this country has become what Israel’s philosophy was in the days of the Judges… everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

Trouble is, “It’s a jungle out there!“ Outside the boundaries of protection, without rules and restrictions, life is dangerous, and death awaits the unwary.

Freedom is a myth if it’s life without boundaries that we want. This produces self-indulgence of the worst kind, at the cost of harm to others. Freedom from external restrictions produces the most painful and devastating bondage of the heart and conscience.

Some people believe that we will be free if we know the truth. Free from what? Knowing the truth is all that it is. Knowing the truth will make as little difference to our lives as knowing that the sky is blue.

APPLYING the truth we know is what makes us free.

However, what is the truth and where do we find truth? In today’s world, objective truth has become “my truth”, that which suits me, but that is confusing because “truth” loses is objectivity and universal application and becomes a “me-thing”, a free-for-all. “My truth” becomes a collision course and is no solution to our search for real freedom.

We can echo the cynical question Pilate asked of Jesus, “What is truth?“ (and he didn’t even wait for an answer).

For truth to be truth, it must be objective, unchanging, and apply to everyone equally and alike. Truth is vitally important for us because it frees us to live with meaning and purpose, and without guilt, shame, or fear. Where can such truth be found?

Jesus gives us the answer, unashamedly, and without fear of contradiction.

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”

John 17:17 NLT

Psalm 119 affirms this conviction…

“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.”

Psalms 119:160 NLT

Since God’s Word claims to be the truth, it must be tested and proved to be true as it claims.

“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.”

Proverbs 30:5 NLT

Jesus went even further. Not only did He declare God’s Word to be truth, He also claimed to be truth in person because He is God’s Word clothed in flesh.

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 NLT

God’s Word is the source of all truth, and is made visible through the human Jesus, living His life on earth for us to see as we read His story. We need to read and heed His instructions, and live by them, following His example, if we want to experience real freedom.

“So, the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

John 1:14 NLT

Jesus made us this offer…

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32 NLT

He put His finger on the real issues of bondage and freedom, not freedom from the restrictions and requirements of parents, society, or government, but freedom of heart and conscience from guilt, shame, and fear which are the consequences of disregarding the truth.

Now, if Jesus is the truth in a human, and He is God’s word in the flesh, then what He says works.

BUT….

FREE, YET SLAVES

Bible Study, ,

FREE, YET SLAVES

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect for everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor. (1 Peter 2: 16-17)

How could Peter’s readers be both slaves and free?

Slavery in his day was universal and, for the most part, harsh and cruel. Slave-owners were the wealthy elite, and slaves their possessions to do with as they pleased according to their whims and moods. Many slaves bore the scars of severe whippings, often for no legitimate reason. Every slave longed to be free, especially those who were badly treated. Even the thought of slavery was abhorrent to them.

Yet Peter urged his readers to live as slaves of God. Even slaves who believed in Jesus experienced a new freedom in their hearts which they treasured in spite of their circumstances. Why would they want to surrender that freedom to anyone, even to God?  They knew what it felt like to be free from guilt, shame and fear. Their hearts had been freed from these inner slave-drivers through the forgiveness bought by Jesus. Slaves though they were, they would have shuddered at the thought of going back into any kind of inward bondage.

Slave-owners, on the other hand, revelled in their right to treat other human beings just as they chose with no fear of reprisals. They could be kind or cruel as they liked.  Slaves were worth nothing more than any of their other possessions. They had paid good money for them and could squeeze as much work out of them as they could before the strength of their slaves finally gave out.

However, this was not to be the attitude of the believer, both master and slave. This way of doing things belonged to the old life. In fact, living like that was worse slavery than the slavery of the slaves who served them. It was all a matter of the heart. To be a slave to sin was to be dead already even though they still lived. To be free meant to be released from the power of the selfish and self-destructive lives they once lived.

Real freedom does not mean living without boundaries. To the Hebrew, that would be hell. True freedom means living within God’s boundaries. Boundaries are intended to protect, not to restrict. You would not leave your garden gate open and allow your toddler to wander into a busy street. Within minutes, that child’s life would be destroyed.

We humans have the inborn capacity to destroy ourselves because we came into the world with a natural bent towards sin. Self rules from the day of our birth. Selfishness destroys because it enslaves us and drives us to take care of ourselves at the expense of others. Sin always leads to death. Selfishness is at the heart of all sin. Every time we choose ourselves above others, we sin and we drive another nail into our coffins.

What is the solution? ‘Simple,’ said Peter, ‘be God’s slave.’ You have been given the freedom to make different choices now that you have been released from the power of your old nature and given the nature of God. Your old boundaries shut God out and restricted you to self-destructive living. You could not choose to live under God’s truth because you were His enemy. You hated Him and everything He stands for. His very commandments were like a red rag to a bull.

For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. (Romans 7: 7b-8)

Through God’s mercy and the working of His Holy Spirit, you have been set free from your old nature. You have a new Master, Jesus Christ. His life in you has set you free from sin and death. Now you must put it into practice to make this new life effective. What does this mean? It means that you must choose to become who you are, a slave of Jesus.

Slavery to Jesus is voluntary. You are free to choose to live your old way, but if you do, you will be enslaved by sin again.

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6: 16)

Slavery to God is our escape route from slavery to sin and death. The amazing thing is that slavery to God is the only true freedom!

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Set Free To Love

Bible Study, , , ,

SET FREE TO LOVE

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:13-15.

Freedom! Everybody wants to be free. But free from what? Most people think that freedom means no laws, no restraints, no boundaries, to do as they please. The problem with this kind of so-called “freedom” is that it clashes with everyone else’s freedom and creates the worst kind of chaos.

Imagine driving in a city where there are no traffic rules! Half of the motorists would be dead within the first twenty four hours. How long would it take for drivers to realise that staying alive meant giving way to the next vehicle and being courteous on the road? I live in a country were a certain group in the population thinks that traffic laws do not apply to them. As a result, the accident rate and number of road deaths is very high.

Every human being is born with an internal slave-driver far worse than any rules or regulations. It’s called selfishness. But why is selfishness so destructive? It not only clashes with everyone else’s selfishness; it also causes chaos within a person. Think of the emotional trauma another person’s selfishness causes to you – your home is invaded and your property destroyed or stolen because someone else decided that he wanted what you have. A loved one’s life is taken because a murderer chose to eliminate him or her. And so on.

Then there’s the internal destruction that selfishness does to you. You clash with a friend or a family member; both parties are angry, resentful, and bitter. You believe you are right and so does he or she. Neither will back down. A deep rift grows and you don’t communicate for months or years. How do you feel? Free? At peace? Full of love towards the other person? Humble? No way! You are clogged up with emotional baggage. You can’t sleep at night. You cannot get free of the other person. You are enslaved by your emotions.

These are all the consequences of the worst slave-driver of all. The problem is that trying to obey God’s rules without a new heart and a new nature only makes the slavery to guilt and fear worse. Jesus is the only one who has the power to set us free. He did this, first of all, by getting rid of our sin. He paid our debt so that it could be cancelled and deleted from our record. Then He gave us an insurance policy against our falling short of God’s standards. We are covered by His righteousness. When we fail, He says, “It’s okay. I’ve got you covered!”

That does not mean that we can go off and engage in “freedom” to live as we like because we are covered by the righteousness of Jesus. That would be as foolish as getting involved in as many vehicle accidents as we like because our insurance policy covers us! Collisions with other vehicles are dangerous because we can be seriously injured or killed. Our car will never be the same either. Just as an insurance policy is not a licence to have accidents, so God’s forgiveness and Jesus’ righteousness are not a licence to live as we like.

But, more than that, God changed our hearts. He gave us a new heart and a new nature and, on top of that, He gave us His Spirit – living right inside of us – so that we want to and have the power to live unselfishly.

How can we stay safe on the road? By obeying the traffic laws. How can we stay safe in the kingdom of God? By living within the boundaries of the kingdom. So Paul says, “Don’t go off and sin like crazy just because God has set you free. Use your freedom to care for other people. In this way you will stay free from your slave-drivers. Then you will be safe within the boundaries of God’s kingdom”

True freedom is not experienced by destroying one another but by loving and serving one another. You cannot serve yourself and other people. If you choose to serve yourself, watch out because you are on a downward path to destruction. If you serve others, you will be like Jesus; you will be doing the very thing that destroys the habit of selfishness, just as being generous destroys the habit of being greedy.

You cannot be both. Love, because you have been set free to love.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

FREEDOM

Pastor's Desk

Dear Family

Freedom means different things to different people. Our own South African context is perhaps an obvious one to understand, but there are many other forms of lack of freedom or bondage in which people find themselves. Debt, slavery, oppression, addiction, captivity, crime, abuse, greed, self-centeredness, fears of every description, issues of the past and so the list goes on. Many people spend their entire lives struggling against their “captor” and the reality is that even believers are often found in a similar position.

The Bible gives us incredible hope for all our bondages. Obviously it starts with the freedom from the power of sin in our lives we gain in Christ. That glorious starting point whereby God takes us out of the dominion of darkness and plants us into the kingdom of light – new creatures freed to worship Him. But then the journey begins – extricating ourselves from incorrect thought patterns and beliefs about ourselves, life and God. It’s His glorious word, the power of His Spirit, and the decision of our wills which combine to get us free. I am not of the opinion that these are merely psychological crutches to help us hobble along in a life of hopelessness, but rather a source of unlimited power enabling us to undo the works of darkness in our lives and to overcome. God wants us to be victors alongside His Son. That’s the point of the whole story. Over-comers in love with God, focused on Him and not on our issues.

In John 8:32-36 (selected verses) Jesus said, “…If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free….I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

And that’s really what freedom is all about – holding to His teaching by following Him and watching the shackles fly!

If you know bondage to anything other than Jesus, why not decide to choose His way, His life, His freedom. He simply invites us to die to self daily and to follow Him.

Paul