Freedom Series: the divine perspective (Part 8)
Freedom restored
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Given ubiquitous, increasingly bold assaults by those in authority on individual liberty, it is not unreasonable to wonder if real freedom is evaporating before our eyes.
In this series, I have argued that freedom to choose was gifted by God with the caveat that the first couple should not choose personal autonomy over life in relationship with Him. Exercising their God-given free will, they disobeyed. As a direct result of their treasonous rebellion, their spirits died and their intimate relationship with their Creator was broken. According to the Christian worldview, all of humanity lives in the shadow of God’s righteous condemnation of their sin and its consequence - eternal separation from Him. There are no exceptions for good conduct, even that deemed admirable by humankind.
As previously discussed, individual freedom can be graded on a curve. However, humankind’s slavery to sin - which may be defined as any thought, word or deed displeasing to our morally perfect Creator - affects every person who has ever lived including all alive in 2024 and hereafter. While individual unrighteous acts can be graded on a curve - murder versus gossiping for example - every sinful act is a capital crime against the Creator.
God solved the separation dilemma as only He could. According to the Bible, He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Mysteriously, Jesus was both fully God and fully human. Having lived a perfect life in terms of both the letter and the spirit of the Mosaic law, Jesus offered up his life as a perfect sacrifice thereby bearing God’s judgment for our sin.
Anyone who accepts Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice as Savior and determines to live for him as Lord has become truly free as per the epigraph. Speaking personally, I have been liberated from fear of death, condemnation, and final judgment. As I put Him first in my own very imperfect way, He takes care of the rest, including financial provision, healing, and direction in my life decisions.
It is instructive to contrast this God-ordained freedom with the human condition. On one occasion, the apostle Paul was unjustly imprisoned in Philippi with Silas, his fellow evangelist. Having been severely flogged and consigned to a prison cell with their feet chained, they didn’t despair. Rather, they prayed and sang hymns! One could say that they were freer than their jailer. In fact, when God miraculously unchained them and opened prison doors, their jailer recognized his need for freedom and put his faith in Jesus.
Salvation means freedom.
Fast forward to the present day. Nicky Gumbel, in his March 16, 2024 Bible in One Year devotional, recounts the story of a militant atheist who suddenly realized he was enslaved. After encountering Jesus, he said, “I’m free of my previous life. I was a slave to a lot of things. I was a slave to society, a slave to my peers... But now I’m free to live my life. I’m excited to see what God’s got in store for me.’ In Nicky’s words, “Salvation means freedom. Sam had an experience of how Jesus Christ sets us free.”
Are you free? If not, are you prepared to renounce your Declaration of Independence from God and make a Declaration of Dependence on Him?
