Romans Part 3 - LIFEनमूना

True Freedom

The idea of “freedom” is a precious concept to all people, especially if they have known the rule of an oppressive, abusive despot. In America, the very mention of the word evokes mental images of the stars & stripes waving proudly in the breeze, of fireworks, picnics, and parades on the 4th of July, and of the brave men and women who have fought to defend all we hold dear as a nation.

But what of the idea of personal freedom? Is it just as noble a cause as fighting for our nation’s freedom? How easy it is for it to deteriorate into a self-centered thing, a “don’t tell me what to do” kind of thing. We think in terms of wanting to live our lives our own way, without someone else being our boss. Often the things we gravitate toward in our quest for personal freedom eventually become our bosses! It was verse 16 that I remember reading in a modern version of the Bible when I was in high school that put this idea very succinctly, and it has echoed in my mind ever since. It simply stated that you become a slave to whatever controls you. It seems that the real choice we have in life isn’t whether we will be controlled, but by whom or by what. We can choose to let the enemy of our souls dangle temptations before us until we buy into the lie that those things will satisfy us, or we can trust the rule of a “benevolent dictator” in our hearts and find a true freedom that satisfies like nothing else.

What a surprise!! Giving up our freedom to Him creates incredible true freedom!

I am writing this as our nation’s birthday rolls around again. It’s a time when thoughts of the people and events of our history come to mind. Thomas Jefferson said that our nation’s form of government would not survive unless its people possessed internal restraints. I think we see more evidence all the time that external restraints like laws and law enforcement cannot do the job that healthy consciences and ‘loving our neighbors as ourselves’ can do. Just as the external laws of the Old Covenant couldn’t produce righteousness, without the Holy Spirit of God living inside, being our Teacher and Guide, so, external laws cannot restrain sin. He makes His written word come alive in and through us.

The book of Galatians has much to say about this, but please read at least 4:4-7 and 5:1. Ok, I have to put 5:1 in print here. It’s just too good! 😊

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

-Wendy York