What is freedom ?

WhatisFreedom? by lcl

You would think that being in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave that we would know all about what freedom really is. But, I wonder?? Of course, we have physical freedom to vote and pretty much say what we want. But, we do not have freedom to do things to others that effect their freedoms. There are also a lot of things that we cannot do that are limited by law. We are not free to do all things that we please. So what is the freedom that scripture speaks of?

Deu 24:5 When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any duty. He shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife whom he has taken.

According to this little known fact, newly wedded husbands in the old times were free to stay home for a year and make the little woman happy. No doubt, they carried out the garbage every night and kept up their to do list to make the house respectable and approved by the wife’s standards. They probably needed a year just to get used to each other in a continual close relationship. Apparently, the husband still had to work to earn a living, eat and pay bills. But, this is not what Christ came to free us from.

1Ch 9:33 And these werethe singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites in the chambers, they werefree of duty, for they were employed in that work day and night.

PriestsandsongpraisesingersoftheOldTestamentwerealso relinquished from other duties because they were serving God on a daily basis. However later, Paul, a tent maker, chose to remain employed so as not to put a burden on the people of the church. 2Co 11:9 However,laterthedeaconswere appointed to serve the widows in the book of Acts 6:1-3 while the church leaders continued in prayer. Today, ministers have their hands full trying to run a church, especially, since the deacons are now much more occupied in other personal duties. Choirs are not on call full time, so they are not relinquished from duty. Clearly, these were not the freedoms we are concerned with.

2Ch 29:31 And Hezekiah answered and said, And you have consecrated yourselves to Jehovah. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of Jehovah. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings. And as many as were of a free heart broughtburnt offerings.

I think we are getting a little closer here. A free heart speaks to us to feel how we want about things and especially about God. God desires us to love him by choice, not out of fear or law requirement. He did not even want sacrifice tribute unless it was given out of desire. This also goes along with giving tithes cheerfully if they are to have meaning to God.

Ezr 7:16 and all the silver and gold which you can find in all the province of Babylon, with the free will offering of the people and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. Again,we should honor,give tribute to and love God freely out of our desire to do so.

Psa 119:108 I pray You, take the free-will offerings of my mouth, O Jehovah, and teach me Your judgments. What we say is a free will choice to honor or dis- honor God. It is our testimony of how we feel and what we believe about the things of God, and will ultimately play a major role in how we are judged by Christ as “The Word.” Does what we say align with the words of Jesus??

Mat 12:36 But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 12:48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My Words has one who judges him; the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed ones go free, and that you break every yoke?

Now, we are getting to the crux of the matter! The oppressed are those bound by sin and held by “bands of wickedness.” The burdens are those lies put on us by satan that cause things like guilt, sickness, anxiety and fear to overcome us. These are the yokes that satan puts on us to hold us in his power and ultimately destroy the good life that God wants us to have.

Jer 15:11 Jehovah said, Truly I will free you for good. Truly I will cause the enemy to entreat you in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

When Jesus breaks the yoke of satan, we are free to effectively do His will willingly and joyfully.

Mat 17:26 Peter said to Him, From strangers. Jesus said to him, Then truly the sons are free.

We have now become spiritually free, knowing the truth of God. We no longer blame God for bad things that we and satan bring on us. We can rejoice even when God disciplines us that we might have correct thoughts and bear more good fruit in the service of Christ.

Joh 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Joh 8:36 Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

When God’s truth is in us where the Holy Spirit can bring it to remembrance at any time, we can discern right and wrong, truth and lies. Satan no longer has any power over us.

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by one offense sentencecameon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of One the free gift cameto all men to justification of life.

Because of Christ being righteous and teaching us correctly how to also be righteous we can rejoice in His free gift of truth to us. He paid a great price for the gift He gives to us out of love. He loves us, has compassion on us, and loves and obeys the will of the Father who also has these same attributes toward us and Christ.

Rom 6:18 Then being made free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness.

Rom 6:20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. Rom 6:22 But now, being made free from sin, and having become slaves to God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Now, we follow a new course to willingly honor God by doing His will.

We can now bear holy fruit for good that helps others and ourselves to be approved and blessed by God.

Rom 7:6 But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Rom 8:2 But the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

We have been freed from the Old Testament Law, which is impossible to completely follow. We have given up following the sinful base human nature inherited from Adam and Eve. Instead, we put God’s desires before our own and trust in His rewards. A new Law of Grace given by Christ to us, frees us from the old law that would have resulted in our failure to completely honor God. That failure would have resulted in our separation from God for eternity, to the end that we would have died alone in torment forever.

1Co 7:22 For he who is called a slave in theLord is a freed man of theLord. And likewise, he who is called a free man is a slave of Christ.

1Co 9:19 For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more.

We now have a new master in Christ. We are free to follow Him doing His will and the Father’s will. A will that urges us to love others as God loves us. Because of this love, we become slave to doing good to all that we might reap rewards now from them and forever from God. Real freedom involves the self control to be positive in the face of adversity. We can continue to be positive because we know that with Christ, the word of God and the Holy Spirit within all things will work to our good when we trust God. This does not imply that all things will make sense at the time they happen, but rather that we can trust God’s will to bring positive results to our life through all things. Furthermore, God will be with us through the hard times and can give us peace in the midst of life’s storms.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage.

Remain strong in the continuing free choices we have to live for God in all things. Never fall prey to returning to a master that desires to enslave you to a bondage that will result in torment and destruction.