John 8v36 “So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed”.
Isn't that just the best promise and truth to claim?
I wager that everyone reading this would agree to the fact that it is a human right to be free. Sadly there are many who do not experience freedom in this world. Human trafficking and modern slavery are on the rise ... it makes me feel sick and angry. How dare anyone presume to take anothers freedom from them. To be taken by force, bound and forced into labour without choice is barbaric. I am so full of admiration for the charities and organisations that work to rescue / release those affected and to reduce the horrifying statistics.
I have 3 young children. I assume they will always be free as opposed to enslaved ... I hope and pray so. Anything to the contrary cannot enter my mind. Yet it is not so for many, even children.
There are less visible ways of your freedom being taken from you which are far more prevalent in our western societies ... control; coercion; belittling; peer pressure; loneliness; the destruction of self worth; bullying; cyber crime; on line group chats for children. Often insidious and subtle to begin with, we can become victims without necessarily realising it before we've been stripped of the freedom to feel content being ourselves. The truth has become so abused that we believe lies and can feel trapped ... our liberty, gone.
We need to safeguard ourselves and our children from such harm. Preserve, teach, learn and speak forth truth ... instil courage and conviction in our hearts and the hearts of our children.
But the Bible speaks about freedom from the sin we are all born into. Now this is a freedom which cannot be taken away, no matter where we find ourselves. I recall a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that tells the story of when he visited a prison and noticed an inmate who looked different to the others. It turned out that he had accepted Christ as his saviour whilst in prison (Free: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nc3SVvMqqa4&feature=share)
Freedom from sin brings peace of heart. Knowing where you stand before the Lord leads to true freedom ... being free before Him gives confidence and genuine security. It enables you to adopt the truth about yourself ... how God sees you.
Often though, we don't feel free. We can feel bound or restricted, maybe even afraid and in fear of attempting to gain true freedom. Feelings can blur the truth and will often dictate our actions or lack of them ... which may then aid in the continuance of feeling contained and limited. It is most definitely the truth which will set you free ... not feelings or falsehood, but truth ... God's truth.
God made you and me to be free ... free to be who he made us to be and to do what he made us to do. To love and share his glorious freedom which even death cannot rule or take away from you. The liberty and elevation that comes with this freedom will give you wings like eagles, to soar ... you will run and not be weary, you will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40v31). The imagery is so beautiful, exciting and uplifting. It's like a bud waiting to blossom or a chick wanting to take it's first flight ... there's no degradation or bondage, just the hope and expression of true liberating, inner peace. Whether you see it as the horizon over the lapping waves on a golden seashore; the eagle soaring to heights above a mountain top; or the eruption of cherry blossom in May ... your heart will experience something never to be forgotten, because it will remain ... liberty, true freedom in Christ.
Complete acceptance ... for you to be you. God is for you, not against you ... and if that is true (which it is), then what is there to fear? Break forth and be free indeed. Shine as the sun ... you are a city on a hill which cannot be hidden ... you are the light of the world!
Two songs to add to the one above:
Who You Say I Am ~ Hillsong Worship
https://youtube.com/watch?v=IcC1Bp13n_4&feature=share
City on a Hill ~ Jars of Clay
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gvY3SFZ0_zc&feature=share
Ingrid x
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