Tag: freedom

Grab and Go!

Answer this one question: Who is Jesus, really?

According to the author of the book of Hebrews, he is…

  1. God’s Son
  2. Our great high priest, who represents us before the Father
  3. Our ascended Lord, who from his powerful seat at God’s right hand rules the entire universe for the church’s benefit
  4. Our empathetic Savior, who understands us perfectly because he subjected himself to every temptation we face in our daily lives
  5. Our sinless Substitute, who offers his perfection so that we might claim it as our own righteousness, and be made acceptable in the eyes of a holy God

Since this is who Jesus is, we should let no person and no event diminish our faith in him. Our faith is rightly placed when it is placed on Jesus Christ. By faith, we should fiercely cling to Jesus — like a person being lowered over the edge of a cliff by Bear Grylls clings hold of the climbing rope.

Grab hold tightly. Have no plan to loosen your grip.

And then?

We go freely to God. We approach him with confidence, as a child approaches their loving parent or grandparent. We go to him with boldness. We’re not held back by guilt or shame. We’re not worried that we’re not enough. We don’t turn and run because we’re frightened by his holiness. And we’re not angry and frustrated because we can never seem to measure up.

Jesus has that all covered for us.

So, we go to God in full freedom and with absolute confidence. And we find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

Simple. Grab Jesus and go.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV).

Lord Jesus, help me by your Spirit’s power to grab hold tightly of you. And then, confident of your grace and mercy, guide me to go to the Father’s throne in prayer and make my requests with boldness and confidence.

Our Bible reading for Tuesday, November 3, is Ezekiel 1:1 – 3:27, Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10 and Psalm 119:153-160.

Header image based on "Hebrews 4 16" by New Life Church Collingwood, CC By 2.0

Alone in Christ, True Freedom

To our natural selves, it seems to make a lot of good sense to pursue pleasure and the desires of the senses. Even our own bodies reward this pursuit. Eating good food, playing video games, having sex, and engaging in other pleasurable experiences have been shown to cause increases in the reward chemicals in our bodies.

A lot of people also think of pursuing pleasure as the pathway to freedom. That would seem to make some sense too. After all, isn’t the very definition of freedom that I can do whatever I want?

Unfortunately, what many people fail to do is take the long view. Pursuing pleasure tends to be an “immediate gratification” sort of thing. So, thoughts of where all this might eventually lead tend to be banished because of the overwhelming nature of the reward in the short term.

This is why we need God. Because what often occurs is that the pursuit of pleasure winds up leaving us in slavery to that pursuit, whatever it might be. What began as a journey toward perceived freedom ends up to be nothing more than a mirage and a lie — and a very dangerous, self-destructive mirage at that.

Talk to someone who has been caught up in an addiction and you’ll find they relate well to the terms “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved.”

But take note. Paul tells Titus that God loves us even while we’re enslaved by pleasure. In fact, he wants to deliver us from our slavery, and that’s the very reason he sent Jesus for us. He even points out that we don’t have to do anything good to earn or win this deliverance. Deliverance doesn’t come about because we’re such good people. It comes about because God is such a merciful God.

The beauty is that with the Holy Spirit living in our hearts through faith, we learn not to take created pleasures and turn them into ultimate things. When Jesus remains on the throne of our hearts, we begin to enjoy earthly pleasures without needing them for peace, fulfillment or identity. Because Jesus is our peace, fulfillment and identity, we can enjoy games, food, sex and other pleasures within God-pleasing boundaries. And that allows us to enjoy them without being enslaved by them.

What has got you trapped and enslaved right now? God has delivered you already. I know, it’s impossible for you to believe that. But it’s true. Jesus died for you. Jesus rose for you. The price of your freedom has been paid in full. Through baptism, you are released and set free from foolishness, disobedience, deception and slavery.

With the Spirit’s help, believe this. And walk out into your true freedom!

“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7, NIV).

Lord, thank you for your deliverance, your forgiveness and your kindness. By your mercy, you sent me a Savior from sin. Please forgive me for allowing myself to be enslaved by life’s pleasures and desires. Give me the faith, the courage and the strength to step into the freedom you have already won for me in Christ.

Our Bible reading for Wednesday, October 28, is Lamentations 1:1 – 2:6, Titus 3:1-15 and Psalm 119:113-120.

Header image based on "Freedom Alone" by Martin Burns, CC By 2.0

Come Out of The Hole

Imagine solitary confinement in “The Hole,” the darkest of dark cells. You can’t see, because there is absolutely no light in your windowless cell. You are under a sentence of death. The prison warden and all the jailers clearly enjoy their work. They are brutal and violent.

There are no friends here, only enemies.

This is the picture that Isaiah uses to portray our natural condition under sin. But now, imagine that jail door opening and the light streaming in. God has sent his Holy Spirit. He enters our dark prison cell through the teaching of the gospel.

He removes our chains, opens the cell door, leads us out past all the jailers and the warden himself. He takes us past the main gate of the prison out into the full light of day.

We are amazed. And we feel so grateful to lift our faces up to that warm sun, to see the blue sky, to enjoy the sight of the trees and the grass, to pull in a deep breath of fresh air. It’s an utterly transforming moment.

Isaiah puts it this way: “He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron” (Psalm 107:14-16, NIV).

Hundreds of years later, the apostle Paul personally experienced this transforming moment.

Paul knew the cell in which his wrong-headed Pharisee beliefs had once kept him. He knew the chains of trying live the “exemplary, perfect life” meant for humans to witness and praise. He knew the darkness of trying to earn and win his own way into God’s heart by being good and living righteously.

In fact, Paul even knew what it was like to be a collaborator with the prison officials and had at one time persecuted those who believed in Christ.

Then came his release from all that. Then came Jesus — on the road to Damascus — personally challenging him to walk out of that prison with him. Then came the Holy Spirit into his imprisoned heart to release him into the light.

“I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they praised God because of me” (Galatians 1:22-24, NIV).

Are you prepared for the total change that the Holy Spirit wants to bring about in your heart? Are you ready to come entirely out of your dark cell and live a Spirit-transformed life?

What “gates of bronze” or “bars of iron” do you need your gracious God to break down for you?

As Isaiah promised, and as Paul experienced, God wants you out of that dark prison cell. He wants you fully walking in the light. He wants you to experience the joy of freedom, and the peace that comes from knowing — as Isaiah words it — “the Lord’s unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”

Lord Jesus, lead me out of the dark prison cell of sin. Forgive me for the wrong I have done. Change my heart and my mind. Break down the gates of bronze and the bars of iron that limit me from being transformed into your image, so that you may be praised for the work of change done in me.

Our Bible reading for Monday, September 14, is Isaiah 33:1 – 35:10, Galatians 1:1-24 and Psalm 107:10-22.

Header image based on "the hole" by sean hobson, CC By 2.0

Tangible vs. Intangible

As human beings we are so attached to the tangible. Because of that we tend to want to turn the practice of our faith toward physical things — things we can see, taste, hear, touch.

For the Christians in first-century Rome this became a thing about what food believers should eat, and what food they shouldn’t eat.

Over the years, there have been various manifestations of this same debate, all of them involving things that God gives us complete freedom to choose. I’m talking about things like…

  • What Christians should wear
  • How Christians should have fun
  • What music Christians should listen to
  • What are the only “correct” worship practices for Christians
  • What habits should Christians have
  • What jewelry Christians should wear

Paul instructs the Romans that God has left certain things in the area of Christian freedom. He’s left it up to us to make choices, and we are completely free to make our choices. Choose to eat, or not to eat. Choose to wear it, or don’t choose to wear it. There’s no commandment from God on this particular aspect of life, so it’s up to you.

The only check on our choices is that we would make loving choices, taking into account the consciences of others, and not going out of our way to trip others up in their faith.

Where Paul wants our focus to be is on the intangibles. He mentions the important ones specifically.

  • Righteousness
  • Peace
  • Joy

Pursuing these is what pleases God. Pursuing these is what builds faith. Pursuing these will often, Paul notes, even lead to the admiration and respect of those around us.

Interestingly, pursuing righteousness, peace and joy — in God’s way of working things — really means not running away from them. Because in reality, we’re not the ones pursuing God. God is the one pursuing us, and he is the one who wants to give us righteousness, peace and joy.

How does he pursue us with these gifts? He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior. Jesus pursued us through living a perfect life in our place, by going to the cross for us, and most of all, by rising from the tomb. He did this all so he could give us his divine, perfect righteousness, peace and joy.

And he still pursues us with these gifts. Today he pursues us by sending the Holy Spirit, which he promises to do when we read and listen to the Bible, or when we have the waters of baptism poured on us, or when we eat and drink Christ’s body and blood in communion.

And where do we get these things? Most of us find them at church.

So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself down there!

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval” (Romans 14:17-18, NIV).

Our Bible reading for Friday, July 31, 1 Chronicles 9:1 – 10:14, Romans 14:1-18 and Proverbs 18:17 – 19:2.

Lord, help me to enjoy my Christian freedom in the areas where you have left things open to my judgment. Most of all, help me keep my eyes and my heart focused on the pursuit of your righteousness, peace and joy, which I find in my Savior Jesus.

Header image based on "Roadside Church" by Nicholas A. Tonelli, CC By 2.0

Five Kinds of Freedom

There are so many things that shackle us in life. There are the expectations of others. There are our own self-expectations.

Then there are our hurts, our habits and our hang-ups. Perhaps we’ve recently lost a loved one, and we’re deep in grief. Maybe we can’t break an addiction’s grip despite multiple attempts to pull away. We might have a fear that we simply can’t shake. Or perhaps we made a mistake in life that seems to just keep haunting us, like a bad horror movie.

I want to remind you of something Jesus once promised, and assure you that he meant that promise. At the time, Jesus was being challenged by the Pharisees every time he taught.

But not everyone was a skeptic. Some of the Jews believed him. He spoke to these Jewish believers and made an important claim.

If they would “hold to” his teaching, they would be free. What did Jesus mean by “hold to”? And what did he mean by “free”?

If we read other places, or even if you see what Jesus says in John chapter 8 to those who claim to be the children of Abraham, to “hold to” is to believe that what a person is teaching is really the truth. I would define it as trusting Jesus’ teaching to the point of actually resting in it for peace and putting it into practice in our lives.

What Jesus meant by freedom is release from bondage to things we don’t want to be enslaved to:

  • Freedom from sins. Our sins no longer cling to us. We are released from them and washed clean… yes, of all of them!
  • Freedom from guilt and shame. We are no longer condemned before God. We are no longer self-condemned either (unless we sadly choose to be…). Instead, we can walk with our head held high, because we have been given a verdict of “not guilty” in God’s courtroom. No matter what anyone else thinks about us, we know what God says!
  • Freedom from the power of sin. The constant temptation to cave in to sin — to return to sin and do whatever it tells us to — gradually also begins to recede as the Holy Spirit strengthens our faith in Jesus and his teaching. This will never be perfect as long as we are on this side of heaven, but with God’s help our “new man” can gain territory as life progresses! And that’s an awesome gift!
  • Freedom from fear-based emotions such as worry, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, fears of failure or embarrassment, and fears of loss or helplessness or loneliness. The list could go on. It could also include what I like to think of as “compensating” emotions based in pride and selfishness, arrogance and self-empowerment.
  • Freedom from the terrors of death in all its forms — spiritual, physical and most of all, eternal. Because of the teaching of Jesus, I can believe in him as my Savior and my Lord, I can pass through physical death like it’s no more than a doorway, and I can enjoy the adventure of heaven for eternity.

Hold to Jesus’ teaching. Because Jesus’ claims that his teaching is the truth. Or maybe I should say it this way: The Truth. Jesus promises you that when you hold on to The Truth, his truth and his teaching, you will be free!

All we need to do, and with God’s help can do, is rest in it every day and put it into practice in our lives.

“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'” (John 8:31-32, NIV).

Our Bible reading for Friday, May 15, is Judges 20:1 – 21:25, John 8:31-59 and Psalm 61:1-8.

Lord, Jesus, I trust in you and your teaching. Your words and promises are pure gold. Forgive me for the times I have treated them as trash. Cleanse me from my sins of self-trust and self-importance, and help me to simply rest in you and your promises. Send me your Holy Spirit and empower me to put your words into practice in my life so that I may experience all the freedom you promise.

Header image based on "UNSHACKLED" by Steve Snodgrass, CC By 2.0

Snared

I first learned how to set a snare in Africa. A guinea fowl, because it likes to run across the ground, was a relatively easy target.

But in the spiritual world, I am the target. And it happens far more often than I’d like to admit. Sin snares me.

Jesus points out to his disciples, as he teaches them about the error of the Pharisees, that their tendency was to focus on outward behavior. But far more frequently, spiritual snares are set internally, in our hearts: “He went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person'” (‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭20-23,‬ NIV).

Look at that list closely. See how easy it is to get snared?

Really easy, because snares come in many forms. You teach yourself to recognize and avoid one. But then a whole new one waits for you. And like a true snare, once you’re caught in it, it is really, really difficult to extricate yourself.

Almost impossible, really.

Which is why King David writes what he does in Psalm 25. You have to believe that growing up out in the field as a shepherd boy, this man knew intimately what a snare was. And for him, there was only one way to get un-snared from the kinds of sins that live inside of us, that snare our very hearts.

Keep your eyes on the Lord. He alone will release you.

“For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great… My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare” (‭Psalm‬ ‭25‬:‭11, 15,‬ NIV).

Our Bible reading for Monday, February 23, is Exodus 33:7 – 34:35, Mark 7:1-30 and Psalm 25:8-15.

Lord Jesus, you are my Lord and my God. I look to you. Please release me (and my heart) from the snare of my heart’s sins. I have many unclean things residing in my heart. For the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity. Thank you for washing all my sins away by your blood shed for me on the cross.

Header image based on "Custom Setting a Trap" by Hollis, CC By 2.0