What a glorious sight as we witnessed the release of the surviving Israeli hostages held by Hamas! Much negotiation and many prayers went into the process of finally securing freedom for the survivors. Here was a moment of real freedom from physical bondage. It's ironic in our culture when it comes to defining "freedom." When we hear the word freedom, it is often defined as a lack of all restraints. Freedom is characterized as the ability to do whatever we want without interference or any kind of hinderance. If an individual wants to say ugly things to another person whether face to face or on social media, people do not want to be censored in any way, shape, or form. If someone wants to go speeding down the highway, they don't want to have signs limiting how fast they can travel. The reality is that what we define as freedom is actually bondage.
A LACK OF LIMITS LEADS TO SLAVERY
If there are no boundaries or limits, we become slaves to whatever we are pursuing. Many will mock Christianity and claim it hinders freedom. They will state that Christians are just a bunch of mindless rule keepers without purpose and the ability to be free to live as they choose. Christians will be likened to mindless zombies blindly following a Being at the expense of their personal freedom. The folly with this argument is a failure to understand who Christ is and what He has accomplished in His resurrection. The kind of freedom Christ offers is eternal. The kind of freedom Christians receive is rooted in a Person not some temporary pleasure. Paul states in Romans 6:15-16, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 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? (NIV) The unfortunate results of an attitude where restraint is thrown off and an "anything goes" mentality is adopted can be seen in our culture and our world today. People become slaves to the "gods" to which they bow down. (i.e. addictions, social media, sexual immorality, etc.)
TRUE FREEDOM IN CHRIST
Christ wants us to be free from spiritual bondage. The kind of freedom Christ offers cannot be found in this world. It is a freedom unseen, it is a freedom of the spirit, it is a freedom that is not chaotic but orderly, it is peaceful and not encumbered by the thoughts and attitudes of others but by the release and presence of the Holy Spirit. It is a freedom that doesn't worry about what will happen tomorrow but rests in the knowledge of the One who holds all our tomorrows. Do we want to experience freedom in the true sense of the word? Jesus states in John 8:31-32, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (NIV) Let us open the window to freedom in Christ.
Shalom,
Pastor Sheree
