ULTIMATE FREEDOM

Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 2:11-3:7; Psalm 119:49-64; Proverbs 28:12-13

“When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. Then he said to me, ‘This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows.’”

“It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.”

“Lord, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised. I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.”

“When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.”

Freedom! What does it mean, exactly? Every time I hear it as a single word exclamation, I can’t help but think of Mel Gibson in Braveheart. I remember the civil rights marches of the 60s. I recall the retribution that was Afghanistan in the earlier part of this decade. All of these events could fairly be characterized as indications of freedom. Viewed through the prism of those events, among others, it is no wonder we consider freedom most often as that which separates us from some sort of slavery or bondage. Freedom releases us from oppression; freedom transcends and supersedes discrimination. Scripture, however, also speaks of another type of freedom, one that has little to do with separation or independence. The Bible recognizes two completely different freedoms. Only one involves escape, or breaking away. The second, and by far the most powerful, is the freedom that comes from binding ourselves to a greater force or power than ourselves. It is the freedom we have in Christ to give our lives totally over to serving others. The ultimate freedom is the freedom we have to give ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice to the Spirit.

The incontestable fact is that a man’s greatest moments of freedom lie not in separation but in the joining of two lives together. When one of those lives involves the Holy Spirit, miracles happen. We are remade from the inside out, no longer subject to the dark forces that bound our earthly selves. Only in the unity of the Christ can ultimate freedom be achieved. We are never more powerful, and never have as much real freedom, than when we give ourselves to Christ and then others as He gave Himself to us. Only when we are strong enough to sacrifice for others do we have any chance of tasting true freedom.

My wife and son have been away on a mission trip to Guatemala. Consequently, many of the things I take for granted my sweet spouse will do did not get done this week. This was not a major problem. My daughter did an admirable job of standing in the gap. But it was a significant inconvenience, because there were several things my daughter was not available to do, either. Repairmen had to be dealt with; meals needed cooking; clothes required cleaning; then, there were the pets – ours, as well as our neighbors, to name but a few. All these redistributed responsibilities required time that was just not available. I was reminded again that independence is neither all it’s cracked up to be, nor does it lessen our responsibilities. Often, it increases them. My “independence” this week felt a whole lot more like bondage than freedom. It would have been nice to have more hands and hearts sharing the load. I could not be free until my wife arrived home. Her presence literally freed me to do other things to which I have been called.

Now, don’t misunderstand. I am not equating freedom with irresponsibility, either. Humans need a certain structure within which to live their lives, and certain explicit goals and duties, or they become victims, if not instruments, of chaos. As with independence, ultimate freedom is not found in a lack of responsibility. It’s actually found in the right kind of unity and an appropriate sense of responsibility. There is nothing wrong with being bound to another soul. In fact, we were created to be freely bound to each other, not out of obligation, but out of love. It’s the soul to which we are bound, and the way we are bound, that deserves careful attention and consideration.

This world pulls at us so many different ways, it is a fair question to wonder if we can ever be totally free. The answer is an emphatic yes. As Christians, we are not limited by worldly expectations or by the need to get away from something. We are free to run to Jesus and connect our lives with His, so that He is then able to connect it with others, His way. This is ultimate freedom, not that we have no one to turn to or to lift us up, but that we know Someone willing to have us bind our lives to Him and to our brothers and sisters in Him. Those who are truly free are free enough to give ourselves back to the great I AM who has given us all.