Freedom

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

We are all slaves…slaves to our mind, body and soul that compares, judges, envies, is boastful, proud, self-seeking, ungrateful, unforgiving, resentful…the list goes on…(2 Timothy 3:1-4). I’m sure you can relate to at least one of the characteristics on the list, if not all the time, at least from time to time.

We seek pleasure and we look to many things for happiness and contentment – relationships, possessions, activities, achievements, success, status, money, substances.

We want to be in control and we are relentless in trying to get our own way, advance ourselves and consider ourselves better than those around us. Or alternatively we take a ‘I don’t care attitude’ and find ourselves withdrawing, isolated, angry and bitter.

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.(Galatians 5:19-21 The Message version)

We find life is a roller coaster of highs and lows where we resolve to be better, to do better, but without any lasting success…there is always something niggling at us that are we are not happy about…the slave in us is persistent.

These are all characteristics of a sinful nature, one where we are operate from a basis of selfishness and independence from God, trying to do life in our own strength. Jesus called it being a slave to sin. One of his recorded conversations went like this:

To the Jews who had believed him, 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.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, 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. (John 8:31-36)

The Jews who Jesus was speaking to said “we have never been slaves of anyone”. Jesus was not talking about physical slavery, but a state of spiritual slavery, slavery in our inner being. It is our natural, default condition as humans. We are born like it, it is the way we are wired. We are all slaves, none of us are free or can become free by our own efforts. You can try every day of your life to be good enough, to break free, but you won’t be able to.

Jesus offers the ONLY way to real, lasting, effective freedom from this state of internal slavery, from this state of striving. Acknowledging, repenting (turning to) and believing in Jesus is the only way to freedom.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)

“If the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36)

Jesus offers freedom. Freedom from sin. Freedom from the internal slavery in which we are entrapped. Freedom that automatically brings with it peace…deep abiding peace in the core of our being…joy…and contentment. All of the characteristics that previously represented who we are and how we think and act are removed and in their place we receive characteristics that reflect God living in us and us being a son/daughter of the living God…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not burdensome, they are life giving, freeing..

I know, not only because this is how the Bible describes someone who puts their faith in Jesus, but because this is my experience…it’s indescribable to truly be free, at peace, fully content.

Freedom is available to you today. Is it something that you want? Are you prepared to find true freedom, peace, joy and contentment in Jesus?