The word “freedom” means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Sometimes that word applies to the highest of principles that lead men and women of conviction to fight and die for others. Freedom sums up those inalienable rights (“life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”) that Thomas Jefferson said had been granted to all people. But sometimes freedom is no higher or nobler than just the desire to do what I want when I want. Hey, it’s a free country, right? Freedom means a lot of things to a lot of people. Notice just a few—- “Freedom” is a city in California, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
- “Freedom” is a magazine (Freedom Magazine) and newspaper (Freedom Newspaper) and a publishing company (Freedom Press).
- There is the Space Station Freedom and the Freedom Tower (new Word Trade Center Tower #1).
- “Freedom” is an album by Carlos Santana, Neil Young and Michael W. Smith (his all-instrumental album).
- “Freedom” is song by Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Alice Cooper and at least 35 other singers.
- Kris Kristofferson wrote and Janis Joplin sang (actually a cover of a song first done by Roger Miller), “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”
- “Freedom!” is the last line and most memorable line by Mel Gibson in his Oscar winning Braveheart.
But freedom has responsibility. It is not free... and it is never just another word for nothing left to loose. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” We are give freedom in Christ, and we are called to live in that freedom. But Paul also warns us against the modern idea that freedom means that we can do anything we want. Freedom means living so that we are not enslaved, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature" (Gal 5:13). Our freedom does not permit us to live however we want! That is really bondage and slavery. Freedom in Christ sets us free to live by the law of Christ, the “perfect law that gives freedom” (James 1:25). Ultimately, becoming free from sin gives us the freedom to lives as the slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:15ff).
Freedom is a lot of things… it is never an excuse to do exactly what it is that we want.
3 comments:
In acts 22 verse 28 the word politeia is used, pronounced (pol-ee-ti'-ah) defined and tranlated the word means (“polity”); citizenship; concretely a community: - commonwealth, freedom.
In Leviticus 19:20 the word that is pronounced khoof-shaw' is used and translates to liberty (from slavery): - freedom.
those are two examples of the same word meaning diffrent things because of the way they are translated.
In Romans 8:12 it is written “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Here the word free (as is used to explain a persons condition who is ‘saved’) is translated from the word el-yoo'-ther-os ; may mean unrestrained (to go at pleasure), that is, (as a citizen) not a slave (whether freeborn or manumitted), or (generally) exempt (from obligation or liability): - free (man, woman), at liberty. Most of us understand 1 cor 7:12 “Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.” and the next one “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.” Lets not overlook “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”
God gives us freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us and boundaries to protect us from evil/sin. Even in the garden God gave Adam freedom (authority) over everything in the garden, but also the responsibility to manage it. Our boundary is God’s Law written on our hearts. Ezekiel prophesied to the Israelites that righteous men that do evil will surely die; while evil men that repent and do what is right will be saved. We are free in a way we have never known before. Great freedom to do righteous things that glorify God. Satan is the one that counterfeits true freedom in Christy by telling us things like “You have freedom now to do anything, you want”. But the Word of God shows that the freedom that Christ gives us is really freedom from slavery to sin, and to the evil one. The freed soul passes under law to Christ, under the perfect law of liberty, which is freedom to do right, instead of seeing what is right, and doing what is wrong.
May we always be mindful of and stay within those boundaries that God has given us to protect us from evil/sin and be responsible good stewards of what he has entrusted to us. It is an awesome responsibility and we should not hesitate to seek counsel from those who have more human experiences and understanding of the truth. May we always be humble and aware of our own limitations and flaws, may our flaws be complementary and interlock to make a strong hedge of thorns as we pool together for protection for the common good. We live in a liberal land with great freedom to do righteous things that glorify God (lets not waste it). Being aware of the true nature of the freedom found in the (The All-Sufficient) Christ) will protect us from the counterfeits of true freedom that comes from the great liar and deceiver.
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