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When we think of meeting God do we do so in fear over what we have done and how we have failed him, ourselves and others? This should not be! Yes, as the psalmist says, we should examine ourselves to be sure there is no unconfessed sin, but meeting God as a believer in Jesus Christ should be a time of celebration for all he has done for us and what we have in store for us in the future! Your sin is washed in the blood! He has thrown them as far as the east is from the west! There. Is. No. Condemnation. NOTHING can separate you from his love. Rejoice in his presence. You are a new creation. The joy of the Lord is your strength!
It was the battle cry William Wallace Used to spur his makeshift warriors into action against the oppressive rule of England over Scotland. Freedom, in fact, has been the battle cry since the beginning of time. It’s the search for freedom that has driven nations to war. The search for freedom has been the reasons millions of men and women have given their lives. It’s the desire for freedom that has been the motivation for young people to get their driver’s license and a car!
There are three major things to know about freedom (in my mind at least, maybe you can think of more). First of all, freedom is hard to come by, as is evidenced by the many who have fought bravely to acquire it. Some have given their entire lives to gain the goal of freedom and have never seen it happen.
Secondly, freedom is hard, if not impossible, to hold on to. Holding on to freedom has been a problem since the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, lived in the perfect environment God created for them. We don’t know for sure where the Garden of Eden was, or how large it was, we ascertain from Scripture that is was a perfect environment that was perhaps global in its size. Vast as it was, the perfect couple had complete freedom to enjoy its beauty and a perfect, face-to-face relationship with the creator. There was only one rule, don’t eat from one particular tree. They had one job to do, but the desire for ‘freedom’ caused them to eat of the forbidden tree. Ironically, their quest for freedom (the fruit of the tree) became the one thing that would keep mankind in bondage for the rest of time!
It’s the quest for freedom that keeps the addict tied to their addiction. It’s the quest for freedom that keeps people bound to debt. It’s the quest for freedom that drives people from one relationship to another. It’s the quest for freedom that keeps people from finding peace. It’s the quest for freedom that is manifested in hate and anger.
Why is that? Why is freedom so hard to find and so hard to hold on to? The third thing about freedom is that freedom begins with the heart, not with things. It works from the inside out, not the outside in. That’s why some who are bound by what we consider poverty can have joy. That’s why some who struggle with many things in life have a great disposition. They don’t let the outside control the peace of the inside.
As we’ve seen through human history, this is impossible to do without divine intervention. That’s the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ. That’s why the Apostle Paul can write in Galatians, “So Christ has truly set us free (It’s a heart thing). Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law”. (the external things)
Once your heart with right with Jesus, you’ll find it much easier (not easy, easier) to work towards freedom. Let him change you through the power of his Holy Spirit. You might want to begin by visiting a house of worship where Jesus is lord.
It’s one of the richest love stories in the history of the world. Man and woman completely alone. Naked in every sense of the word. Fully understanding of one another, fully accepting of one another, completely naked emotionally, spiritually and physically. And equal.
We live in a time when the word equality brings a barrage of emotions. The history of mankind has not done well with the issue. Greed, abuse, narcissistic attitudes, hate, anger and insecurity (among other emotions) have done little to promote equality, or it’s twin, unity.
But it wasn’t always so. In the beginning, the triune God existed as now. Three persons in one. Same in essence (equal), different in action, yet the same in purpose (unity). Mankind was made in that image. An image of equality expressed through unity. Then sin entered the picture and along with sin, fear, selfishness and defensiveness (along with other emotions).
Ever since then it’s been a battle to try to win back the lost ground. The sad thing is that society has lost the realization of what the essence of equality and unity is. Both of them can not be attained by human power or human wisdom. They are only available when we focus our attention on making God first in our lives as evidenced through the life of Christ.
Others may judge you by gender, race, economic or political status, or lifestyle. God looks at each of us as his chosen creations and sees us as his children. And, today, he still looks for us to come to him for our security, hope and feelings of completeness. Until sin is eradicated by Jesus’ return there will be no complete unity or equality, but the closer we walk with him, the closer we will feel complete in our own way.
I don’t need to feel equal with you, I only seek to be united in Christ. That’s love. That’s completeness. That’s grace.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 